Manhunt 2 slammed for its portrayal of mental illness

Rockstar's Manhunt 2 has been slammed by a US charity for its "irresponsible, stereotypical portrayal of mental illness", GamesIndustry.biz reports.

The National Alliance for Mental Illness has asked for the game to be recalled from sale or modified, and that retailers decline to sell the game.

"Even though some people may consider Manhunt 2 to be only a game, it unfortunately perpetuates and reinforces cruel, inaccurate perceptions that people who live with mental illness are violent," blasted Mike Fitzpatrick, executive director of NAMI.

"The US Surgeon General has condemned such stigmatisation, identifying fear of stigma as a major barrier to people getting help when they need it," he added.

The organisation said that it does not back censorship of entertainment, but expects a "higher standard" of understanding of health problems.

"Concern over the violence reflected in the game up until now has not yet been extended to include the outrageous portrayal of the 54 million people in the United States who live with serious mental illnesses.

"We do not favour censorship, but we do ask for responsible exercise of creative rights when serious public health concerns are at issue," added Fitzpatrick.