It has been a long and twisting road for Manhunt 2 in the UK. The game was banned, edited down, then banned again. Now that road has finally come to a happy end. The British Board of Film Classification has been effectively forced to give the game a rating of ‘18′ and allow it to be released in the UK. This move by the BBFC comes after the Video Appeals Committee used its independent scrutiny and came to a four to three conclusion that upheld the appeal that Manhunt 2 developer Take-Two had brought forward after the second banning.

“In the light of legal advice the board does not believe the VAC’s judgment provides a realistic basis for a further challenge to its decision and has accordingly issued an ‘18’ certificate,” the BBFC said in a statement.

Sounds like the BBFC isn’t doing this without a bitter frown on their face. I think it’s nice to see some sanity return to the British Isles even if it is because, as BBFC director, David Cooke said, the BBFC had no alternative. None of this really matters though, as no one really played the game when it came out in the U.S. and most of the hype generated from the original banning has died down. Any UK readers going to rush out and pick this up now that they can? Maybe just to spite the BBFC and send a message?