Back in June, the controversial Rockstar title Manhunt 2 was denied a rating in the UK and Ireland, while on the US the ESRB gave the game a rating of AO (Adults Only) - leaving the game with no console systems willing to host it. This forced the company back into development to tone down the title in order to resubmit it for a new rating. While the revised edition garnered an M rating in the United States, the British Board of Film Classification in the UK has once again denied to give the game a rating.
The BBFC acknowledges that some of the "execution kills" have been toned down, but maintains that the overall tone of the game has not been changed. David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:
"The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills', but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature."
Cooke said the BBFC had suggested changes to Rockstar that the company chose not to make. Rockstar is reportedly preparing to appeal the decision and said that the changes suggested by the BBFC to get the game approved "are unacceptable to us and represent a setback for video games."