Manhunt

"An almost perversely violent, but consistently engaging, stealth action game."

Rockstar Games does not shy away from controversy in the games it chooses to publish. For whatever reason, they have been the publisher behind many of the most notorious game releases of the past console generation. Grand Theft Auto, State of Emergency, Max Payne, Midnight Club – no matter what the genre, Rockstar Games has a proven track record of throwing caution to the wind and publishing games that other companies might find too risky to touch.

That includes Manhunt. Quite possibly the most controversial game Rockstar has published to date, Manhunt is a stealth-action title by the developers of the GTA series that pushes violence in videogames to a whole new level. Brutal, visceral, execution-style killings are the preferred course of action with here – ladies and gentlemen, this is not a very family-friendly title, to say the least. Once you've delved beyond that initial shock value, though, Manhunt offers some fairly difficult and exciting gameplay that can be fun for gamers mature enough to handle the content.

Visuals:

Right off the bat, you'll notice that Manhunt's graphical style aims for a grungy, dark look. The game takes place exclusively at night, and so all of the environments are always filled with shadowy corners to hide in; the levels are usually run-down to begin with, and they're filled with piles of garbage or broken-down cars to give them personality. There are some pretty low-resolution textures here and there, but on the whole, the game's look helps to create an atmosphere that fits the gameplay perfectly.

On a similar note, the character models are also very impressive to behold. Enemies are all outfitted in a manner that fits the theme of their gang, and they all look equally disturbing. Not all enemy animations are 100% smooth, but this is a minor complaint. Your character appears relatively simple when compared to others, but in action he always animates extremely fluidly. It's also impressive to note that every item you'll pick up, from bricks to glass shards to machetes, will be displayed on your character model when you don't have it equipped, and some will even prominently show blood after they've been used on an adversary.

Yes, Manhunt is one of the goriest games you'll ever see. There are all sorts of violent ways in which you'll murder your foes, and most of them are quite bloody. When performing execution-style kills, the game cuts to a grainy, security-camera style shot, and you'll be witness to your handiwork from a close-up angle. ‘Over-the-top' is probably the most accurate word to describe how brutal this game can be – it's absolutely not for anyone with a weak stomach.

There are a handful of cutscenes that play out as you progress through the game, but most only utilize the in-game engine to render. These aren't terribly impressive to behold, but they get their messages across without a hitch. The few pre-rendered videos that you'll see aren't very remarkable either, but they do look nicer than the in-game stuff.

While Manhunt is not the best-looking game on PlayStation 2, it boasts an impressive level of detail in its graphics, and a very smooth performance throughout. The best thing about the visuals, though, is that they set the mood for the game perfectly.

Score: 7/10

Sound:

In Manhunt, sound plays a key role in the gameplay. You need to keep quiet to stay out of harm's way, and you need to use sounds to lure unsuspecting hunters to their demise. The game's levels tend to work against you, as they're filled with a number of objects that will make noise when you bump them or walk over them.

All of the sound effects that you'll hear are appropriate to the context in which you'll cause them, and they're all distinct enough that just the sound is enough to trigger your reactions. It's especially impressive to hear the movement of hunters through the levels, as you can easily track them by the sound of their footsteps if you've got a good enough sound system. There isn't much background noise or music to compete with your missteps, so the only sounds that populate the levels are those made by you or the hunters.

Those hunters also comprise the majority of the voiceovers you'll hear throughout the game. As they pace through their patrols, they'll constantly be muttering to themselves, in a manner very similar to that of the pedestrians in the Grand Theft Auto series. The things they say are fairly wacky – this is a Rockstar game, after all – but the lines are all delivered dead-on to the dispositions of the characters. The star of the game, though, is Brian Cox, who voices the evil director (Starkweather) who has placed you in this situation. Cox's lines are all read beautifully, and you'll really be able to sense the malice in his voice as he speaks.

One intriguing note about Manhunt is that, if you own a USB headset, you can use it as part of the game. You'll hear Starkweather's instructions and exhortations through the earpiece, and you can even make noise into the microphone to bait hunters. While it doesn't always work perfectly – the sound clips are occasionally glitchy, and using your voice is often less effective than making environmental noise – it's certainly a welcome touch, and at its best it allows an even further level of immersion in the game.

With any stealth game, the quality of the sound presentation is imperative to making the gameplay fun. Manhunt manages to exceed the standards for every category of its acoustic score, and the game experience is much more enjoyable as a result.

Score: 10/10

Gameplay:

Manhunt's brand of stealth action is somewhat different from other games on the market, thanks to the game's distinctive setup. Your job during the levels, from your character's point of view, is simply to survive; that said, the director didn't throw you out there just to sneak past everyone, and so you'll constantly hear him pressuring you to do in the enemies around you. That gruesome component of the game is what really sets the experience apart from what you've come to expect from a sneaking game.

