New game Manhunt II has become the first computer game to be banned in Ireland by the Irish Film Sensor due to excessively violent content that includes torture.
The move comes just after it emerged that the British Board of Film Classification also moved to ban the game due to “unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying”.
The game Manhunt II is produced by popular games publisher Rockstar Games and will be available on the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PlayStation3. It’s predecessor Manhunt was given an “18” cert by the Irish Film Censor’s Office (IFCO).
The censor said that a prohibition order has been made by IFCO in relation to the video game. “The Order was made on 18 June 2007 under Sec 7 (1) (b) of the Video Recordings Act 1989 which refers to ‘acts of gross violence or cruelty (including mutilation and torture)’.”
The State censor said: “IFCO recognises that in certain films, DVDs and video games strong graphic violence may be a justifiable element within the overall context of the work.
“However, in the case of Manhunt II, IFCO believes that there is no such context and the level of gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence is unacceptable.”
The British Board of Film Classification said of the game: “There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.”
By John Kennedy
