Manhunt 2, like the first one is a brutal game, even more psycho where you (surprise) play as a psycopath.
The executions look better here, but what this game lacked was the atmosphere.
Manhunt 1 tried to be as tense and suspenseful as possible, while Manhunt 2 tried to be as graphic as possible with all the gore.
Its a shame you pretty much cant buy this game anywhere, there's games more f'ed up out there that aren't banned.
The manhunt series sends a message and proves that the only real monsters are Humans, not vampires, ghosts, zombies or whatever. Humans are capable of tons of pain and misery, these games captured this tone right.
Its also a shame we will never see a Manhunt 3:(
The executions look better here, but what this game lacked was the atmosphere.
Manhunt 1 tried to be as tense and suspenseful as possible, while Manhunt 2 tried to be as graphic as possible with all the gore.
Its a shame you pretty much cant buy this game anywhere, there's games more f'ed up out there that aren't banned.
The manhunt series sends a message and proves that the only real monsters are Humans, not vampires, ghosts, zombies or whatever. Humans are capable of tons of pain and misery, these games captured this tone right.
Its also a shame we will never see a Manhunt 3:(
Took Manhunt from an unusual but very raw (punk) concept and wrote it to be much more typical and traditional but also slightly more playable (pop punk)
only real ones know
This review contains spoilers
It goes without saying that the Manhunt games are two of the most viscerally disturbing games ever made. Their controversy famously overshadowed the content of the games themselves. But what nobody says is that once the shock value wears off, we're left with two games with incredible atmospheres, fantastic sound design, and brilliant stealth gameplay that feel like a commentary on video game violence in itself. The games confront you with a situation where you're a rat in a maze, encourages you to commit horrific executions of the NPCs who are trying to kill you until you relish it, and then makes you feel dirty when it calls you out on it. It's genius to an extent.
However, the second game embodies the law of diminishing returns. It's not as fun as its predecesor because it often relies on gun violence over executions, which is not as thrilling as being cornered and having to rely on stealth to get by. I feel like the gunplay is also the reason why the game is so short too, and don't get me started on how pedestrian the gunplay is too. It's less fun than the simple yet effective stealth gameplay and the game suffers as a result. The story of Manhunt 2 is arguably better than its predecessor, but it feels like it's trying too hard to evoke Fight Club in many ways. In fact, the split personality twist ending is so obvious from the first mission that it's a cliche in the psychological thriller genre at this point. I do think that Daniel Lamb is a more compelling protagonist than James Earl Cash and The Project is an intriguing mystery. In addition, the atmosphere of Manhunt 2 makes up for its flaws. I didn't care for the 'Personality Clash' mission, however. It makes the subtext of the franchise too obvious, Confronting you with the people you've killed over the course of the game to make you feel guilty. The game already features that subtext! Why turn it into text?!
In any case, I wish the gameplay of the Manhunt games was discussed more often than its controversy. The gameplay of both games is so much more interesting than, say, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto franchise, or even the Red Dead franchise. It's a shame, really, since this is arguably Rockstar's most experimental game series.
However, the second game embodies the law of diminishing returns. It's not as fun as its predecesor because it often relies on gun violence over executions, which is not as thrilling as being cornered and having to rely on stealth to get by. I feel like the gunplay is also the reason why the game is so short too, and don't get me started on how pedestrian the gunplay is too. It's less fun than the simple yet effective stealth gameplay and the game suffers as a result. The story of Manhunt 2 is arguably better than its predecessor, but it feels like it's trying too hard to evoke Fight Club in many ways. In fact, the split personality twist ending is so obvious from the first mission that it's a cliche in the psychological thriller genre at this point. I do think that Daniel Lamb is a more compelling protagonist than James Earl Cash and The Project is an intriguing mystery. In addition, the atmosphere of Manhunt 2 makes up for its flaws. I didn't care for the 'Personality Clash' mission, however. It makes the subtext of the franchise too obvious, Confronting you with the people you've killed over the course of the game to make you feel guilty. The game already features that subtext! Why turn it into text?!
