In another twist in the Manhunt 2 saga, the ESRB has given Manhunt 2 a “Mature” rating, and is now set for an October release in the US. The PS2, PSP, and Wii versions of the game had previously received an “Adults Only” rating, meaning that Nintendo would not publish the game, and many mainstream outlets would refuse to sell it.

The ESRB’s U-turn comes after Rockstar submitted a modified version of the game, presumably removing the content which added to its “unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone“. If that is the case, then Rockstar’s appeal to the BBFC, which is being made in a couple of months, may be successful and the game will be available in the UK. Whether the new version will be the “powerful piece of interactive story telling” that Rockstar wanted it to be, remains to be seen. WiiWii have played the game, and we thought that it deserved to get a release, as underneath the blood a gore lies a great gaming experience.

The game looks set to get a suitably scary Halloween release in the US, and the cynic in me thinks that all the delay, free publicity, and attention that this game has attracted is very very clever marketing by Rockstar.

Source: MCV

Related posts: Game ratings and censorship: the debate continues | Rockstar rallies industry against censorship | Rockstar formally appeals Manhunt 2 ban

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 24th, 2007 at 3:26 pm by WiiWii
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