‘Tales Of Xillia Remastered’ Censors Original Game’s Content “To Better Reflect Present-Day Standards”
Bandai Namco has announced Tales of Xillia Remastered, with a plethora of new features… and censorship. Declaring “some expressions” had to be changed “in consideration of ethics,” it seems the censorship of Japanese games with anime art-styles continues — despite recent rejections of ‘woke’ in media due to unprofitability. Except, we may already know what is censored.
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[EDITOR’S NOTE: This article avoids spoilers for the original Tales of Xillia. We cannot guarantee the same for external links.]
Boasting numerous quality of life improvements, enhanced graphics, and over 40 pieces of DLC from the original game, Tales of Xillia Remastered is Bandai Namco’s way of celebrating the series’ 30th anniversary. One detail, however, was almost overlooked. Almost.
On both the American and European Bandai Namco websites, a news post detailed what was new to the remaster. At the very bottom, the European post’s final headline declares, “Some expressions were changed from the original work in consideration of ethics.”
It doesn’t elaborate much more, adding, “In light of ethics, we have changed some expressions from the original work. *WW correspondence.” We assume WW means “worldwide.” The US version is even more curt. “Some expressions have been updated. Some expressions have been adjusted from the original work to better reflect present-day standards.”
As no two nations share the same values or ‘ethics’ — and publishers using similar excuses before, from PlayStation’s 2018 excuse of “global standards,” to the more recent “ethics department” of Square Enix — most players typically don’t believe such rationale.
Usually it’s taken as trying avoid outcry from the more puritan gaming press, or avoid higher age ratings from western ratings boards.
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However, there is a chance we already know what is censored. In the international version of the original Tales of Xillia, a character flipping the bird during the main story was changed to them pointing. But calling the Japanese version “the original” to western audiences doesn’t sit quite right.
The list of new features on the Tales of Xillia Remastered Japanese website actually shows what has changed (machine translated by DeepL). Once again there is a section titled “Some expressions have been changed from the original version,” but then explains, “The attachment item ‘pipe’ has been changed to ‘beard.’ “
Attachments are cosmetic accessories players can attach to the characters, with some flexibility in adjusting their size and position. The character Jude Mathis, shown in the comparison image on the website, is 15. It seems the censorship was done to avoid any claim of an underage character smoking — and that this change is coming to the Japanese version as well.
The Japanese webpage also notes, “Minor adjustments have been made to the descriptions of some other items.” As “typos and omissions” are their own category, it may be the Beard attachment had its description changed to reflect how it now appears, or other items that suggest actions inappropriate for those underage.
As an aside, the Beard attachment is just a mustache. It may be possible this will be adjusted in the English localization.
It also stands to reason that if Bandai Namco believes certain content of the original is “unethical,” they’re not going to show it on their website while promoting the remaster. The notion they’d be oblivious to how censorship is loathed is also laughable, which may mean they are avoiding showing off any other censorship for as long as possible.
Then again, the Japanese website’s Q&A asks, “Are there any elements added or removed from the original version?” The reply lists “Removed Elements” as “None” — though this doesn’t include the alternation to the Pipe, and under “Added Elements” it notes the game “Contains many DLCs from the original version (However, some DLC is not included).”
The European post elaborated, specifying, “Some licensed DLCs are not included,” likely due to said licenses and permissions expiring.
The Tales of series has seen censorship in the west, though not consistently. Some games have covered up graphic violence, implications of prostitution, homosexuality, molestation, and even gendered pronouns and terms.
Yet, character designs and outfits have typically avoided censorship, to the point producers have even emphasized when they wouldn’t be in Tales of Berseria and Tales of Arise. The Japanese website for Xillia Remastered shows the swimsuit, maid, and other Tales of character costume DLC will be included.
As for what could be censored from Tales of Xillia, the character Presa comes to mind. Her skin-tight outfit and exposed cleavage that goes past her bellybutton could be deemed excessively lewd to some, and far more conservative designs have been censored in other games.
Nonetheless, what little we can see of her shrouded in darkness in the announcement trailer (2:30), she appears uncensored — albeit in an animation which appears in the original game’s intro.
Her first appearance in-game is sure to raise eyebrows, as she frisks and practically gropes a restrained female character for an important item while speaking in a flirtatious and sultry manner (viewer discretion is advised).
Her seductive clothing and attitude are part of her backstory, though changing that scene wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility; though the Japanese website swore no “elements” would be removed. If removing a pipe isn’t considered removing something, then altering a cutscene wouldn’t either. “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” indeed…
Only time will tell how far the “consideration for ethics” will go.