In any case, I wish the gameplay of the Manhunt games was discussed more often than its controversy. The gameplay of both games is so much more interesting than, say, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto franchise, or even the Red Dead franchise. It's a shame, really, since this is arguably Rockstar's most experimental game series.
For a game that was banned for how violent and bloody it was, Manhunt 2 is surprisingly not really that interesting.
Going into Manhunt 2 directly after finishing the original was kind of wild. The sequel largely forgoes any attempt at being a serious stealth game in favor of providing a gory theme park ride (particularly if one is playing the uncensored PC version with the red filter disabled). From the first appearance of British-accented henchmen wearing business suits and opera masks, it becomes apparent that this is going to be a much campier experience. The prior story didn’t have a lot going on beyond darkly humorous comments from its antagonists, but this one resembles the scripts of a half-dozen classic psychological and political thrillers thrown into a blender. The twists can be seen coming from miles away, but there’s a satisfying sense of pulpiness to it all. With sharper gore effects to show off and an actual story to tell, Manhunt 2 also seems much more interested in letting the player reach the end credits. In comparison to the first, hand-to-hand combat is very forgiving; with the right weapon, button-mashing an enemy to death from the front is now viable. After the introduction of firearms in the fifth level (out of sixteen, counting the bonus mission), there’s only one mission that doesn’t build to a big gun battle, and the shooting itself has been reworked to result in fewer player character deaths and way more exploding heads. The focus on action probably works in the game’s favor, as the artificial intelligence is lackluster at playing hide and seek. Enemies forgetting that the protagonist was ever there and returning to their assigned patrol routes is a time-honored tradition of the stealth genre, but these guys often lost track of him because he walked around a single corner. In contrast to the original’s presentation echoing 80s slasher films, the sequel has a 2000s horror aesthetic that looks much tackier despite the higher polygon count. One other issue is the motion control-imitating mouse movements that intrude on executions by default; fortunately these can be disabled through the options menu.
It’s too bad that Steam’s policies circa 2009 and a somewhat questionable Adults Only rating from the ESRB basically scuttled this game’s digital availability. I got a SecuROM-protected copy from Amazon before it was delisted, but who knows how long the activation servers are going to remain online. One would think there’s nothing to stop it from being rereleased now, but given that the original on Steam currently requires a fan patch to run properly, it doesn’t seem like Rockstar has much remaining interest in this series. Manhunt 2 may not be as atmospheric as its predecessor, but it does pack an even greater amount of carnage in a much more accessible package, making it easy to recommend to horror aficionados.
It’s too bad that Steam’s policies circa 2009 and a somewhat questionable Adults Only rating from the ESRB basically scuttled this game’s digital availability. I got a SecuROM-protected copy from Amazon before it was delisted, but who knows how long the activation servers are going to remain online. One would think there’s nothing to stop it from being rereleased now, but given that the original on Steam currently requires a fan patch to run properly, it doesn’t seem like Rockstar has much remaining interest in this series. Manhunt 2 may not be as atmospheric as its predecessor, but it does pack an even greater amount of carnage in a much more accessible package, making it easy to recommend to horror aficionados.
Now that I'm done with both manhunt games, this is definitely the boring one. Not because of the difficulty tho, because unlike 1, here guns are overused and turn the game into a mindless shooting gallery.
The premise (The Pickman bridge) is a procedure that optimally allows the user to sideload a personality next to their own and be able to switch between them at will. This is a cool idea taken down a dull path to a disappointing ending.
Other than the inclusion of gory murders idk how is this considered a manhunt sequel.
While more polished and less frustrating than 1, it has none of it's soul or anything that made manhunt the IP it was.
If you want to visit these games just play the first one or maybe skip both for something better.
The premise (The Pickman bridge) is a procedure that optimally allows the user to sideload a personality next to their own and be able to switch between them at will. This is a cool idea taken down a dull path to a disappointing ending.
Other than the inclusion of gory murders idk how is this considered a manhunt sequel.
