Unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone...
Well, we normally just about get away with 'violent' videogames being released in the UK, but it appears as though Rockstar's Manhunt 2 has gone one step to far and as a result it won't be seeing the light of the day in the UK.
The BBFC has rejected the game and made the following statement: "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 material which contravenes the Board's published Guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.
"Although the difference should not be exaggerated the fact of the game's unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying and the sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer, together with the different overall narrative context, contribute towards differentiating this submission from the original Manhunt game. That work was classified '18' in 2003, before the BBFC’s recent games research had been undertaken, but was already at the very top end of what the Board judged to be acceptable at that category."
"Against this background, the Board's carefully considered view is that to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2, on either platform, would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors, within the terms of the Video Recordings Act, and accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public."
So, 'stalking','brutal slaying' and a 'severe lack of alternative pleasures' has contributed to the decision to ban ManHunt 2 and the BBFC say it encourages you to kill. Sounds like a recipe for a great game. Booooo, down with censorship!
