Manhunt 2 re-banned by BBFC

Written by Joe Martin

October 8, 2007 | 13:56

Tags: #ban #cut #manhunt-2 #thompson #wii

Companies: #bbfc

Manhunt 2 was refused classification in the UK a while ago for being too bleak and callous in tone and encouraging needless sadism. No word on the poor gameplay or control scheme which has been reported in numerous pre-controversy previews, but I suppose that isn't really the BBFCs area anyway.

Anyway, the situation quickly escalated for Rockstar and the game was soon banned in numerous countries and left entirely without a platform to be released on. Rockstar appealed the ban but were ultimately forced to cut portions of the game.

That cut version is now approved for sale in the US, and suspecting it may be on a roll, Rockstar recently re-submitted the game to the BBFC for re-consideration. They got bad news back and the BBFC released the following explanation to MCV:

"We recognise that the distributor has made changes to the game, but we do not consider that these go far enough to address our concerns about the original version. The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills', but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature.

We did make suggestions for further changes to the game, but the distributor has chosen not to make them, and as a result we have rejected the game on both platforms. The decision on whether or not an appeal goes ahead lies with the distributor."


Sounds fair to me, but then I've always been of the opinion that the Manhunt series has relied on shock and gore to compensate for a complete lack of other merit. What do you think and have you played the original? Let us know in the forums.
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