Right, this is the day everyone finally gains knowledge of what Rockstar has done to Manhunt 2 to get their Mature rating. In an updated interview with 1UP contributor Andrew Podolsky, following a hands-on experience with the game, the website reveals that Rockstar's content within the horror-action game has been dramatically modified, not leaving much payoff for the player who has to pull off some difficult moves in order to "achieve the most violent kills."

Right, I'm sure you don't even want to read the respective piece of the interview, but just in case you knew this was coming...:

"The big question, then, is what Rockstar changed in the super-violent sequel to merit an M rating instead of the un-publishable AO, and the main change is that the stealthy execution kills have been scaled back. Dark and grainy filters now obscure every stealth kill, leaving much of the murdering to the imagination. There are grunts, and sound effects like a crunch or slice, but the in-your-face executions are now hidden behind a wall of visual noise," says Podolsky.

He continued commenting that "While some of the executions have been affected more than others, the reduced violence affects the gameplay payoff for pulling off these moves, since putting in the effort to achieve the most violent kills in many cases grants you an execution scene that's not much different from the easier-to-perform moves."

Well, Rockstar knew they were going to lose a lot for getting an AO rating from the BBFC and PEGI, and their alternatives following such events weren't very attractive either. They had to either modify its content in order to appeal rating boards (and allow its release on consoles), or simply pull the game from the market, which was practically unthinkable.

Now, all you have to do as a gamer is see what exactly your standards are, in terms of violent games, and decide whether Manhunt 2 is worth buying anymore.