While more polished and less frustrating than 1, it has none of it's soul or anything that made manhunt the IP it was.
If you want to visit these games just play the first one or maybe skip both for something better.
I love the "Fight Club" lore of this game
some kids at school told me to play this, i was 11 at the time. dude, what a wild ride it was...
Manhunt is a game that felt like it was made with a vision and passion. It had a very consistent aesthetic and oppressive atmosphere. The stealth gameplay was really fun. They had an idea and ran with it. Manhunt 2 feels like a product made because they were told to. It feels like they saw the media response to 1 and decided to push it as far as they could go, without much of an idea where to go. The stealth gameplay is a massive step down. The AI is so inconsistent, ping-ponging between being too smart and too dumb. The level design also feels less inspired and less consistent. I was going to complain about the radar being gone but apparently playing on the second difficulty removes it. I wish I had known that. The guns didn't feel great in 1, but somehow they made them considerably worse. They just don't feel good at all. They feel weak and are far too inaccurate. The story is the only part of the game that felt like they had an idea, but didn't know how to build up a mystery. The twist is incredibly obvious from the first cutscene which led to there being no tension or intrigue throughout the entire thing. At least this one has some alright characters unlike 1 which just had The Director. I played the uncut PC version expecting it to be full of insane gore and violence, but no. It isn't much worse than the first and just like last time, it isn't any worse than any other horror media at the time. Actually while I'm on the subject, this game doesn't feel like a horror game anymore. Manhunt had a great horror atmosphere that 2 just doesn't have. I still think it is an alright game and probably worth a playthrough, but Manhunt is a game I could easily see myself revisiting, I don't think I'll be playing 2 again anytime soon.
Manhunt 2 is a brutal and controversial stealth-horror game infamous for its extreme violence. Players take on the role of Daniel Lamb, an amnesiac mental patient who must escape a sinister asylum with the help of a mysterious ally. The core gameplay revolves around gruesome executions used to eliminate enemies in the shadows. While the game can be tense and atmospheric, its emphasis on disturbing violence, uninspired level design, and clumsy controls make it a very niche and divisive experience.
what if manhunt 1 but with none of the original spirit and with a terrible predictable story starring coldsteel the hedgehog
gone are the really well crafted slasher/vhs snuff film atmospheric setpieces, say hello to being forced to go guns blazing for far too much of the game
gone are the really well crafted slasher/vhs snuff film atmospheric setpieces, say hello to being forced to go guns blazing for far too much of the game
A visibly rushed non direct sequel, with none interesting vibe of the first game, the ranking system is gone for no reason (not on PC), the levels are very short and very hard to use stealth around it considering how badly designed they are, the stealth and enemy AI also has gotten worst, the enemies most time don't even react to noise properly when in the previous game it worked perfectly fine.
The story is a real oddball one, the violence feels somewhat out of place considering the protagonist is amnesiac, at the same time, the game executions are censored making the kills a actual eye sore to look/play through and that's really odd considering that's what you gonna be looking at through most of the game (unless you play on PC or PSP uncensored patch).
Basically Manhunt 2 is a mediocre sequel, censored on most platforms and you should probably ignore it.
The story is a real oddball one, the violence feels somewhat out of place considering the protagonist is amnesiac, at the same time, the game executions are censored making the kills a actual eye sore to look/play through and that's really odd considering that's what you gonna be looking at through most of the game (unless you play on PC or PSP uncensored patch).
Basically Manhunt 2 is a mediocre sequel, censored on most platforms and you should probably ignore it.
