Anyone fearing that Manhunt 2 wouldn't have a similarly stomach-churning and disturbing subject matter as the original - are you insane? - can rest easy, thanks to a new trailer, batch of screens and mind-troublingly murky interactive website. All of which flesh out a backdrop to Rockstar's gritty murderfest sequel that's darker than a blackout in a coal mine.
The fresh info exposed by this multimedia massacre suggests that Manhunt 2 might also share one of the first game's most atmospheric
After the British Board of Film Classification's announcement today that it has rejected Manhunt 2 for rating in the UK, the Entertainment Software Rating Board has told GamesRadar that it has already assigned a rating to Manhunt 2 for its release in the US.
"An ESRB rating has been assigned to the Wii, PS2 and PSP versions of Manhunt 2, and Rockstar has been notified," ESRB president Patricia Vance told us. "However, we are unable to publicly release the rating at this time as it is our
Rockstar parent company Take-Two has described Manhunt 2 as a "fine piece of art," in reaction to the bans that the sequel has received.
The BBC reported the company's chairman Strauss Zelnick said "Manhunt 2 had his full support and that consumers should decide for themselves."
In a statement, Zelnick said, "The Rockstar team has come up with a game that fits squarely within the horror genre and was intended to do so. It brings a unique, formerly unheard of cinematic quality to interactive
Never mind being under fire, Rockstar has had to endure a media carpet bombing this week (if you haven't been paying attention, you can catch up with the entire Manhunt 2 saga here) and now the publisher/developer has announced the postponement of Manhunt 2 's release while it considers how best to proceed in the light of the decisions made by the BBFC and ESRB. We're sure there are plenty more twists in the tale to come, though...
To help keep you up to date with the story as it continues to
Take2 has suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 on the three platforms it was due to be released on following the BBFC ban in the UK and the Adults Only rating it received in the US.
Of its decision the BBFC said, "Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end videogames by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing." Basically you don't do anything apart
The British Board of Film Classification has rejected Manhunt 2 for its "unremitting bleakness" and "casual sadism." This means you won't be able to buy it legally in the UK, unless Rockstar resubmits a changed version of the game.
Here's the BBFC's announcement in full. It makes for interesting reading...
“Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly. Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the
Friday 15 June 2007
Manhunt was all about tension. It was also about suffocating violent sociopaths with carrier bags, but the barbaric brutality was heightened by an ever-present sense of uneasiness that simply refused to let the player relax - even after a blood-hungry hunter had been successfully decapitated with a length of wire.
After giving us an insight into Manhunt 2's environments, developer Rockstar now talks about some of the mechanics that will make Manhunt 2 an even more
Aug 29, 2007
Despite the demands of Calif. State Sen. Leland Yee, the Entertainment Software Rating Board said it would not disclose why it re-rated Manhunt 2 from an AO to an M.
"Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis," said ESRB president Patricia Vance in a statement Tuesday. "It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released.
"What can be said is that the changes
Rockstar Games has sent out an email to the Manhunt community, thanking it for all its messages of support over the ban. The email also says that Rockstar hopes to have more information on the status of the ban soon. As we revealed last week, Rockstar is appealing the decision.
"We wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to contact us about Manhunt 2, which we had been planning to release on PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo Wii," says the email.
"As you know, Manhunt 2 was effectively
Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick has said that the firm is "evaluating its options" regarding the release of the "adults only" rated Manhunt 2.
"We're determined to bring Manhunt 2 to the consumers for which it was intended, and to do so in a responsible fashion," he stated during a conference call today.
Zelnick also questioned the point of having an "adults only" rating when it effectively bars a console game from release.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board recently gave the game an
