Great, now I have Two Live Crew's "Banned in the U.S.A." running through my head.

Why, you may ask? Because Manhunt 2 (PS2, Wii) has been banned in the UK by the British Board of Film Classification; the first game in 10 years to be banned, and has been given an Adult Only (AO) rating in the US.

The reasoning for the banning in the UK? "[U]nremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing".

Hmm, sounds like a lot of games. The original Manhunt really pushed some boundaries and by all accounts Manhunt 2 is sick and twisted, but to censor the game is quite stunning.

Meanwhile, stateside, the AO rating means that major retailers, like Wal-Mart, Circuit City and Best Buy won't carry it. I just got off the phone with my local EB/Gamestop and the manager there said that they would, "probably not carry it." If it's not in any stores, it's effectively banned.

Take-Two, the publisher of the game, has the right to appeal. We'll let you know if anything comes of it.