Officials from Take-Two publishing label Rockstar Games have confirmed that a “modified version” of the studio's controversial
Manhunt 2 has been cleared by the ESRB for a North American release on October 31 for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and PSP with an M rating.
The game, which was
originally announced in February as a collaborative effort by Rockstar's London and Toronto studios, was
given an AO (adults only) rating by the ESRB in June, preventing the title from from being carried by several major North America retail chains such as Best Buy, GameStop, or Wal-Mart.
Immediately following this, both Sony and Nintendo
came forward, restating their policy that they do not allow AO rated games on their systems, prompting Take Two to then
temporarily suspend the game's release in North America.
The title continues to linger without a release date in the UK after
having been denied rating by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), preventing the game from being sold in the region. Rockstar is
currently attempting to overturn this decision through an appeal process, though this is a weighty process that could delay the game's release considerably.
"Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we're glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience," said Sam Houser, founder of Rockstar Games. "We love the horror genre. Manhunt 2 is a powerful piece of interactive story telling that is a unique video game experience. We think horror fans will love it."
