Resident Evil 7 is a very graphical game but surprisingly it's heavily censored in its country of origin - Japan. The Japanese version of the game almost appears unrecognizable to Western players.
Capcom Censors Its Own Game
YouTube presenter Censored Gaming showed how Resident Evil 7 appears to Western and Japanese players. A horrific looking head for Western players simply turns into a photograph of a man with a big X written over it. Those who would like to see more comparisons can see this video. The game's voice acting though sounds a lot scarier than the Western version, according to critics.
Two Japanese Versions
There are actually two Japanese versions for Resident Evil 7, according to some industry observers. The one shown in the video is the Japanese mainstream copy. There is also another Japanese copy similar to one sold in the West. In Japan though, these uncensored ones are known as the Grotesque version.
Unfortunately, selling the Grotesque copy is quite cumbersome for many game retailers. Customers will have to present an ID to prove that they are legally allowed to buy it in the first place. Only those who are desperate enough to buy the hardcore version are willing to undergo such procedure.
Game Censorship In Japan
Resident Evil 7 is not the only game censored in Japan. It's quite a common practice for Japanese authorities to censor they any game scene they deem too "sensitive". The seventh installment of Resident Evil was developed and published by Capcom and was released last January. It's available in various platforms such as PS4, Xbox One and Windows PC.
The single player and first person game focuses on Ethan Winters who is looking for his wife, Mia. Unfortunately, he winds up encountering the Baker Family and hordes of creatures simply known as the "Molded". The game also features VR support but some players have voiced out their complaints about it. Several guides about the game including the Nightmare DLC are also available.
