Western Release of Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is Censored

When Spike Chunsoft announced a delay for Zanki Zero: Last Beginning, fans were curious what changes had to be made to the western release as the game has been available in Japan.

To “ensure a release for the West,” the publisher has confirmed the western release will be censored to “reduce content which could be interpreted as sexualization of characters depicted as minors.”


Here’s a rundown of all the content that has been censored or removed outright:

  • PlayStation®4 Packaging art
    • In order to conform to public storefront display standards, images that can be interpreted as too sexually provocative must be modified.
  • Sachika Bedroom Scene CGIs
    • In the Japanese release, Sachika’s panties are visible. In the Western release, Sachika is wearing pajama bottoms.
  • Sachika CGI in the Opening Scene
    • In the Japanese release, Sachika’s panties are visible. In the Western release, the camera angle has been raised to not show Sachika’s panties.
  • Child Rinko Extend Machine CGI
    • In the Japanese release, Child Rinko covers her chest with her arms. In the Western release, the position of her arms has been adjusted.
  • All “Child” bedtime event cutscenes removed

On the other hand, the publisher has confirmed new additions coming with the game’s localized release:

  • Japanese Swimsuit DLC included in-game
  • Difficulty I: Lowered difficulty to allow players to focus on story and puzzle-solving (other difficulties have not been modified)
  • English voiceover option (Dual audio, choose from English or original Japanese)
  • Overall game balance and UI improvements

While a slew of Japanese games have had content removed or censored to secure a release on PS4 (due to Sony’s new policies on sexual content), the content being censored or outright removed will affect both the PC and PlayStation 4 releases.

Here’s a rundown on the game:


From producer Yoshinori Terasawa and game designer Takayuki Sugawara, the creators of the Danganronpa series, comes a new type of survival game, Zanki Zero: Last Beginning. Explore ruins, dungeons, and islands in this post-apocalyptic world through the POV of eight protagonists fighting for survival while also searching for meaning in their never-ending cycles of life and death.

God created the world in seven days. It only took one for humans to destroy it. Life as we knew it sank to the depths of the sea…until yesterday. We do not yet know this broken world or the reasons for its downfall left behind here. An earth where ruins drift about, with remnants of buildings, cars, traffic lights… Modern civilization was destroyed, becoming nothing more than debris wading in the sea. New ruins drift one after the other before our very eyes, the survivors who live on one of those decaying islands.

Key Features

  • Eight Clones, Seven Deadly Sins, Infinite Lives – Play from the POV of one of eight protagonists in each chapter and explore the dungeons, towers, and islands to uncover the deadly sins of the protagonists’ pasts.
  • Survival of the Fittest – Hunt for materials and food while fending off monsters in real-time battle environments; but don’t forget to eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom (seriously, it’s bad for your health and fatal for your party)!
  • Live, Die, Repeat – With every life cycle lasting only 13 days, each clone’s stats, abilities, and capabilities differ as they grow from youths to old age. Depending on how you die, you can even earn bonus upgrades for your next life cycle. Take advantage of each life to the fullest!

Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is launching for Windows PC and PlayStation 4 on April 9th in both North America and Europe.

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