Manhunt 2

"Manhunt returns, Is the killing just as thrilling as before?"

In 2003 a game was released by Rockstar games entitled Manhunt. The game promised some of the goriest, messiest action seen on a video game ever...and it delivered. The premise was simple, you played a fellow by the name of James Earl Cash, and he was supposed to die, by lethal injection. Only the death was staged, and Cash woke up to find himself at the will of a sadistic film director, Starkweather. He would now be playing the role in Starkweather's newest snuff film...

Manhunt managed to slip under the radar for the most part at the time, despite it's unashamedly gore drenched gameplay and plot. It made it out as a cult classic at best, and after it's ending many fans, including myself could only hope for some form of a sequel. Late last year word of that sequel finally came fourth, in the form of a very short teaser trailer. As more and more information was released, fans waited impatiently for the game's soon to be release. But there was a problem.

Near the games original release date, many watchdog groups and other against violent video games threw a fit. This didn't mean a whole lot until Rockstar announced that the game had received the dreaded AO (Adults Only) rating from the ESRB ratings board. An AO rating isn't an outright banning of a game, but rather retail suicide. Striving to appeal this, Rockstar went to work. Months later word surfaced of a newly edited M (Mature) rated version of the game to be released on Halloween. While this was good news, fans held their breath, not knowing entirely what to expect of the games editing, and just hoping it'd actually get released period.

Well the release date came, and the game was released, in fact the censoring wasn't even that bad...but more on that soon. Grab a crowbar, it's time to hunt.




Gameplay:
Gameplay in Manhunt 2 is pretty similar to that found in Manhunt 1, in fact it's nearly identical, with a few exceptions. This is a stealth based game, and you'll spend a lot of time creeping through shadows and patiently waiting for that perfect moment to strike. Killing is done in a three-tiered method. This is all about waiting and timing. More or less, the longer you hold down the attack button when behind an enemy, the color of the reticule over his head will change from white to yellow to eventually red. Depending on the color of this reticule when the attack button is released will determine the level of the execution you'll be performing. As you would expect, the longer you wait, the more gruesome the execution will be.

To switch things up a bit, you will also be drug into shootouts on occasion. Unlike the first game, you can now perform an execution with a firearm, though it doesn't happen often. More often when you're given a gun, you're about to be heading into a shootout. This is done by pressing your back against a wall, or other piece of cover, and popping out long enough to take a shot, and then returning to cover. Don't be fooled by thinking this is tame compared to the executions however, as getting a direct headshot like this will result in a messy explosion of brains and skull fragments. This serves as a nice way to add some variety between the sometimes grueling sneaking portions of the game.

You can also fight hand to hand, but this is almost always a bad option, and almost always an absolute last resort. You can hit walls, or throw bricks/debris nearby to lure in hunters for the killing. There is the occasional environmental puzzle, though I'll be using that last term loosely. This often results in having to find a way through a seemingly impassable object/door. Often done by finding a crowbar and forcing your way through. Though I do not consider this a fault, as puzzle solving is not why you should be playing this game in the first place.




Story:
While Manhunt 1 had a decent plot, and a great final conclusion, it's hard to say the game had an actual "story". You never really got to know James Earl Cash, nor anything about his past. This is probably the biggest difference between that game and this sequel. Manhunt 2 has a fairly complicated story, and nice character development.

You play Daniel Lamb, at the outset very little is known about him or the real circumstances behind your current situation, but slowly, very slowly things begin to unfold. And while the biggest of the games plotwists is pretty obvious from only a few levels into the game, it doesn't actually lessen the impact of the overall story and how it unfolds.

In a nutshell Danny Lamb was somehow succumbed to what is referred to as "The Project", he breaks out of his cell in the Dixmor Asylum with his buddy Leo Kasper, and the two struggle to survive, as no matter where they go, they are being hunted. This reverses the role of Manhunt 1, where you were essentially the hunter, in Manhunt 2, you are the hunted. Killing to survive. Danny can remember next to nothing of his past life, prior to his breakout, and this sets the stage for the games story. Danny, along with a reluctant Leo move from place to place looking for any signs or evidence in hopes of recalling and understanding Danny's past.

