It appears that not everyone who may be anticipating the title will be able to jump in as of December 2, with The Callisto Protocol’s release being cancelled in Japan. The decision was announced via the official Japanese Twitter account for The Callisto Protocol, embedded below (in Japanese, obviously). Fortunately, PCGamer have translated the tweet, which reads: “It was decided that modifying the game to obtain a rating would not provide the experience players expected. The CERO rating could not be obtained.” The CERO is Japan’s certification board, and for The Callisto Protocol to receive a rating and be release in Japan, developer Striking Distance Studios and publisher Krafton would have to make some changes to the content of the game. Given the tweet from The Callisto Protocol, it appears that whatever modifications were required would’ve been detrimental to the developer’s vision for the gameplay experience. Additionally, those across Japan who have pre-ordered the game will be in receipt of refunds. I understand not wanting to make changes to the title to have the most authentic experience possible, but it is a real shame for all those across Japan who will have been excited about The Callisto Protocol’s release. There’s no telling what element of the game has pushed it over the line of CERO’s certification requirements, but considering the title will be packed with “murder desserts” and the developer has found itself taking inspiration from “real-life examples of horror and gore”, this isn’t all that surprising. The Callisto Protocol will release on December 2, and puts you into the shoes of Jacob Lee as he must survive various infected inmates onboard a space prison known as Black Iron. Our preview declares it a game that is adamant on shitting you up, and considering the game is being directed by Dead Space creator, Glen Schofield, this might just be the scariest game to release in a long time.
