Rockstar’s controversial Manhunt 2 has been given the green light for release on October 31st in the US. So what about the game’s progress with the BBFC’s appeals committee over here?

Well, depending on which side of the electrified barbed wire-topped fence you sit on no news is good news. While US censors seem to be happy with changes made to the game, awarding it an M (for Mature) rating, the British Board of Film Classification appears to be dragging its heels somewhat, and no progress of any kind has been reported. With numerous UK MPs in various states of moral panic about the effects of violent video games (David Cameron being the latest to board that particular bandwagon), we’re guessing there are political reasons for their reticence.

However it ain’t over until the fat lady is bludgeoned to death with a pick-axe handle, as we think the saying goes, and if Rockstar is unsuccessful in its current appeal it is believed that they will resubmit the title in the ‘modified’ form as used to satisfy the US censors. Well if they’d done all that in the first place there wouldn’t have been any of this fuss, eh?

We’ll keep an aye on this situation as it develops. Meantime it looks like we’ll be seeing this tasteless piece of entertainment in one form or another at some stage in the not nearly distant enough future…