Persona 3 Reload Censors Trailers and More

Persona 3 Reload Censors trailers and more, and we will be looking into what has worried fans of the game

The English version of the most recent trailer was scrutinized heavily after fans noticed differences in it that were not in the Japanese version. These changes led to fans hypothesizing whether it was just the trailers that were changed or if the game would have cut content when it came out.

Additionally, a change has been made to a non-playable character (NPC), which has some fans ready with pitchforks while others are left scratching their heads. We will be looking into what the changes are and discuss why they may have been implemented.

Persona 3 Reload Censors Trailers

The English trailers were censored in two different areas. Each instance is a different kind of censorship.

Blood Splotches

In this scene of the trailer, there is blood splattered across the floor. In the Japanese Version of the trailer, we can clearly tell where the blood is splattered on the floor. In the English Version, however, the blood is darkened. This change makes the splatters look more like oil than blood. The alteration, while small, shifts the tone of the scene. This scene no longer looks like a murder was committed mere moments before we see the area, but it seems more like an oil spill.

Gunshot

This second scene shows a person being shot down. However, they are represented in entirely different ways in each trailer. In the Japanese trailer, the person being shot runs off-screen as Takaya pulls out his gun and shoots him. In the English, however, Takaya has his hand on the gun as the screen fades to black and a gunshot is heard.

While the change does not change what is implied in the scene, it is definitely something worth noting down.

In-game Censorship

While the trailers were censored, it is still unclear whether the actual game has censorships within it. Many fans have taken to social media to express their concerns about potential cut content in the game. Others argue this is just for the trailers as the Western rating system (the ESRB) is different from that in Japan, leading to the changes.

The Beach Scene

Persona 3 Portable, the original game, had a scene play out where the main gang goes to the beach for a trip. Here, Junpei urges the guys to go around the beach to pick up girls.

In the original game, after multiple failed attempts, the group stumbles across a woman who gives into the unassuming teenager’s advances. The teenagers, equally surprised, start to swoon over the NPC dubbed “Beautiful Woman” until Akihiko notes she has hair on her chin. The Beautiful Woman responds by saying she missed a spot while shaving in the morning.

The comment takes aback the group, and before Akihiko can form a complete sentence, the woman says, “There here goes my chance… I was so close to snagging myself a little boy-toy,”.

Junpei then exclaims, “Y-ya mean, SHE’s a HE?!” only for Beautiful Lady to answer with, “I guess you fellas aren’t quite ready for a woman like me.”

The gang of teenagers then proceeded to run away.

In the remake, the interaction is very different, as the Beautiful Woman is changed to the “Delusional Woman”. The group stumbles upon this NPC, who, instead of being ambiguous about her gender, tries to scam the group—the teenagers run away after hearing the obscene prices.

Why the Censorship?

As we mentioned before, the trailers were most likely censored due to the different rating systems in Japan and the rest of the world. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) have specific guidelines that have to be followed for game trailers.

The guidelines that directly apply to the points in the trailer are:

• Graphic and/or excessive depictions of violence
• Graphic and/or violent use of weapons
• Graphic and/or violent depiction of guns and/or weapon

According to ESRB, these cannot be shown in trailers for a game. However, ESRB usually makes an exception when games are rated M (Mature). Persona 3 Reloaded is rated M and, therefore, has confused fans about the trailer change. It is most likely the changes were made to the trailers to play it safe and not get into any kind of trouble.

The change to the beach scene was most likely done to avoid potential controversy. The change could also have been brought forward to make the game more “kid friendly” despite the M rating. Games often make changes to potentially controversial scenes when they get remade. A small example of this is when Pokemon Red and Blue were remade to Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green; the games changed an NPC who blocks a road from being drunk to just taking a nap on the street.

However, The beach scene has brought forward some controversy despite trying to avoid it. Some outraged fans have called the developers transphobic for making such a change. The scene used to have a trans character, which many commended while others found the original scene problematic and are glad it was changed.

Conclusion

Despite facing censorship, Persona 3 Reload appears to be an exceptionally captivating game that breathes new life into a beloved classic. With its visually enhanced gameplay and engrossing storyline, the game is bound to attract both new fans and old ones alike, providing a delightful experience to all who play it.