"Welcome To The New '90s": Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal Will Be Censored On PS4

Published: October 13, 2018 3:24 PM /

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senran kagura burst renewal slash

The U.S. release of Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal on the PlayStation 4 will be censored and the game's release will be slightly delayed as reported by DualShockers.

Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal is a remake of the first game in the Senran Kagura franchise, a series of games featuring female ninjas kicking butt and taking names. It's an anime title that is unabashedly laden with fanservice, and it, unfortunately, seems like a portion of that fanservice is on the chopping block for the PlayStation 4 version of the game. The news of the censorship broke in a pair of tweets (first, second) from XSEED Games, a company that specializes in the localization of Japanese video games:

https://twitter.com/XSEEDGames/status/1050924188192493568

The PlayStation 4 version will not be shipping with "Intimacy Mode", a feature where you can get a bit hands-on with some of the cute anime girls. There's an (obviously NSFW) video up on YouTube that showcases just what PlayStation 4 players will be missing out on if you're curious as to what it entails. A bit weird, yes, but par for the course with how fanservicey some Japanese games can get.

Localization Producer Tom Lipschultz commented on this matter on his own personal Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wyrdwad_tom/status/1050930381615054848

Strangely, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal had already received an M rating from the ESRB with the offending content included:

Rating Summary: This is an is an action game in which players assume the role of students from rival ninja/shinobi schools. Players punch, kick, and use weapons (e.g., swords, knives) to complete combat missions against enemy ninjas and creatures (e.g., wooden golems, demons). Battles are accompanied by cries of pain and impact sounds. By inflicting damage, players can cause human opponents' clothing to rip apart, revealing lingerie/underwear or partially nude bodies—breasts/buttocks obscured by bright lights. In one mini-game, players can repeatedly slap/squeeze/grab a character's body while she states, “I see you're a pervert” and “That…is not allowed...” The dialogue also references suggestive/sexual material (e.g., “This boobslap…is going to hurt,” and “Why would you massage my t*ts?”). The words “f**k” and “sh*t” appear in the game.
Emphasis mine.

Without saying as much directly, XSEED appears to be implying that this change is due to a demand from Sony. This may be related to the troubles faced by Omega Labyrinth Z, a game which is undergoing a similar situation. Oddly enough, Omega Labyrinth Z is coming to the Nintendo Switch (of all consoles) without any changes.

As a result of "the wishes of the platform holder", the release of Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal is going to be slightly delayed to accommodate these changes. The Steam version of the game will release unchanged at the same time as the censored PlayStation 4 version.

What do you think of the removal of Intimacy Mode in Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal on the PlayStation 4? Why do you think it was removed from the game? Let us know in the comments below!

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A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N