BBFC reject revised Manhunt 2

Today the BBFC announced that they had passed judgment on the revised version of Manhunt 2 submitted to them by Rockstar. Although several changes have been made to the new version, including reductions in the visual details of the game, and the removal of some of the “execution kills” (like the testicles meets pliers scene that will make any man cringe), it’s not been enough to get the game a rating, and therefore release in the UK.

In their press release, the BBFC state that they recognise the changes made to that game, but “do not consider that these go far enough to address [their] 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”. Again with that bleakness and callousness of tone! It seems strange to me that they’re using exactly the same wording as before, but maybe it’s to reiterate that the game is still as “casually sadistic” as before. The BBFC also state that they did make suggestions for further changes to the game, but these were not taken up by Rockstar, and the Wii and PS2 game will not see the light of day in the UK.

This is sure to make the freedom of choice debate rise its head again, and whilst I am quite prepared to allow the BBFC to do what they see fit to protect fragile minds from sex and violence, there are some that will be further outraged by this decision, more so seeing as the revised version managed to get a release in the US.Ã‚Â Maybe if I was more keen to play the game, I’d have a different opinion.

Source: Games Press

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