For its release in Japan, aspects of

The CERO Z rating is for people ages 18 and up only–effectively the equivalent of the ESRB’s Adults Only rating, which is rarely used. The alternative was for publisher Bethesda Softworks (a subsidiary of ZeniMax) to shoot for a CERO D rating, which is recommended for those ages 17 and up–basically an ESRB Mature rating.

And that’s exactly what Bethesda has opted to do, though it still plans to offer that CERO Z experience to some. The regular version being released at retail in a censored form will carry a CERO D rating, but those who preorder will receive access to a “Gore mode DLC.” This won’t be included on the disc itself, but will allow gamers to download content that gives Japanese gamers the uncensored experience that would have warranted a CERO Z ratign.

Takahashi says that modifying the game to earn a CERO D rating “won’t have an effect on the game itself.” Combined with what he describes as “a vast amount of preorders,” this route seemed like a natural option for the company.

It’s unclear at this point as to whether this DLC will also be made available to those who don’t preorder and, if so, how much it will cost. If the DLC does end up being sold for money, it wouldn’t be the first time that mature content was made available as DLC. New copies of The Saboteur famously came with a code enabling nudity; secondhand buyers wanting the same had to buy the DLC on its own.

The Evil Within was delayed earlier this year; it’s now scheduled for release in October. We recently took a look at some of the elements of it that resemble other horror games.

Fortunately for those of us outside of Japan, we don’t need to worry about The Evil Within being censored, but it does raise the question: Would you preorder a game or pay for DLC in order to get all of the mature content the designers intended? Let us know where you stand in the comments below.