14 DAY TRIAL // Back in June, Take-Two Interactive, owners of Rockstar, were forced to suspend the launch of their popular horror title, Manhunt 2, set to launch this Fall. Rating boards ESRB and BBFC were not very pleased with it and so rated it AO (adults only) and banned it respectively. The company was bound to alter the game's level of violence if they wanted to launch it anywhere on the globe this[admark=1] year. Thus, a recent piece posted on Next-Gen.biz says they have. Take-Two now claims that gamers will be dealing with a "modified" version of the game, in October when the game launches for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii.
That's in the States of course, as the company still has to please the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). If they don't, UK's gamers aren't seeing it. Rockstar (the game's developer) "is in the process of attempting to overturn the decision by appeal," according to the same source.
Here's Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games, saying a few: "Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we're glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience. We love the horror genre. Manhunt 2 is a powerful piece of interactive story telling that is a unique video game experience. We think horror fans will love it."
"Manhunt 2 is an extraordinary game, and we eagerly anticipate its release in North America," added Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two, according to the same website.
Until Rockstar decides to roll out some "modified" gameplay footage, all that fans of the franchise can do for now is hope they didn't put little girls with pony Tails in it, or group hugs and stuff like that. Remember, Manhunt gained its popularity only because of the sadism and cruelty in it, but it also made a gamer kill someone just like he did in the game, so don't hate the rating boards - they did their job 100 percent properly (this time anyway).