Manhunt PS2 Review

Manhunt is another violent and addictive game for Playstation 2. Manhunt is another game from Rockstar North who are also responsible for such hits as Max Payne and the Grand Theft Auto games. Manhunt is an excellent game with original gameplay and an innovative concept. You play as James Earl Cash a man who is on deathrow. As the game begins, Cash awakens in a dark room and hears a voice on an intercom. The person speaking on the other end of the intercom is known as the Director and is voiced by actor Brian Cox. The Director informs Cash that he is shooting a snuff film and Cash is the main star. The Director orders Cash to dispatch of gangs of thugs using different types of weapons. The more brutal the killings are the more the player is rewarded.

Every level consists of Cash sneaking around and taking out various thugs while following the Director’s instructions. Sometimes Cash will have to find a key or turn off a switch to move on to the next level. Cash can use all kinds of weapons to dispatch of the thugs including paper bags, machetes, baseball bats, pistols, and pieces of glass. When you kill someone you lock on to them similar to the way you do in the Grand Theft Auto games. As you are locked on you hold down a button and the lock on begins change color from green to yellow to red. These colors represent how vicious the kill will be. For example if you have a wire as weapon and you kill a person with the color green then Cash will just strangle the person. But if you kill them when the color is red then Cash will strangle them and rip their head off. The kills are graphic and bloody especially when you use sharp weapons like knives. When an execution is performed the game switches to the viewpoint of a shaky, static-filled video camera that makes the player feel more like a voyeur than a gamer.

The technical aspects of the game are all excellent. The sound plays a very important part in the game. Sound can be used for or against the player. A kick of a can will draw an enemy away from the pack which will make him an easy target or it could alert the whole gang of the players location. The sound can be used to locate where the enemies are by listening to their footsteps. Playing the game in Dolby Digital Surround is an amazing experience which enhances the game immensly. The graphics are smoother and cleaner than the GTA games. Though the graphics are not exceptional they are good. The controls are easy to learn and make it easy to perform executions on enemies.

There are a few minor flaws with the game. At first the executions are shocking but as the game goes on many players will get tired of having to watch them over and over every single time you kill someone. There is no option to skip them either. The only time you don’t have to watch cutscene when you kill someone is when you use a gun. Another flaw with the game is that the levels can seem long and tedious to many gamers. The first three levels are basically a tutorial that teaches you all the basics. The next two levels are more of the same. Finally at the sixth level the game really takes off. The later levels of the game have many intense situations, inventive challenges, and excellent blend of stealth and shoot-em-up.

Overall, Manhunt is a awesome game. If you’re able to get through the first few tutorial levels then you are in store for one of the most fun, original, challenging, and violent games ever. If you like stealth games or if you like shooting games then I highly reccomend Manhunt. You won’t be disappointed.