Come back and fight! (Manhunt (PS2))

Name: bailey_kipper_uk

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Product:	Manhunt (PS2)
Date:	08/02/05 (149 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Really good enjoyable game that you can get immersed in

Disadvantages: 1 - 1 combat very difficult

This game is an 18 rated game, and in this case definitely should not be purchased for anyone under that age. Ratings are there for a reason and this game is no exception. Manhunt is notorious for almost being banned by the same parents who purchased the game for their underage children, totally ignoring the ratings system that would normally decide what films they take their children to see.

Manhunt 2 has of course now been banned, partly I think as a result of the uproar from parents that accompanied Manhunt 1. I was looking forward to Manhunt 2 on the Wii as it would have been interesting to see how they would have made the execution scenes work.

I enjoy 18 rated games, as I have now mostly grown out of Pacman and Sonic the Hedgehog and want a game that I can get into and feel is believable. I also enjoy any film that causes controversy eg Clockwork Orange, Hostel etc.

This game was a combination of both, plus it was in the sale for 14.99 (when I bought it a couple of years ago). In light of the the recent banning of MH2 I got the desire to get the game back out of it's box and try and complete it.

The game begins with you having been 'killed'. However you weren't really, it was like you had been on a rather horrific version of Beadles About. You come to and find your life is being controlled by someone who wants to make violent films and sets up situations for you to complete (the director he's called). You are judged in each sector by the level of violence you use and the extremeness of your executions, and your speed.

The idea of the game is to move from one area to the next avoiding detection wherever possible, however this doesn't mean that you don't need to kill anyone. You need to kill all enemies to move on, and the more viciously the better. Sometimes you need to get the enemies attention, eg by throwing a brick, bottle or head if one happens to be lying around. They'll investigate and then when their back is turned you can execute them with any of the weapons at your disposal.

Wire, Plastic Bag, Glass Shard, Knife, Machete, a variety of guns, and a selection of Bats are the weapons over the first few levels. The weapons are not necessarily any better than any other weapon in terms of sneaky killings, but for 1-1 fights then the bigger the better.

The executions can be made more violent the longer you hold down the execution button. Of course though the longer you sneak round behind someone the more chance there is of you being seen. The cut scenes are very graphic in both picture and sound. Even better if you have surround sound and play in the dark. I realise after this it probably sounds like i'm a bit of a nutter but it actually is really good playing in the dark as you focus on what is going on. Also occasionally there are those moments when you are surprised by someone, made more shocking by the fact that you have probably been sneaking around really quietly and really concerntrating on what you are doing.

All the way throught the game you need to be careful and try to hide in the shadows as much as possible. Often you will be spotted and must resort to some mano 'a' mano combat. This is good fun on the earlier levels but it's not a good idea to take on more than 1 person at a time otherwise you will get killed. There are painkillers laying around that you can pick up to improve your health whilst progressing through a level and also save points after a lot of the sections.

The game on the easier skill level of 2 is not too difficult just to complete, if you are careful and sensible. However to get a good score and unlock all the bonuses you will need to be quick and violent.

I won't go into any more detail as this review is making me sound like a bit of a nutter again. But I will finish with saying this is an excellent game but should only be played by those people who can separate reality from the gaming world.

Summary: Excellent - very playable game