As Stellar Blade‘s release slowly approaches, rating boards are weighing their opinions on the game and whether or not it requires censoring to launch in certain countries. Japan’s CERO (ESRB equivalent) said it doesn’t, and leading to an EA Japan executive questioning the decision.
In an April 21 post on X (formerly Twitter), EA Japan executive Shaun Noguchi called out the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO). The board gave Stellar Blade, an upcoming hack-and-slash published by Sony, the CERO D rating, allowing the game to launch uncensored in Japan for audiences aged 17 and above. This confused Noguchi since EA’s Dead Space remake was not allowed to show certain gory elements which he claims Stellar Blade also has. “I don’t understand,” he said.
“I don’t understand why you said that our Dead Space was not allowed to show the sections of broken [body] parts and internal organs, but here we can see the whole section and the inside of the body, and it’s still rated CERO D,” Noguchi asked CERO, and included screenshots of the mentioned gore elements featuring in the game.
Aside from the image above, Noguchi attached screenshots of dead enemies whose internals are clearly visible and displayed in the game. Dead Space contains notoriously brutal segments, however, with a big emphasis on character deaths, which may have been the breaking point for CERO.
Noguchi added in a follow-up tweet that he has no “ill will towards Stellar Blade.” He said the game is fun and recommended players to purchase and play it. “This is purely a complaint on the ambiguity of the screening process in Japan,” Noguchi wrote, adding, “I can give you many examples of the ‘ambiguity’ that is prevalent in the screening process for other titles as well.” He also expressed his wish for CERO to elaborate more on how they rate games such as a checklist of what is allowed and what isn’t.
Stellar Blade is geared to launch on April 26 and will be exclusive to the PlayStation 5. Hopefully, Sony learned a lot from their recent multi-platform experience with Helldivers 2 and brings the game to PC soon.
