"The Callisto Protocol," a meaty, goopy space horror from the former "Dead Space" developers (opens in new tab), has received a thumbs-down from Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO), which has canceled its release in Japan. In a statement posted on Twitter, the game's development team said it intends to cancel the Japanese release altogether rather than make the necessary changes to appease the ratings board.

The statement is, of course, in Japanese, but a basic translation can be provided. The Japanese version of the Callisto Protocol has been discontinued. Currently, it is unable to pass the CERO rating," and further states that the game will not be released in Japan because the team has determined that making the changes required by CERO "will not provide the experience that players expect."

As expected, Japanese players who pre-ordered the game will receive a refund, but it is unfortunate that the game has reached such an impasse with the Japanese ratings board. The statement does not address why CERO had difficulty with the game, but it would not be too surprising if the game's gratuitous violence has offended regulators; CERO is notoriously sensitive to gore and dismemberment, both of which "Callisto Protocol" incorporates. (opens in new tab).

Whatever CERO's reasons, replies to tweets announcing the cancellation have been filled with Japanese players outraged by the news and unhappy with CERO. More than a few people are wondering if there will still be a Japanese language option for games released outside of Japan, which is one way, albeit a bit of a hassle, for dedicated fans to still get the game despite CERO's refusal.

The answer will come a little over a month from now, when "The Callisto Protocol" is released on December 2 through Steam (opens in new tab) and the Epic Games Store (opens in new tab). Until then, we'll just have to make a living somehow without being chased by stubborn hunks of meat everywhere we go (opens in new tab). In fact, now that I think about it, CERO may have the right idea.