Ultra-violent videogame Manhunt 2 has beaten the ban and will hit store shelves in the US at Halloween, publisher Take-Two Interactive has said.

Take-Two said that the game has been altered to achieve a lower age-rating than it was previously granted in the States. The US Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has now granted the game a Mature rating, marking it as suitable for players aged 17 or more.

In June, the ESRB awarded Manhunt 2 an Adults Only rating, signalling it to be suitable only for folk aged 18 or over. The US rating system is merely a guide - there's no legal weight behind it - but many major chains refuse to sell AO-rated titles, and the games console makers forbid games with that classification being branded as compatible with their systems.

The original rating effectively blocked Take-Two's plan to release Manhunt 2 in the US on 10 July for both the Nintendo Wii, and Sony's PS2 and PSP consoles.

Earlier in June, the UK's game rating body banned Manhunt 2 by refusing to award it a rating. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) certification is backed by legislation: it is illegal to sell an uncertified game here, or to sell a certified title to a buyer who's too young.

Take-Two did not say whether it has re-submitted Manhunt 2 to the BBFC.