aNCHOR has announced that the Enhanced Edition release of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, also known as Rumbling Hearts originally planned for October has been delayed indefinitely as the developer struggles to meet Valve’s absurd requirements for publishing the game on Steam.
Valve is infamous for its hypocrisy when it comes to Japanese games such as visual novels and eroge (erotic games). They get all worked up over so-called “problematic” themes, like the presence of “underaged” characters in games with sexual content or suggestive themes.
Apparently, fictional so-called “underage” female characters deeply offend Valve, leading to these games being banned from the platform. But Valve has no problem selling violent smut or adult games featuring “underaged” male characters. It’s a completely nonsensical double standard that highlights how fucking stupid and hypocritical their content policies are.
Some titles get axed ruthlessly, while others get a free pass. It just doesn’t make sense.
What’s even more baffling is that Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition is the all-ages version, which cuts out the adult content, totaling around 80 CG images removed from the game (18+) which contain sexually explicit scenes spread across various character routes.
The delay raises even more questions because the visual novel is already censored. Originally funded through a successful crowdfunding campaign, this enhanced edition omits all erotic content from the 2001 original.
It even uses the original voices from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien Latest Edition and the PS2 version of the Rumbling Hearts visual novel, likely to cut down on costs.
To top it off, they’ve confirmed that this version will cut out additional content such as the “dog” and “slave” endings for certain heroines, as well as completely removing Amakawa Hotaru’s route just because she’s small and cute, basically, Valve hates anything considered a “loli.”
At least for backers of the crowdfunding campaign, they did receive a standalone download of Hotaru’s route, exclusively in Japanese with the caveat that it wouldn’t be made available to the general public, though obviously you won’t be able to experience the passionate lovemaking with Hotaru.
aNCHOR had originally planned to release Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition on October 17, 2024. However, just as the release date arrived, they announced a one-day delay to noon JST on October 19, 2024, citing the need for fixes and adjustments to pass Valve’s rating review.
Unfortunately, these issues persisted. On October 19, aNCHOR delayed the game again, this time to October 22, 2024, for the same reason. But things didn’t improve. On October 22, aNCHOR announced yet another delay and stopped giving any new release estimates, as Valve continued to reject their attempts to meet the platform’s standards.
Adding to the frustration, Valve’s history of erratically targeting Japanese games for censorship resurfaced. Recently, they purged Tokyo Clanpool, a game with no sexual content but some mild fanservice, hardly the kind of thing that usually warrants a ban.
But Valve’s inconsistent scrutiny of Japanese developers, especially those involved with eroge or fanservice-heavy games, seems relentless, even while they allow far worse content on their platform.
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition was supposed to be the first global release of one of the most influential visual novels, but given the state of modern localization, there’s no telling if we’ll be met with botched translations as well. Wouldn’t be surprising, sadly.
Originally released in 2001, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien has long been a hallmark of the visual novel genre, blending heartfelt emotion with difficult, life-changing decisions. Players step into the shoes of Takayuki Narumi, a young man on the cusp of adulthood, navigating the intricacies of relationships and the trials of growing up.
His life takes a dramatic turn when Haruka, a shy and sweet girl, confesses her love to him, setting the stage for a deep, evolving romance filled with emotional highs and devastating lows. Every choice players make carries weight, shaping Takayuki’s relationships and guiding the story towards multiple, impactful outcomes.
The Enhanced Edition updates the game with modernized features and menus, while remaining mostly “faithful” to its all-ages format. Players are encouraged to explore the various story paths, with no right or wrong decisions, only different and equally meaningful consequences.
Whether you’re revisiting this beloved classic or experiencing it for the first time, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition offers a poignant narrative of love, loss, and the inevitable passage of time, at least, it would if not for Valve’s apparent disdain for Japanese visual novels.
Despite the game’s all-ages revision, which omits its graphic sexual CG artwork, Valve continues to block its release, raising eyebrows as to why they would stifle this experience, particularly in a world where Japan increasingly self-censors to appease Western markets.
It’s baffling that Valve insists on blocking this title, given the lengths already taken to make it suitable for a global audience.
Given that the game still has so-called “underaged” characters and some “suggestive” CGs, like characters in swimsuits striking a pretty damn alluring pose, it’s obvious why Valve has a stick up their ass.
They’re dragging their feet, reviewing the game over and over, nitpicking it and demanding more “fixes.” Fans are probably losing their shit at this point. This all-ages release is a console-safe version of the iconic visual novel and yet Valve keeps hesitating, even though there’s no graphic sexual content.
Meanwhile, full-fledged eroge from Japan, and other places, are popping up on Steam every day without any issues. Somehow, games like Sex With Hitler and Furry Hitler are totally fine and still on sale, but this neutered, censored visual novel? Barred. It’s all because Valve has a raging hatred for anime girls, and it’s fucking ridiculous.
