Manhunt Review

The latest title from the creators of the hugely popular ‘Grand Theft Auto’ series is perhaps the first true adult videogame, containing scenes that will disturb many players and certainly one that needs to monitored carefully unless we want scandal to encase the videogames industry once again – but is it actually any good.<br><br>The game places players as James Earl Cash – a criminal on death row. Although we don’t discover much on his past, it’s apparent that this isn’t a main character that everybody is supposed to like. The grisly introduction sets the tone for the rest of the game perfectly; depicting Cash awaiting his execution by lethal injection, we learn that unbeknownst to the public he’s saved from his death thanks to the corrupt staff at Darkwoods Penitentiary. Confused and angry, a voice crackles through on the intercom, claiming that the only way to get out is by following his instructions.<br><br>This sets the game up with the solitary task of surviving, as it turns out you’ve been enlisted as the main star of a new *snuff* video being shot and directed by Lionel Starkweather. On your back is a legion of gang members whose sole objective is to hunt you down and make sure you die properly this time, your job is to kill them as brutally as possible to the delight of the watching director.<br><br>Before we start it should be noted that ‘Manhunt’ contains an 18 rating for a reason, it has to be the most violent yet realistic videogame we’ve played. It’s strength and testimony to the game and its developers, is its ability to unhinge the player and make you feel disturbed. Whilst we like to see the videogame medium reach out beyond its perceived market and allow developers to maximise their creative input to touch the players’ emotions, this game should be carefully monitored for the sake of the videogames industry.<br><br>The violence in ‘Manhunt’ and its ability to disturb stems from its realism; whereas the ‘Grand Theft Auto’ series brilliantly disguised its violence in a tongue-in-cheek world, ‘Mahunt’ makes no bones about that as foes scream out about their wife and families when you’re just about to deliver the crushing blow.<br><br>What essentially unfolds is a stealth/action title similar in concept to the likes of ‘Hitman 2: Silent Assassin’ and ‘Tenchu’ that relies on a ‘Cat-and-Mouse’ dynamic. RockStar North have been able to bring this out to its fullest, creating a tense and chilling thriller that completely captivates the player; it’s not going to convince you if you hate stealth games, but if there your type of thing it’s well worth a try.<br><br>Beginning with your bare fists, the game feels similar to the likes of ‘Grand Theft Auto’, using an improved targeting system and two different types of attack. The hand-to-hand combat aspect is surprisingly weak and degenerates into a mindless button-basher, just like ‘GTA’. However you won’t want to find yourself unarmed for very long, as encounters with a couple of thugs will soon leave you kissing the concrete. Thankfully the game contains a wide range of weaponry for you to get your hands on, ranging from guns (pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, nail guns) to ready-made weapons such as a plastic bag and glass shards. The weapons are grouped under four different classes: Large weapons, Smaller Weapons, Single-Use Weapons and Throwing Weapons; Cash is allowed to carry one of each, having to swap items of the same type for more powerful ones. <br><br>Although the action does become intense the game focuses on its stealth elements, as such Cash has the full repertoire of stealth manoeuvres such as crouching up against a wall, sneaking around a corner and banging objects to draw attention. The interface contains a small icon that turns blue when Cash is concealed in the shadows, this becomes crucial as you’ll often find yourself in the ‘Cat-and-Mouse’ situation of having to run away, find cover, and eventually lure the unwilling foe into your path for a nice stealth kill. Bizarrely Cash isn’t the most agile of characters, although he can run he cannot crouch, jump or grab onto ledges.<br><br>As with ‘Tenchu’ the game features stealth kills, which is where a lot of the controversy and interest will stem from. By targeting an enemy who’s got his back to you, Cash can sneak up and unleash a stealth kill. When Cash gets to within a few feet of his opponent he’ll raise his hands, by simply holding onto the X or &#9633; button Cash will execute the chosen target. Each weapon has three different types of execution depending on how long you hold the button before carrying out the attack; a short hold indicated by a white target reticule will deliver a quick and easy blow that gets the job done, a medium hold (yellow target) will intensify the violence, whilst a long hold (red target) will deliver some intense gore that is likely to upset one or two people out there. The executions are played back through the CCTV that has been keeping the director entertained, completely with a grainy video filter effect, gurgling noises and ample blood shots that cover the camera’s lens.<br><br>The levels have been strictly based on a linear approach, often requiring you to simply move from start-to-finish, killing everything that you come across and solving the various challenges that the Director throws at you. The levels often see you having to flick switches to open doors, however there’s nothing to detract away from the games main ‘hunted/hunter’ dynamic.<br><br>Unfortunately the AI displayed by the thugs throughout the game is patchy to say the least. Thugs will run after you whenever they see or hear you, however you only have to take cover when they can’t see you directly to throw them completely off your scent. On one occasion we repeatedly hit a thug over the head with a baseball bat and he didn’t notice at all, however this is a rare occurrence. One nice aspect is the sheer amount of dialogue that spews forth from their mouths, it keeps the game moving nicely and ensures you’ve always got to keep an ear out for any chatter. In general the enemies don’t display a wide range of attacking techniques, sticking to the same polices and making daft decisions that hurt the authenticity – would you really walk into a dark corridor after seeing three of your mates blown to bits???<br><br>As with any game of this type, frustration is high as you’ll find yourself in some severely uneven situations. Thankfully the game does a good job of ensuring frustration doesn’t stem from awkward controls or camera work as well, although you’ll have a few problems with the camera at times especially as there’s no way to centre it behind you immediately. Our major concern with the game is that of repetition, sure they’ve created a tense atmosphere that works brilliantly in the game, but you’ll soon find yourself growing tired of just killing everybody and that’s probably the games biggest fault – there’s nothing else to do. Weighing in at around 10-15 hours, it’s highly unlikely you’ll return to the game after you’ve completed it except to show your friends because of the controversy issues.<br><br>Using an enhanced version of the ‘GTA3’ engine, it’s fair to say that ‘Manhunt’ is a good looking PS2 title, creating a very dark, gritty yet highly realistic environment for you to kill in. The game sports a wide variety of textures that display a nice level of detail, whilst the character models themselves display a nice touch of artistic style. The game also makes use of a realistic physics engine to allow bodies to hand realistically, or kick doors in with a satisfying effect.<br><br>The sound aspect is crucial to ‘ManHunt’ and one of the main reasons in its success at delivering a tense atmosphere that provides the games main allure. The sound track is ambient and always haunting you, building up for the more action orientated areas and suitably dying down when things have gone quiet. Once again the executions take centre stage with all manners of frighteningly realistic gurgles and screams. Special mention must go to the Director’s over running commentary, creating a believable character that you never really know whether to trust or not. As a little gimmick that actually works really well and enhances the immersion, you can hook up a USB headset to receive the directors commentary through that; we’ve seen this used on a couple of times and must say it’s a brilliant idea.