StarSoldier1's Full Review: Manhunt for PlayStation 2
The makers of the very controversial Grand Theft Auto series (Rockstar North) are taking the idea of the popular hunting game one step further in their new title here. Instead of gunning down cute defenseless fuzzy animals, you have to kill actual human men to survive in a city with no laws or rules. What makes Manhunt so disturbing, however, is that all the gory violence is being filmed by a creepy director for a new snuff movie. There are some nutcases at Rockstars, eh? Can you fight your though the brutal hordes of demented gangs just so you live another day. Just like GTA is on a mission to shock the public but the most shocking thing about Manhunt is how lame it is.
The game here begins with a high note as you get to witness someone get executed. James Earl Cash is a death row inmate and he has been finally ordered to die by lethal injection. Although all records say that he died that day, James suddenly awakes up to the sound of a director's voice. Since the world now thinks he's dead, the director plans to have him be the star of a real life murder flick. In Cancer City (I guess the name Aids Town was already taken) cameras are everywhere and so are a group of killers ready to hunt you down for sport. You have no choice but to listen to this man and play his twisted game if you want to continue to live. This is a great story for the adult player who wants a more mature theme in their video games but the only problem I have with it is that your main character is nothing more then a bald, one dimensional Vin Diesel wanna be. James has no personality whatsoever and I really didn't care when someone would kill him or not (just like the real Vin Diesel: remember though murder is still illegal so don't kill him).
Sure, being encouraged to brutally kill some local low-lifes sounds like a good excuse to go wild in the game but to survive in Cancer City here you must kill your enemies quietly and wisely (boring!). If you don't want to be discovered by a large group of killer thugs it's a good idea to go for the instant kill by sneaking up behind them with one of the many nasty weapons available. Plastic bags, chainsaws, guns, crowbars, nothing is off limits and remember; the bloodier the better!
Most of these murderous thugs are no pushovers either. All these different street gangs and weirdos won't think twice about beating you to death and a lot them look like some freaks from the band Slipknot or something. The game has good controls and auto aiming feature is cool but the camera can get very wonky in some close corner rooms and other inside areas. You also have to worry about how much noise you make as well which proves how realistic and lame it is.
That brings me to what this game has for graphics. Manhunt looks a lot like the Grand Theft Auto Vice City minus the colourful scenery and lack of usable vehicles. The characters are well designed but they still have some blocky textures and stiff animations that plagued the GTA 3D games plus the backgrounds are very dull compared to other high profile games like God of War. The sounds don't fair much better either. Although the game has some great voice samples that may actually help you in the game's strategy (enemies may give away their location by talking or your director buddy may drop a few hints), the music here is very forgettable.
Although Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto games were mega hits on the PS2, Manhunt didn't sell nearly as well. Both versions are pretty much the same too so don't expect the Xbox version to be any better. Manhunt is definitely one of the most controversial video games ever made, no question about it. That doesn't mean it makes for excellent game, unfortunately. The game heavily relies on stealth kills to be played correctly but the simple mechanics of taking out a bunch of dirt bags is laughable compared to tons of other sneaky action video games like Sly Cooper and Metal Gear Solid 3. The filming of deaths is a gruesome yet cool concept but the gimmick quickly wears thin after a few a boring levels and some dull story lines. If this were a real movie it would be quickly returned to Block Buster the same day and not because it's disturbing, it's because Manhunt is average in every way.
MANHUNT overall rating: 58/100
For 1 player only
Rated (M) for Mature
graphics: 5/10
sound: 6/10
gameplay: 5/10
replay: 5/10
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You are James Earl Cash, a killer sentenced to death row. On the night of your execution, you are taken away by a mysterious director named Starkweath...More at Amazon
You are James Earl Cash, a killer sentenced to death row. On the night of your execution, you are taken away by a mysterious director named Starkweath...More at Amazon Marketplace
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