Japanese players of Resident Evil Requiem are battling against what they describe as "immersion-breaking" censorship

Gamers in Japan have expressed dissatisfaction with the extensive censorship present in the horror game Resident Evil Requiem's most graphic scenes. Unlike other regions, players in Japan experience automatic censorship with black boxes covering the most brutal parts, which some say disrupts the game's atmosphere.

A user on Reddit, as reported by IGN, noted, "Before RE4, games would feature basic censorship methods. An example is how the policeman's head wasn't split in Biohazard 7. In RE4, limb severance was 'permitted,' but the internal details were hidden by a black 'shader'.

With Requiem, the enhanced level of gore is notably censored with black overlays both in cutscenes and gameplay. This has led some players to feel it significantly detracts from the experience. Prior to release, based on statements from the director, there was an expectation that the PC version might avoid this censorship, but this did not materialize.

Interestingly, although the Japanese CERO rating, responsible for such censorship, is not applicable to PC titles, Capcom opted to maintain the same level of censorship across both console and PC versions, which is not the case in the US.

Koshi Nakanishi, the game's director, had previously asserted in an interview that the Japanese Z-rated version, targeted at audiences 18 and over, would be "similar" to the international release, although not identical.

Due to what they describe as excessive censorship, some players are seeking refunds for the game.

For a detailed analysis, you can read our summary of the Resident Evil Requiem critical consensus.