The Callisto Protocol canceled in Japan after developer refuses to censor violence

Sci-fi Horror Game Dead Space spiritual sequel The Callisto Protocol has had its Japanese release canceled after its developer was unable to reach agreement with Japan’s video game age ratings body, CERO.

In the news: a statementPost to the Japanese Callisto ProtocolDeveloper Striking Distance Studios, publisher Krafton created a Twitter account.

In a translation posted to Reddit (and verified by Eurogamer), the post reads: “The Callisto ProtocolThe Japanese version will not be released. At this point, CERO ratings cannot be passed. We decided not to be able provide the service you require. We are sure that everyone in Japan understands. If you have already pre-ordered, we will refund you.”

This statement suggests that Striking Distance could not or refused to modify the game in any way that would have earned it a rating. CERO’s top “Z” rating limits sales to players aged 18 and over.

Although Striking Distance didn’t comment on the reasonsThe Callisto Protocol failed to obtain a rating, they very likely relate to the game’s violent content. CERO is well-known for limiting the level of gore allowed. Dismemberment is a particular taboo; 2020’s Part 2 of “The Last of Us”, for example, had all dismemberment removed for its Japanese release, as well as a sex scene edited, to obtain its “Z” rating.

Striking Distance is proud to have spoken of The Callisto Protocol’s level of brutality and gore. “We have a gore engine,” studio head Glen Schofield told Eurogamer in June. “It’s a lot of rendering, and you break up the characters into [chunks]Cut them into pieces, leaving bones and all. After that, the rendering team does their unique thing which is to make it look wet. And so every character had to be done that way – and however you go at it, chunks break off, or parts of the face, parts of the head.” It seems Striking Distance has decided the game experience would be too radically changed if this interactivity was removed — if it would even be possible to remove it.

The Callisto Protocol December 2nd, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 will all be available.