Manhunt 2 wasn't exactly a masterpiece when it was released in 2007; the backstory of its Adults Only rating and subsequent toning-down to earn the Mature designation was more interesting than the game itself. Of course, it didn't take long to find out just what had been edited from the game, as a hack was released on the Web that restored the adult version of the game to its before-market glory. Up until now, though, the only way to experience the Adults Only version of the game was to perform an illegal modification. The recent release of an official AO-rated Manhunt 2 via Direct2Drive has brought the title back into the public eye.

This release (2 years after its initial release) has highlighted the plight that developers and publishers face when they try to put out a game with content too extreme for the Mature label. Though Rockstar is keeping mum about why it finally decided to let the original game out of its cage, it's hard to deny that there is a market out there for AO games; it's just a harder one to reach because of the limitations that go hand-in-hand with the rating.