There is actually a LOT more to the plot, but I cannot go much deeper, for doing so may spoil some if not most of the story for those interested, and that is not how I write a review, so I can only leave you with the above and tell you that despite the initial shallowness of the plot, it actually becomes pretty deep and interesting.




Graphics/Sound:
Graphically Manhunt 2 is actually not so great. But then, maybe with the exception of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV, when has Rockstar ever really released a game with top notch graphics? And while the graphics are certainly better than Manhunt 1, they will still, most certainly turn away some who seek to only play games with great graphics. This is of course on the PS2 version, while the PSP version looks nearly identical, on the handheld these graphics would actually look pretty great. Though this really isn't nearly as big a flaw as some would think, and what is going one looks well enough to tell what's going on.

On the sound front at first you may be slightly disapointed here as well. Music seems pretty minimal initially, but you'll soon realize that the music only really picks up when things are tense in game, such as when enemies are actively searching for you. The music is not only very fitting to the tone of the game, and what's going on therein, but it's also a pretty awesome, suspenseful soundtrack. Not only this, but the voice acting is actually very well done here as well, not only well done but convincing. This not only includes the main characters in the game, but also the enemies, much like in Manhunt 1.

And then of course is sound effects. In a game based around brutal executions, the sound had better be pretty sick, and much like Manhunt 1, this game delivers. From the satisfying crunch of a baseball bat to an enemies skull, to the sound of the chunks from his exploding hid splattered against a wall, it's all there. Of note, those with a weak stomach (Why are you playing this game if this is the case?) may find the sounds the enemies make during certain executions pretty gruesomely revolting. Particularly the sound of an enemy gagging as a wire is ripping through his throat, or that of a fellow getting a saw sawed into his skull.

Finally, this leave us with that bit about censoring I mentioned earlier. Very little was actually removed from the game, only a single plier kill in which Danny removed an enemies testicles, and a few decapitations (Though there is still a good many of these included.) But the biggest deal was an odd filter placed over the executions. This isn't as bad as it sounds at all really, and actually has context with the story, so it's more bearable than most think when they first learn of it. The filter is a sort of flashing red filer over the screen that sometimes looks like the colors are being inverted. You can still see about 95% of what's going on with this in tact actually, so again, not so bad.





Playtime/Replayability:
Though I don't know the exact count, I'd say my first playthrough of the game was roughly around 8-9 hours in length. In other words, pretty average length for any game that doesn't involve turn-based combat. There are only two difficulty levels in the game, much like the first game, and much like the first game, the harder of the two is a good deal harder. Playing on insane difficulty not only makes enemies more accurate and difficult, but it also means a lack of radar, which is what actually makes things more difficult.

To top this off once the game has been completed, a new level is unlocked, with an "alternate" ending. This adds a wee bit of replay value, though not a lot. And I'm still not sure if this ending is actually the real ending or not. So as far as replay value goes, there actually isn't a whole lot here, unless you're into finishing the game on both difficulties.




Final Recommendation:
This game is absolutely not for everyone, no ifs ands or buts about it. Firstly, the game will annihilate anyone with a weak stomach. It will also frustrate some players to the point of quitting, if they're not accustomed to stealth based games. If it's blatantly obvious by now, or even from looking at the cover for this game, it's certainly not intended to be played by children. Some folks may also find the core gameplay repetitive or shallow.

But for those of you who are into horror, blood and gore, and the like, you'll probably find something to like here, if not love, much like the case with the first game. The game has a truly twisted, dark story, and if you're into this kind of surreal violence, well you probably can't do any better as far as videogames go. So, yeah, if you're a gorehound, chances are great you'll very much enjoy Manhunt 2.


I give Manhunt 2 an 8/10.
As the sequel to one of my favorite PS2 games, I expected a lot from this game, and thankfully it delivered and then some. As stated before, this is most certainly not a game for anyone, or even the fairly casual gamer. But then again, this is the type of game that you pretty much know whether you'll like it or not based strictly on it's content. Simply put, the game does an excellent job at what it does.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/07/07

Game Release: Manhunt 2 (US, 10/29/07)