Developer Serenity Forge has made changes to LISA: Definitive Edition in order to remove racist as well as some PlayStation-only content.
According to Serenity Forge’s official website, some content changes have been made to the Definitive Edition of LISA across different platforms, including the removal of racist content. The developer mentioned that, with the game arriving on consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, it’s something some fans have asked about.
Serenity Forge stated that people are worried about LISA being “unduly censored” in order to comply with the platform holder’s rules in a way that harms its humor, world, or artistic integrity. The developer mentioned that it wanted to take the time to talk about these changes and the thinking behind them.
According to the developer, LISA incorporates sensitive content with the purpose of challenging players’ complacency, immersing them in an absurd and inappropriate world, and urging them to confront their emotions in these specific moments. Serenity Forge stated that it firmly believes in the direction and purpose of LISA’s content, and it acknowledges the need to comply with regulations imposed by certain platforms.
The developer outlined two specific changes made to the game. Both the Salvation Ranger introduction and Junior’s flashback underwent minor alterations. According to Serenity Forge, the decision to implement these changes was not taken lightly, but ultimately, it saw this as an opportunity to alter the content a bit in order to welcome and include a broader audience.
Similarly, a few more changes were made specifically for the PlayStation version to facilitate its release on that platform. However, the developer has assured that none of these changes compromise the meaning and intent of LISA. For the PlayStation version, Serenity Forge has included a notice about the protagonists at the beginning of the game. Additionally, cigarettes have been renamed as ‘cigarette candy,’ Joy is no longer referred to as ‘pills,’ and alcohol has been renamed as ‘soda’ in Joyful. According to the developer, these changes are relatively minor, and it wanted to convey them to its dedicated LISA fan base in advance.
