Zanki Zero: Last Beginning for PS4 and PC Will Be Censored in the West

Today Spike Chunsoft posted on its official website to advise fans of the upcoming Zanki Zero: Last Beginning JRPG that the game will be censored.

Alterations have been made both to the PS4 and the PC version to “reduce content which could be interpreted as sexualization of characters depicted as minors.”

The post mentions that the changes have been made “to ensure a release for the west,” seemingly indicating that the launch wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

You can find a full list of the changes below.

• PlayStation 4 Packaging art
  • In order to conform to public storefront display standards, images that can be interpreted as too sexually provocative must be modified.
• Sachika Bedroom Scene CGIs
  • In the Japanese release, Sachika’s panties are visible. In the Western release, Sachika is wearing pajama bottoms.
• Sachika CGI in the Opening Scene
  • In the Japanese release, Sachika’s panties are visible. In the Western release, the camera angle has been raised to not show Sachika’s panties.
• Child Rinko Extend Machine CGI
  • In the Japanese release, Child Rinko covers her chest with her arms. In the Western release, the position of her arms has been adjusted.
• All “Child” bedtime event cutscenes removed

On the other hand, the following elements have been added:

• Japanese Swimsuit DLC included in-game
• Difficulty I: Lowered difficulty to allow players to focus on story and puzzle-solving (other difficulties have not been modified)
• English voiceover option (Dual audio, choose from English or original Japanese)
• Overall game balance and UI improvements

Zanki Zero: Last Beginning was initially supposed to launch in the west on March 19 for PS4 and PC, but it has been delayed to April 9, likely to make the changes listed above.