'Sadistic, Brutal and Bleak': Manhunt 2 Banned

Jun 20, 07:04 PM

Current Headlines: In the world of video games, few companies have baited parents and politicians quite like Rockstar.

In Grand Theft Auto, for instance, the company created a virtual US city where players assumed the identities of gang members and committed random acts of extreme violence against pimps, prostitutes and even innocent pedestrians. All directed from the comfy safety of their bedrooms.

But after years of courting controversy - and earning millions in the process - the company has finally fallen foul of the censor.

Its latest release, Manhunt 2, was banned in the UK and condemned by authorities for its "casual sadism", "unremitting bleakness" and "unrelenting focus on brutal slaying". It is the first video game to be banned in Britain in a decade.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which oversees the age limits for movies and games in the UK, refused to rate Manhunt 2, making it illegal for any shop in Britain to sell the title.

BBFC director David Cooke said: "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."

The British ban, enacted on Tuesday, was yesterday followed by Irish censors, who bestowed the dubious honor of being the first ever video game banned in Ireland on Manhunt 2.

Irish film censor John Kelleher described the game as "sustained and cumulative casual sadism."

Dubbed a "snuff stealth thriller" by one video games website, Manhunt 2 puts the player in the position of a scientist who has been subjected to a series of terrifying experiments. After being imprisoned in a dark and menacing asylum, the main character escapes and players must help him fight his way to freedom.

It features extended scenes of extreme violence - including a section in a brothel where the main character is encouraged to kill prostitutes in graphic detail using a variety of objects. Cooke said that the game had no redeeming qualities.

"Rejecting a work is a very serious action, and one which we do not take lightly," said Cooke. "Where possible we try to consider cuts or modifications which remove the material which contravenes the board's published guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible."

Rockstar refused to discuss the decision to ban Manhunt 2, but issued a statement in which it rejected the BBFC's claims.

"While we respect the authority of the classification board and will abide by the rules, we emphatically disagree with this particular decision," the company said. "Manhunt 2 is an entertainment experience for fans of psychological thrillers and horror - the subject matter is in line with other mainstream entertainment choices for adult consumers."

The company said that video games were treated unfairly in comparison with violent horror films and TV shows, although the BBFC pointed out that Manhunt 2 is the first game it has banned for 10 years.

The last time Rockstar attracted controversy was two years ago, when it was discovered that a secret level inside Grand Theft Auto allowed players to engage in a series of sex games.

The first Manhunt game also caused controversy in the UK, after the parents of a schoolboy murdered in Leicester claimed it was responsible for the death of their son. The family of Stefan Pakeerah said his killer, 17-year-old Warren Leblanc, was addicted to playing Manhunt when he stabbed his victim in February 2004.

Stefan's mother, Giselle, has kept up her campaign against Rockstar, and said she was "absolutely elated" by the decision.

If Rockstar appeals against the ban, the BBFC said it would stand by its verdict.

"What we're concerned about is the whole tone of the work corrupting and creating a sense of callousness," said a spokeswoman. "The only thing on offer is going around killing people in the most gruesome ways possible."

Agencies - The Guardian

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