As you progress through the game's roughly twenty levels, you'll encounter patrolling hunters, armed with various weapons. If you can sneak up behind one without him knowing, you can then perform an execution move on him, much to Starkweather's delight. These grisly attacks vary depending on how long you hold down the attack button for, and at their peak can be spectacularly ghastly. There's a pretty good reason why you'll want to perform these types of kills, too: you've got very little health, and (as with any good stealth game) those hunters tend to swarm quickly if you're spotted. You can hide in the game's omnipresent shadows to make yourself nearly invisible, though, a technique which is as hokey as it sounds.

Without question, you'll be performing a lot of those vicious attacks during your time in Carcer City, and it will always give you the same sick adrenaline rush. Most of the missions involve little more than fetching some item to open a door, or performing a specific action to the direction of Starkweather. The basic gameplay setup is where most of the fun is in Manhunt – the thrill of the hunt, as it were, is as deeply involving as it is simple to do. There's a good bit more to the game, though, and not all of it is as interesting as that basic gameplay.

You'll end up thrown into a handful of levels that force you to rely on gunplay, and without question, these are where the formula starts to break down. All of the weaponry works well enough; you've got a standard assortment of pistols, shotguns, and rifles to work with, and the targeting system is mostly good enough to do the job. The foot of the problem, though, lies in the fact that just running through the level, blasting everyone in sight simply isn't as appealing as silently eliminating them, one-by-one. Sure, the game tries to act like it gives you a choice – you'll hear Starkweather prattle on about blowing your cover as you blast your way through his minions – but in reality, there will be 5-8 levels where your conventional covert methods just won't get the job done.

Luckily for you, Manhunt is nice with its checkpoints. You'll get an average of two per level, and you'll always hit one right before any major developments in your mission. Make no mistake, though – this is a challenging game, and one that wears its difficulty like a badge of honor. Getting spotted in an area crowded with armed men means almost certain death, although if you're lucky you can run away and hide in the shadows (and be mercilessly mocked by the hunters for doing so). The game shouldn't last more than fifteen hours or so, depending on how you choose to pick your battles.

There are only a few boss fights to speak of in Manhunt, and these tend not to play out very differently from the regular gameplay. The truly memorable enemy encounters in the game all occur as you're progressing through the levels, slowly but steadily working your way through their ranks. A.I. for these enemies is generally solid, although your typical sneaking-game logic flaws (‘All my friends have disappeared, and their weapons are lying around, but I don't mind.') still rear their heads from time to time.

For the most part, Manhunt is a fascinating, satisfying stealth-based action game. It occasionally loses itself in some tedious gunplay, but it always manages to top itself again when it gets back to the sneaky stuff.

Score: 7/10

Story:

Manhunt's plot revolves around James Earl Cash, a death row inmate whose execution turned out to be little more than a ruse. You end up in an abandoned town called Carcer City, with Starkweather barking in your ear about how you need to follow his directions if you want to live. From there, you'll act out the mad director's twisted fantasies, eventually breaking free from, and attempting to bring swift justice down upon, your tormentors. It's all pretty standard stuff (albeit a pretty horrific standard) and none of the plot is really worth paying attention to unless you're really into the game. It does its job, but it isn't about to win any awards from creativity.

The storyline in Manhunt isn't terribly interesting, and feels very much like it was just tacked on to justify some of the strange scenarios the Rockstar cooked up to put you in. It keeps enough momentum to get you through to the end, but you'll be hard-pressed to remember any of it.

Score: 6/10

Features/Modes:

Manhunt offers two difficulty settings – the ubiquitous Normal, and the menacingly titled Nightmare. You're given a rating at the end of each mission, and completing all of them with good marks on both difficulties unlocks you some concept art, four moderately amusing mini-games, and a handful of cheats. The only other conceivable reason to play Manhunt again after you've unlocked these, though, is simply to marvel, or perhaps share with others, its naked brutality.

There isn't much overall value in Manhunt, but at its heart it's the kind of game that demands more than one playthrough, out of sheer ghoulishness.

Score: 6/10

Total Score:

Manhunt is yet another notorious title to come down the pipeline from Rockstar Games. It's filled with all manner of appalling violence – the kind that seems destined to frighten mothers, alarm politicians, and cause a sense of general uneasiness within the videogame industry. Underneath the initial shock value, though, lies a well-designed stealth-action game that, when considered on the whole of its merits, is an excellent way to pass some time. That is, of course, if you're mature enough to handle the content.

If you have enjoyed any of Rockstar's previous game releases, then there's no reason not to give Manhunt a try. If you're a fan of stealth-based games, you should also endeavor to check this game out. Finally, if you're a fan of mature entertainment properties, and you're up for a good challenge, you should rent Manhunt, to see if it can sate your bloodlust.

Score: 7/10 (not an average)

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Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/13/07