This game is something special to me. It does't have the deepest story or isn't the longest game, but i still had a great time with it. I fell in love with the protagonist and storytelling, and yes I came for the combat and it delivered. I know how stupid it sounds to say the story of MANHUNT 2 is great but for what it is it was lmao
she's a little bit janky but honestly one of the best depictions of medical and psychiatric abuse i've ever seen in a video game. the amount of cuts it was given to even be allowed release no doubt ruined the story a bit but its core story beats are still intact. a lot of people feel it falls flat when compared to its predecessor, but i think it's a bit of an unfair comparison when they follow entirely different stories. the game is still really well done imo. my only issue is that the game seems to make a very detailed point throughout the story, only to veer in the opposite direction by the end. again, probably due to how much was cut from the game.
regardless, i still find its depictions of psychiatric abuse to be very well done, though unfortunately i rarely see people talk about it, instead focusing on the gameplay. and like, whatever floats your boat man. but i feel like the game has a lot to say about what makes people violent, about the amount of people who are used by the government just to make a point, and about how we treat psychiatric patients and mentally ill people. it's very easy to pass this game off as "tryhard edgy", or to focus on its violence and gore and reduce the game to that alone, but it's a game with interesting things to say and points to be made.
i also found the gameplay a lot more enjoyable than the original manhunt, and far easier on my poorly coordinated hands. but ultimately, a lot of my enjoyment of this game comes from the story.
if you disagree thats ok we cant all be smart and sexy like me
regardless, i still find its depictions of psychiatric abuse to be very well done, though unfortunately i rarely see people talk about it, instead focusing on the gameplay. and like, whatever floats your boat man. but i feel like the game has a lot to say about what makes people violent, about the amount of people who are used by the government just to make a point, and about how we treat psychiatric patients and mentally ill people. it's very easy to pass this game off as "tryhard edgy", or to focus on its violence and gore and reduce the game to that alone, but it's a game with interesting things to say and points to be made.
i also found the gameplay a lot more enjoyable than the original manhunt, and far easier on my poorly coordinated hands. but ultimately, a lot of my enjoyment of this game comes from the story.
if you disagree thats ok we cant all be smart and sexy like me
This is the abridged version of my take on this game
Manhunt 2 is responsible for two things: one, ensuring that its developer, Rockstar Games, focused on less risque projects, thus putting an end to the brand image they'd cultivated for themselves over the course of nearly a decade; and two, proving that controversy does not always sell. Modern Warfare 2 let you skip its infamous No Russian set piece, and everything since has been done mostly by independent developers. By these terms, you can call Manhunt 2 one of the most influential video games ever created—whether or not its developer and parent company want to remember it exists at all.
Even if it's a little too obvious to be as good of a sequel as it could have been, I respect it. It's just kind of sad to me that the talent of the programmers, artists, sound designers, etc., was practically wasted on all but one version of the game they worked on. I'm glad the industry at large no longer tries to toe the line like this because I cannot imagine how demoralizing that must be for someone who bent their ass off trying to get a game to market.
Manhunt 2 is responsible for two things: one, ensuring that its developer, Rockstar Games, focused on less risque projects, thus putting an end to the brand image they'd cultivated for themselves over the course of nearly a decade; and two, proving that controversy does not always sell. Modern Warfare 2 let you skip its infamous No Russian set piece, and everything since has been done mostly by independent developers. By these terms, you can call Manhunt 2 one of the most influential video games ever created—whether or not its developer and parent company want to remember it exists at all.
Even if it's a little too obvious to be as good of a sequel as it could have been, I respect it. It's just kind of sad to me that the talent of the programmers, artists, sound designers, etc., was practically wasted on all but one version of the game they worked on. I'm glad the industry at large no longer tries to toe the line like this because I cannot imagine how demoralizing that must be for someone who bent their ass off trying to get a game to market.
Nobody will ever know what were they smoking when they made Manhunt 2.
