The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which also rates video games in the U.K., has come to the decision to reject Take-Two's Manhunt 2, meaning the game cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the U.K. Director David Cooke and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Lord Taylor of Warwick and Janet Lewis-Jones were exposed to the PS2 and Wii versions of the game.

Cooke issued the following prepared 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."

According to the abovementioned Video Recordings Act, distributors do have the right to appeal the Board's decision. Meanwhile, the U.K. video game trade body Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) praised the BBFC for its actions.

"A decision from the BBFC such as this demonstrates that we have a games ratings system in the U.K. that is effective. It shows it works and works well. Any decision the BBFC takes, it takes on the basis of its remit to rate on screen entertainment," commented director general Paul Jackson. "The games industry is a creative phenomenon that produces all kinds of games across all kinds of genres that appeal to all kinds of people across the country, young and old, male and female. The important thing to know is that all games are rated according to age suitability, with over 70 per cent of games being available to all ages over three years."

Manhunt 2 will ship in North America this July for PS2, Wii and PSP. The ESRB has not yet rated the title, but it will almost assuredly be rated "M" for mature (or worse yet for Take-Two, "AO" for adults only).

[UPDATE] The ESRB has in fact already rated Manhunt 2, but the organization cannot reveal that rating yet. "An ESRB rating has been assigned to the Wii, PS2 and PSP versions of Manhunt 2, and that rating has in fact already been communicated to the publisher," ESRB president Patricia Vance told GameDaily BIZ.

"However, we are unable to publicly release the rating at this time as it is our policy that ratings be posted to our website 30 days following assignment, unless the game is released prior to the end of that period. This is done to give publishers the opportunity to consider modifying and resubmitting their games for rating or appealing the rating assigned to our Appeals Board should they wish to do so. We have not yet been notified by Rockstar as to what they intend to do with respect to our rating assignment."

This is merely speculation on our part, but that last line in the above statement would seem to hint at an "AO" rating. After all, an "M" rating would be perfectly acceptable to Rockstar, but if they were assigned an "AO" they would need to respond to the ESRB, as "AO" games are generally not sold at major retailers—something Rockstar knows all too well from the "Hot Coffee" fiasco.

We'll keep you posted on any new developments.