Facebook Has Reportedly Censored Resident Evil 4
Proving that there's no stopping Capcom when it comes to Resident Evil ports, Facebook is gearing up for the rerelease (yes another) of Resident Evil 4 on the Oculus 2. A VR rebranding of the GameCube classic has been met with a mixed reception, and instead of the long-hyped next-gen remaster, we're left with a janky VR port.
Still, there's sure to be a loyal fan base that can't wait to check out what's new in the parasite-infested backdrop of rural Spain. RE4 might not be as scary as something like the pants-wetting Resident Evil 7, however, we're expecting it to be a claustrophobic experience when trapped in the confines of VR. There should be plenty to be excited about, but new reports claim Facebook is censoring this historical horror.
Has Facebook censored Resident Evil 4?
It's not just brain-chomping zombies that make the Resident Evil series unsuitable for kids. When you aren't gunning down virus-infected zombies, there's plenty of adult material that isn't for little ears. According to The Happy Warrior's Peter Pischke, certain lines of dialogue have been cut from the VR port at the request of Facebook.
In a bizarre turn of events, several key moments have been tweaked. Main character Leon S. Kennedy no longer flirts with Ingrid Hannigan over video call when asking about her age. Elsewhere, Luis Sera doesn't make creepy comments about Ashley Graham's figure. The biggest difference is that Ashley doesn't come onto Leon at the end of the game. Ashley is never rebuffed by her saviour, and instead, it jumps straight to the pair discussing Ada Wong.
Why has Facebook censored Resident Evil 4?
The report claims that these moments weren't cut because of the VR aspect of the game, but instead, their content. The Happy Warrior writes, "These include notable changes to dialogue, deletion of some scenes, and achievements. Pro-active protection. With alterations focused on removing any scenes and dialogue that the gaming news media and social justice crowd may deem misogynistic."
Facebook seems to be downplaying this censorship, with press releases reading, "cutscenes will be present in their original format". It conveniently dodges the issue of being presented in their "original content". There are apparently several voids where it's clear something has been cut, but is that really such a big deal?
Some 16 years after Resident Evil 4 first revved a chainsaw into our lives, the gaming industry has come a long way. You only have to look at the news that World of Warcraft has finally removed suggestive lines of dialogue to see publishers are "trying" to adjust their sometimes murky image. Resident Evil 4's one-liners helped flesh out its characters and make it a well-rounded entry to the series, but if it means it's trapped the title in a bygone era, change could be for the best.