Venus Vacation Prism -Dead or Alive Xtreme- gets 18+ rating in some regions despite lack of nudity, and here's why

Venus Vacation Prism –Dead or Alive Xtreme- is Koei Tecmo’s upcoming romance game featuring six datable girls from Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation (DOAXVV). As the game approaches its March 6 release, it has been revealed that it will receive an 18+ age rating in certain regions. But what is behind this decision?

Venus Vacation Prism is the first standalone romance game in Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive series, set to release on PC, PS4 and PS5. Building upon the ongoing success of the online DOAXVV, the dating sim is set to make its cast of Dead or Alive girls look even better before, with an improved photo mode, and a gameplay system that involves making the characters into in-game celebrities to unlock new outfits.

Venus Vacation Prism Dead or Alive Xtreme cast age rating

As the release date approaches, the game’s age classifications have started to be revealed. In Japan, Venus Vacation Prism will get a CERO D rating (age 17 and over), a classification lower than the highest “adults-only” rating (CERO Z). However, in other regions, the upcoming game has been given the highest age rating possible. Namely, Venus Vacation Prism will be rated M18 in Singapore, 19+ in South Korea, and 18+ in Taiwan.

A recent article on Twisted Voxel delved into why the game got an M18 classification in Singapore. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has given the game this rating due to its mature themes and sexual references. In the IMDA’s official statement, the organization concludes that “Overall, the game would be more appropriate at M18, where the Classification Guidelines allow “still or moving images which may be sexually titillating (but do not contain nudity), e.g. scantily-clad women shown in a manner that is sexually suggestive, but not excessive or gratuitous.”

Venus Vacation Prism Dead or Alive Xtreme Honoka

Although there is no overt nudity nor sex scenes in Venus Vacation Prism, its female characters can be dressed in revealing clothing (like bikinis and underwear) that shows off their physiques. As befitting a dating sim, the player and the characters engage in suggestive dialogue, and its camera mode has a voyeuristic edge. The mini-games, which include Hand-Push Sumo and Water Splashing, also portray the characters in titillating poses.

Venus Vacation Prism Water Splashing minigame

While English speaking fans can rest assured that Venus Vacation Prism will be available in the language, at the time of writing, it seems likely that (as with DOAXVV and DOAX3) the game won’t get a release in Europe and the US. This could be due to the publisher deciding, based on the sales performance of past Dead or Alive Xtreme titles, that the market isn’t big enough to make it worth their while to release it in the West. It may also be due to concerns that the perceived age of some of DOA’s student characters might make it hard to get the game past the classification boards (even though all the characters are aged 18 and up on their official website profiles, some characters, like schoolgirl Honoka, appear younger). Fans of the series will still be able to import the game.

Venus Vacation Prism –Dead or Alive Xtreme- is scheduled to be released on PS4/PS5 and PC (Steam) on March 6, 2025. More info about the game and characters can be found on the official English website.

Based on the original Japanese article by Taijiro Yamanaka (original article’s publication date: 2025-01-07 14:59 JST)