Bravely Default toned down for western release

Bravely Default has had a few changes made to its western release, if the European version is any indication. Among the changes are more modest costumes, toned down sexual innuendo, and the ages of the characters going from 15 to 18.

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Square Enix has apparently decided that one of its own games was a bit risque for western audiences. A fan has noticed that the company has altered some sexual references in Bravely Default, as well as raised the ages of its core cast of characters.

IGN detailed the changes to the already-released European version. For one, a user on the site's boards posted side-by-side screenshots of the Bravely Default heroines, dressed in slightly less revealing clothes. In the screenshot above, the characters on the left are the western counterparts to the Japanese ones on the right. Certain characters have also reportedly had their ages raised from 15 to 18, and the localization is said to tone down some of the sexual innuendo.

As IGN notes, none of the changes seem to impact the game itself. Since these are all collected from the European version, it's not certain if the changes will remain in place for the North American release, but given the localization changes, it seems likely. The game was rated for ages 15 and up in Japan, but with these tweaks in place, Europe's PEGI gave it a rating for 12 and up instead.

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  • reply
    January 6, 2014 9:15 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Bravely Default toned down for western release.

    Bravely Default has had a few changes made to its western release, if the European version is any indication. Among the changes are more modest costumes, toned down sexual innuendo, and the ages of the characters going from 15 to 18.

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      January 6, 2014 10:01 AM

      Time to get the import.

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        January 6, 2014 10:05 AM

        rtricoche needs them 15 yo titties to fully enjoy his JRPGs.

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        January 6, 2014 10:11 AM

        For slightly-skimpier clothing and character profiles that say 15 instead of 18? Nothing of any substance has changed.

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        January 6, 2014 10:51 AM

        I don't understand this. People (not just the OP) are outraged that they can't see 15 year old's sexualized (more) in skimpy (ier) clothing?

        Japan's national age of consent is 13 years old. Their culture is skewed towards sexualization at a younger age, but unless your tastes are as well, you should have no problem with the relatively minor changes for the Western version.

        Personally, I prefer the "censored" versions. They're more tasteful and less threatening to a younger audience.

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          January 6, 2014 10:55 AM

          Yeah, I'm not a prude by any means, but that original game is not something I could put on my 7 year old's 3DS in good conscience.

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          January 6, 2014 10:59 AM

          this. it's not "censorship", it's gearing the game towards the market it's being sold in. people argue that "i want the game untouched the way the developer intended it to be!!" but that's not what's happening here.

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          January 6, 2014 1:25 PM

          fyi the thing with japan is because every jurisdiction has its own age of consent, just like here, and all of those individual laws set the age much higher. they're not fucking 13 year olds on the regular over there. it's just an outdated federal law that is superseded by local laws

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            January 7, 2014 7:18 AM

            I understand. I was just trying to make the point that their culture is different from ours in that they skew towards sexualization at a younger age. There are numerous examples of this throughout their culture, this was just one example.

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        January 6, 2014 10:54 AM

        Have fun spending hundreds of dollars to get a Japanese 3DS + a Japanese version of this game so you can enjoy your skimpy dressed 15 year olds! Because 3DS are region locked!

        Of course that is also assuming you can read Japanese so you enjoy the sexual innuendos that are being toned down as well!

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        January 7, 2014 5:34 AM

        Guys calm down. I was joking. Personally I don't give a rats ass about clothes. In fact I cant really see the difference. I WOULD do something like this if game content was altered but for thing vs bikini. LOL, no.
        It was a little morning humor. Sorry to get so many of you upset.

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      January 6, 2014 10:54 AM

      [deleted]

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        January 6, 2014 10:56 AM

        NA Localization: Rob Liefeld

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          January 6, 2014 10:59 AM

          [deleted]

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          January 6, 2014 11:01 AM

          Nah. If that was the case they'd have gigantic shoulder pads, pointy feet that are obscured as much as he could possibly get away with, and pouches. Pouches everywhere.

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      January 6, 2014 1:13 PM

      Pussies.

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      January 6, 2014 1:14 PM

      i wont rest till those women are 60 year old nuns

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      January 6, 2014 1:22 PM

      I'm pretty sure something similar was done to the HBO adaptation of Game of Thrones.

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        January 6, 2014 1:31 PM

        Dany was supposed to be 13 at the beginning of Game of Thrones (the book). That would have made most of her scenes in the first episode or two VERY uncomfortable.

        Most of the younger generation was also aged up about 3 years if I remember correctly.

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      January 6, 2014 1:22 PM

      I hate the japanese thing of World Changing People always being 15.

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      January 6, 2014 1:36 PM

      Every game should have a Burqa DLC to appease all the Social Justice Warriors.

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      January 6, 2014 1:41 PM

      [deleted]

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      January 6, 2014 1:41 PM

      Agreed that it isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but unfortunately I had hoped this kind of stuff ended after the SNES era.

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