Inferior sequel, but an interesting game on it's own, I kinda feel bad for this game with it's troubled development and the shitty media attention. This thing definately had potentail and it's nice we atleast have the leaked PS2 build to give us a glimpse of what they were cooking, maybe someday a Vienna build will leak? Luckily Wii and PSP also have uncensor mods by now but I used the PC ports with a bunch of mods, tho some of them broke some effects and animations so...The strangest thing about this game is how "un-Rockstar" it feels, let me explain, you know how almost ever R* has this coat of paint of sarcasm to it? You can still take these games seriously to a certain extent, especially when they want you to...it's not like say...MCU where it ruins what could've been but actually enhances it. Even Manhunt 1 does this ("This is the best therapy money can buy!", Journalist casually mentioning exposing The Director can make her a fortune, some of the crazy shit the hunters say which you hear a lot) but Manhunt 2? Outside of hunter quotes...(like the Asylum workers going:"This is why I love my job!", "Really, I'm doing you a favor!" and "He died of food poisoning, alright?")...which you won't hear much anyway cuz you won't be spending as much time hiding in the shadows in this game unlike the first one, and the fun mode but that's a goofy cheat most people won't even active or know about, atleast on the first playthrough. There was also gonna be the Dildo but that's cut, atleast the animations survived. This game doesn't have much of that Rockstar feeling.
But yeah, the story feels strangely serious, you never hear some double meaning weird take from Danny nor Leo, ah Leo...this man is edgy with a capital E, he is funny, but mostly unintentionally, which is also rare for Rockstar, unintentionally failing to be edgy and just ending up a bit funny? What? This all in turn makes the game feels...typical and not as special, this feels like something any other developer could come up with, atleast the big names and semi-big names of the era, Rockstar Games always have a unique feel to them, even if their formula isn't always the most unique thing in the world, you just look and play at their games and feel "Yeah, this is definately Rockstar", MH2 feels like the many horror games of its era. That being said, final levels definitely reminded me of Silent Hill 4, tho geez the lighting is FUCKED on PC, especially in these levels, it's way too damn bright...Walter Sullivan and Leo Kasper would get along well tho...maybe, there is also a skin mod for both MH games lol
Story is alright, albeit a bit butchered cuz of all the story shifting developers had to do I bet. Manhunt 1 was based on a very specific thing and knew exactly what it wanted to be and had a very solid presentation to go with it...Manhunt 2? Not much...it's just typical science experiment gone wrong amnesia stuff...but I'll give props to the medical document presentation of the manual, the logo and the PS2 save icon. Also pretty sure The Project logo (the one you also see on the cover here) is based on the Zodiac Killer logo, in the game it stands straight like a square but here it's twisted in the same way as the logo I mentioned. Going from having a white supremacist on the cover to having the logo of a serial killer...pretty bold fitting transition Rockstar!
I also wanna talk about the difficulty...this game is kind of a breeze and it's literally like 5 levels shorter than MH1 (4 if you unlock the bonus level), Danny/Leo can take a lot more damage than Cash and the gunfight levels are nowhere as painful or as long and they're kinda sprinkled around rather then being really wailing on you by the end. This has good and bad effects, less painful gun parts and more health is appreciated but the difficulty of MH1 added a lot its atmosphere on top of everything, this feels too easy and just not as satisfactory. I dig the more brutal executions tho, I dig the gameplay additions like climbing and crawling but the look into the shadows mechanic is kinda ehhh? It's very easy to avoid if you just face the wall lol, I did that and it worked all the time except a few times. Ending levels felt pretty lame, for one, I expected you to get either ending based on how you play (intentionally avoided hurting civillians to get the good ending) only to find out you get Good by default anyway and Bad is unlockable, which is pretty damn lame and the Bad Ending level is clearly a bit put together last minute. Either ending feels unsatisfactory and with question marks and just an unsatisfying conclusion to it all...especially with how the Good Ending doesn't even show the final action you to finish the game...
Danny and Leo (especially Leo) are really fucking fun to meme on tho, I like that lol, I also love the goofy ahh sounds in the fun mode, ahead of it's time lol
It's a manhunt, Danny!
