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And here we go again, yet another video game localization that ends up getting censored once the Western release gets dropped. Yes, you guessed it. Nis America will censor quite a few bits from their upcoming PS Vita RPG game “Criminal Girls 2”. Because Nis made it very clear in a post on their homepage just recently, that “Criminal Girls 2” will undergo some “localization changes” (aka censorship) before the game gets released in Europe and North America:

And as much as I dislike censorship in general, there was one particular part of Nis America´s “Four changes to Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors” post that caught my eye more than anything else. And that would be this part:

Well, to be exact. It was the “It is also against our company policy” part that made me wonder what Nis America is up to? Because I´m curious to know why it´s against the company policy to release “unrated” games (which, in my opinion, just seems to be an easy excuse not to release uncensored games in the West).

“Releasing an uncensored version on PC would require having the game reprogrammed and rerated. It is also against our company policy to release “unrated” games, so this possibility is quite unlikely.”

All of this also raised a whole bunch of other questions in my head:

1. Will NISA continue to censor Western video game localizations in the future? And will the censorship become worse over time?

2. How much more censorship will the Gaming community have to put up with?

3. And will we see an up going trend of Japanese imported games due to censorship in the West?(not to mention a wider interest of Western Gamers who wants to learn Japanese).

Well…On a personal level, since I´ve been covering censorship and bad Western localizations for quite some time now. I´m afraid that the censorship will continue unless the Gaming community unites and put the foot down by saying, “enough is enough!“. Because like I´ve said many times before in the past, it´s not just about having “lewd” content removed (or censored). Because pretty much everything that could be considering “offending” nowadays, could end up being removed (or censored) from the final release of the game in question (especially if it´s a Western localization game title). I would also like to point out that once a publisher or game developer has started to censor or remove stuff from a game. Then it usually results in having further censorship and game content removed from the title in question (Lab Zero Games “Skullgirls” is a perfect example of this).

And naturally that makes me wonder whether or not NISA will censor the Western version of “Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors” even more in the future? (CG2 is set for a EU and US release in September for PS Vita. And for those who didn´t know it, CG2 was originally released in November, 2015 in Japan). Furthermore, is it even worth buying the US or PAL version of “Criminal Girls 2”? As it´s quite obvious that you´re getting a censored version of the Japanese game if you do so….Well, there is an alternative solution to that problem. And that would be to import the uncensored Japanese version of “Criminal Girls 2” via Play-Asia (you can buy the game for 49,99 USD or 45,70 Euros at the moment). And that´s most definitely a really good idea to do. Well, at least if you speak and understand Japanese (a good start for newcomers would be to try “Learn Japanese to survive“).

With that said, what´s your take on this matter? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below!

About Criminal Girls 2:

“Considered as the final destination for some, Hell is a place of no escape – unless one decides to submit themselves through punishments of repentance… In Criminal Girls 2, you are an adviser of Hell that controls the fates of 7 girls – bad and naughty sinners in their own rights. They must follow your every beck and call as you guide them through Hell’s devious “Resurrection” Rehabilitation Program taking place in the Tower of Hell. Of course, nothing is ever that smooth, especially if it concerns the underworld; each girl has their own unique personality – some shy, some lewd, some vivacious, and each has a dark past to uncover; you must steel yourself and commit to bringing these girls around through the only way you know how: saucy punishments masquerading as motivational sessions!

As the sequel to Criminal Girls: Invitation, this Japanese version retains the uncensored punishment experience and is upgraded from the former in everyway; punishment scenes are now more imaginative, as the situations and positions the girls are in are a lot more novel, and all scenes are now done with a “breathing sprite” animation similar to Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters and Dragon’s Crown. Only through this intimate connection does one unlock a bond that punishment can give, and only through this, each girl’s innate repertoire of skills unlock; Criminal Girls 2 will also feature a higher level of strategy than before; there is more balance between the RPG elements and the notorious punishment scenes. As well, the rear and front touch screen functionality makes a return, as players will be tapping away rhythmically with the goal of keeping punishment consistent at a brisk and steady pace~” – Play-Asia

Source:

Nis America



Credit:

DeadPhoenX

***Disclaimer***

This is a personal opinion of the writer, and it doesn’t necessarily represent the other writers (nor The Gaming Ground´s) opinions.

***Disclosure***

We (TGG) are a part of the Play-Asia family, and we may receive a profit cut out of your purchase via the Play-Asia links in this article.



Robin “V-Act” Ek

The Gaming Ground

Twitter: @TheGamingGround

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Tags: Censorship, Criminal Girls, Criminal Girls 2, Japan, Nippon Ichi Software, PS Vita