Resident Evil 2 is banned in China, so shops are using hand-drawn art to sell it

Taobao is secretly offering games through code names like “First Day on the Job at the Police Station: Remake”

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Resident Evil 2 is banned in China, so shops are using hand-drawn art to sell it

Published: 7:34pm, 7 Feb 2019Updated: 8:52am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

It’s no secret that China has a strict policy towards gaming. Like almost every form of content, it’s very picky about what is allowed to be shown in games -- which means no nudity, no gambling and definitely no blood and gore.

It’s not surprising that the Resident Evil 2 remake is on the blacklist. But what is surprising is how it’s being sold anyway.

Red Dead Redemption 2 gets rave reviews in China… from gamers who’ve never played it

Online vendors are finding sneaky ways around the ban, disguising that they’re selling banned game with new titles and hand-drawn cover art. And those covers? They look like they’ve been drawn by an 8-year-old child.

C’mon guys, I can do better than that. (Picture: Taobao)

While that one flat-out says Resident Evil 2, other vendors are giving the game a code name. This one, for example, is called “First Day on the Job at the Police Station: Remake”. Which is true! Resident Evil 2 starts with police officer Leon S. Kennedy heading into the city for his first day of duty, meeting college student Claire Redfield… and a bunch of zombies, of course.

If Resident Evil was an anime it would look like this. Actually, I really want to watch that. (Picture: Taobao)

Other names for Resident Evil 2? “Fried Cold Rice 2”, “Come Beat Me 2”, “Biochemical Crisis” (a nod to the game’s Japanese name, Biohazard) or simply January 25th, the date the game was released.

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Resident Evil 2 is banned in China, so shops are using hand-drawn art to sell it

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Taobao is secretly offering games through code names like “First Day on the Job at the Police Station: Remake”

Red Dead Redemption 2 gets rave reviews in China… from gamers who’ve never played it

Taobao is secretly offering games through code names like “First Day on the Job at the Police Station: Remake”