While Resident Evil Village is scheduled to ship on the same date worldwide later this spring, not everyone will be enjoying the very same gameplay experience.
The survival horror sequel sees protagonist Ethan Winters embroiled in yet another nightmare following the events of RE7, and he’s guaranteed to encounter all sorts of gnarly monstrosities during his quest, including the viral sensation that is Lady Dimitrescu. Besides her unconventional size, the castellan’s outward appearance is unremarkably human, though considering her daughters’ vampiric abilities, one can only assume that she, too, is hiding a grotesque form behind liberal amounts of face powder and an aristocratic fashion sense.
Suffice it to say, then, like its predecessors, Village will undoubtedly feature several sequences justifying its restricted age rating and it would seem as if some are so explicit that Capcom has had no choice but to censor what they depict.
According to a statement provided by the developer, console and PC releases of the title sold in Japan will contain no instances of decapitation or material otherwise deemed inappropriate by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO). This encompasses, among other things, a drastic reduction in the level of blood and gore shown, which Western regulatory bodies are far more lenient on.
Indeed, the company stresses that EU/NA versions will include all of the above and that anyone in Japan looking for something similar can do so by purchasing a separate ‘adults-only’ cut. Those discrepancies aside, the series’ ninth mainline installment will be functionally identical, says Capcom.
Resident Evil Village arrives on May 7th for current and last-gen consoles as well as PC. Folks aiming to prep their chosen platform in advance can see here for the official file size.