Manhunt 2 has been rejected by the BBFC and IFCO, and only passing with a severely sales-limiting "Adults Only" rating in the US. Multiple responses from the ESRB and Rockstar inside.

The British Board of Film Classification have elected to rate the upcoming Wii and PS2 game Manhunt 2 with the "Rejected" rating. This means that the game cannot be supplied to the UK.

The BBFC have rejected the game due to it's concept - the focus on the game is on stalking and brutal slaying, and the game encourages people to kill in the most unpleasant way possible. The BBFC claim that releasing the game, even with an 18 certificate, "would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors".

For readers unaware of the magnitude of this decision, it is worth noting that only one other game has ever been rejected by the BBFC, Carmageddon in 1997. The Board's decision means the Wii will lose one of its few truly adult titles in the UK. Under the terms of the Video Recordings Act, distributors have the right to appeal the Board’s decision.

Update: We can now bring you the BBFC's full statement on this matter, where it states that banning the game was their only option due to the title's "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone" and "sustained and cumulative casual sadism". We reproduce their statement below in full:

“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.”

Meanwhile, Paul Jackson, Director General of ELSPA, the European games ratings agency has responded that this decision from the BBFC demonstrated the UK has a games ratings system that is "effective... It shows it works and works well." Jackson re-inforced that any decision made by the BBFC, it took on the basis of its remit to rate screen entertainment.

More on this as it breaks.

Update, 17:00 GMT: The IFCO in Ireland have now also banned the game:

“A prohibition order has been made by IFCO in relation to the video game Manhunt 2. The Order was made on 18th June 2007 under Sec 7 (1) (b) of the Video Recordings Act 1989 which refers to ‘acts of gross violence or cruelty (including mutilation and torture)’.

The IFCO recognizes that in certain films, DVDs and video games, strong graphic violence may be a justifiable element within the overall context of the work. However, in the case of Manhunt 2, IFCO believes that there is no such context, and the level of gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence is unacceptable.”

Update, 18:30 GMT: US Classification company ESRB have said that they have also rated Manhunt 2, but will not announce the rating for 30 days - in which time Rockstar can make changes to the game to alter the rating.

Furthermore, Rockstar have given an official response on the British ban:

“We are disappointed with the recent decision by the British Board of Film Classification to refuse classification of Manhunt 2. While we respect the authority of the classification board and will abide by the rules, we emphatically disagree with this particular decision.

“We respect those who have different opinions about the horror genre and video games as a whole, but we hope they will also consider the opinions of the adult gamers for whom this product is intended. We believe all products should be rated to allow the public to make informed choices about the media and art they wish to consume. The stories in modern video games are as diverse as the stories in books, film and television. The adult consumers who would play this game fully understand that it is fictional interactive entertainment and nothing more..”

Update, 19:00 GMT: Take Two have now revealed that the ESRB has given Manhunt 2 a rating of "Adult Only" in the US. This means that all major retailers will not stock the game, for which Take Two replied:

“We believe the process of rating videogames is to help people make informed entertainment choices and not to limit them.

“Manhunt 2 was created for mature audiences and we strongly believe it should receive an M (Mature) rating, aligning it with similar content created in other forms of media. We are exploring our options with regard to the rating of Manhunt 2.”

More as it breaks.