The ratings board is this evening defending its move to effectively prevent the release of Manhunt 2 in the UK, after announcing today that the game was deemed too violent to earn a certification. The board has denied there was any political influence in this decision, despite surround the game prior to launch, not to mention the link the media made between the original Manhunt and the murder of Stefan Pakeerah.

At the time of the frenzy surrounding the Pakeerah murder, Manhunt was at the forefront of press attention, with defending the games from an onslaught in the mainstream press, when director general Roger Bennett was challenged by Pakeerah's parents on national television.

Sue Clark, BBFC representative, told trade site GamesIndustry.biz that this past storm did not influence the board's decision to refuse a rating.

"We are independent of government and independent of the industry and we reached this decision based on our guidelines and our concerns and not on any other basis at all," she explained.

"We've rejected this game so you can't buy it legally in the UK," Clark added. "We have to make a decision. If we feel it's not appropriate for classification then we have to make that decision - we can't classify it and hope nobody notices it."

More on this controversy as we get it, as the debate surrounding the game looks set to continue.

By Luke Guttridge

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  1. gail Unregistered 2 years ago

    Even though Manhunt 2 (if it had passed with an 18 cert rating) was released the certificate wouldn't have stopped minors from obtaining the game. I work in games retail, and believe me, the amount of times we have told parents purchasing 18 rated games for their kids, that they are in fact breaking the law is unbelievable. They still buy them anyway! Putting an 18 cert only encourages interest and dosen't stop kids from playing these games. Well done for banning it.

  2. jamie Unregistered 2 years ago

    Jamie 2007-06-21 19:30

    I don,t think you understand about this game manhunt 2 (yes its violent but not giving this game an age rateing and relaesing it is unbeleiveable as in 2005 december xbox360 released a vilent game (Condemned)i thought that was as violent as manhutand more graphical and later in the year they are releasing a game off a famous horror director clive barker and the game looks absolutely gorey jericho now if they release that and condemned sure you can rate this game if not make a new age rating (21)if you do ban this in the uk then you should ban that film released next friday hostel 2 as that film is pure gorey and sick.I don't think it's fair releasing a film like this in the uk and not releasing that game thats less relistic and the film is more relistic and more persuasive also more appealing than a game as rockstar sent months on this game preparing it for the lauch and it not coming out on uk retailers

  3. andy lawd 11 Unregistered 1 year ago

    i it is illegal to by it then y do people in the uk have it and can u download it from the internt for free a must add

  4. just makeing a point Unregistered 1 year ago

    if it is illegal to by it then y do people in the uk have it and u can download it from the internt for free a must add i dont understand y they alwasy think that video games make children like me more violant when relli it dusent the media just want to make a story out of nuthing when manhunt got band alot of peoples parents where going mad but now that it is possible to download it fo jst abou any games consel like the wii and the psp it is unreal y dont they just give it up we will always get the games that get band some how