The GTA publisher announced last night that Manhunt 2 will be heading to PS2, PSP and Wii formats this summer. And, given the media furore that surrounded the original, the firm has highlighted the fact that the new game will again be an adult-rated title and that it will be classified through the appropriate channels.

"We believe Manhunt 2 is a great entertainment experience for fans of psychological thrillers and urban horror," a spokesperson told MCV.

"Manhunt 2 is a chilling and compelling drama and is only appropriate for people who are old enough to play it. Manhunt 2 builds on the success of the original Manhunt, a critically acclaimed and BAFTA-nominated title that has established a loyal fan base amongst adult gamers.

"We are aware that in direct contradication to all available evidence, certain individuals continue to link the original Manhunt title to the Warren Leblanc [the boy found guilty of murdering Stefan Pakeerah] case in 2004. The transcript of the court case makes it quite clear what really happened. At sentencing the Judge, defence, prosecution and Leicester police all emphasised that Manhunt played no part in the case.

"We respect those who have different opinions about the horror genre and video games as a whole, but we hope they will also consider the opinions of gamers. The stories in modern video games are as diverse as the stories in books, film and television.

"Rockstar submits every game to the appropriate bodies for rating and classification and in the case of Manhunt 2 it is clearly a game aimed at an adult audience and we anticipate that it will receive an 18+ rating."