Western fans of Japanese games are no stranger to censorship. Games likeFire Emblemand even someFinal Fantasytitles have fallen victim to censorshipin order to make them better suited to western markets, but the producer of the upcoming gameAtelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairyhas an interesting take on the conundrum.
For the most part, developers and fans alike aren’t too thrilled when censorship comes into play in a game. Usually this is because players want to experience the developer’s game the way it was intended to be experienced, not how a regional government or publisher like Nintendo or Sony thinks it should be experienced.Atelier Ryza 2will reportedly not be censored, but not for the reason fans might expect.
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In an interview with NintendoLife,Atelier Ryza 2producer Junzo Hosoi explained his stance on censorship. According to Hosoi, hedoesn’t consider censorship a negative thing, but rather a necessity to make certain titles more fitting for different markets. He sees censorship as a way to allow titles to fit into a wide variety of cultures despite their vast differences, and claims it’s only necessary for certain titles.
Atelier Ryza 2was made with this in mind, and developers made conscious decisions not to include anything that would be seen as offensive by one culture but not to another. The result is what Hosoi believes will be a title that can be enjoyed by all cultures without the need for censorship. Despite voicing this opinion, he does make a point to say that he understandsfan frustration in wanting to play games how they were intended.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairyreleases on January 26th, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch.
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