GameSpot on Manhunt 2

GameSpot was lucky enough to be allowed a hands-on preview Rockstar‘s Manhunt 2. The game is at the moment suspended for release by Take Two, because as one should know it has been banned from sale in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and possibly Italy as well. It also received an AO rating in the US. Sony and Nintendo do not license third party AO titles which I believe is because of the pornographic stigma it carries. It did receive a 18+ PEGI rating, making an uncut release possible in Scandinavia.
They got to play a level from the PS2 and Wii version and they came to the conclusion that this would be a great game. They write that the gore is more than what has been in the first, but that it’s not as extreme as Saw or Hostel, but most importantly removing the violence would alter the game. Here’s a quote from the article:

The game’s violence is part of the dark story it’s telling, not an element tossed in for shock value. If films such as Seven or Reservoir Dogs had been toned down, they arguably wouldn’t have told the same stories.

The ban and rating have spanned a petition or two. It remains to be seen if these will have any effect other than possibly uplifting Rockstar’s moral.
I for one hope that if they must alter the game, it doesn’t change the atmosphere they have created.

You can read the full article and level descriptions here.

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