But yeah, the story feels strangely serious, you never hear some double meaning weird take from Danny nor Leo, ah Leo...this man is edgy with a capital E, he is funny, but mostly unintentionally, which is also rare for Rockstar, unintentionally failing to be edgy and just ending up a bit funny? What? This all in turn makes the game feels...typical and not as special, this feels like something any other developer could come up with, atleast the big names and semi-big names of the era, Rockstar Games always have a unique feel to them, even if their formula isn't always the most unique thing in the world, you just look and play at their games and feel "Yeah, this is definately Rockstar", MH2 feels like the many horror games of its era. That being said, final levels definitely reminded me of Silent Hill 4, tho geez the lighting is FUCKED on PC, especially in these levels, it's way too damn bright...Walter Sullivan and Leo Kasper would get along well tho...maybe, there is also a skin mod for both MH games lol
Story is alright, albeit a bit butchered cuz of all the story shifting developers had to do I bet. Manhunt 1 was based on a very specific thing and knew exactly what it wanted to be and had a very solid presentation to go with it...Manhunt 2? Not much...it's just typical science experiment gone wrong amnesia stuff...but I'll give props to the medical document presentation of the manual, the logo and the PS2 save icon. Also pretty sure The Project logo (the one you also see on the cover here) is based on the Zodiac Killer logo, in the game it stands straight like a square but here it's twisted in the same way as the logo I mentioned. Going from having a white supremacist on the cover to having the logo of a serial killer...pretty bold fitting transition Rockstar!
I also wanna talk about the difficulty...this game is kind of a breeze and it's literally like 5 levels shorter than MH1 (4 if you unlock the bonus level), Danny/Leo can take a lot more damage than Cash and the gunfight levels are nowhere as painful or as long and they're kinda sprinkled around rather then being really wailing on you by the end. This has good and bad effects, less painful gun parts and more health is appreciated but the difficulty of MH1 added a lot its atmosphere on top of everything, this feels too easy and just not as satisfactory. I dig the more brutal executions tho, I dig the gameplay additions like climbing and crawling but the look into the shadows mechanic is kinda ehhh? It's very easy to avoid if you just face the wall lol, I did that and it worked all the time except a few times. Ending levels felt pretty lame, for one, I expected you to get either ending based on how you play (intentionally avoided hurting civillians to get the good ending) only to find out you get Good by default anyway and Bad is unlockable, which is pretty damn lame and the Bad Ending level is clearly a bit put together last minute. Either ending feels unsatisfactory and with question marks and just an unsatisfying conclusion to it all...especially with how the Good Ending doesn't even show the final action you to finish the game...
Danny and Leo (especially Leo) are really fucking fun to meme on tho, I like that lol, I also love the goofy ahh sounds in the fun mode, ahead of it's time lol
It's a manhunt, Danny!
the most bizarre part is that the game itself is mostly the same as the first game, but the story ruined it by making us feel sympathetic for a character who literally went around and murder everyone, split personality or not.
violence part 2
While Manhunt felt like it was at least trying to say something with its over the top violence, Manhunt 2 strives to say nothing and improve nothing over the original. It shows that the development team of this game took nothing away from the first other than "people want gore." This game could have been so much better if they tried to improve the actual gameplay instead of spending all their budget on mocapping more executions. Unfortunately, while Rockstar is making millions on GTA Online, we will most likely never see another attempt at an entry in this universe.
Manhunt 2 >>>>>> Manhunt 1
This game deserves more playtime and actually play it right. Also, don't recommend telling your family about this game's controversies and bans in countries. Then playing it in the family living room where anyone could see. Be better than me, please.
Manages to be less brutal than the first game by going so over-the-top that it becomes a cartoon in gore, story, and art style. The first game wasn't that great to begin with but this is another tier of bad altogether. The final level skyrocketed the absurdity to it's natural conclusion and I'll never stop thinking about this in any way other than a joke game now. Very easy to get through the second half with just a pistol and spamming the headshot lock-on over and over.
Mfs banned one of the best games ever
Full video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVFbOPLb_Bg
What a disaster, a downgrade in almost every possible way from the original. The story is too ambitious for it's own good, it relies too heavily on gunplay and the "stealth" generally boils down to the AI turning around on you mid walk and clobbering you, ruining your executions. Skip this one and play the original instead.
What a disaster, a downgrade in almost every possible way from the original. The story is too ambitious for it's own good, it relies too heavily on gunplay and the "stealth" generally boils down to the AI turning around on you mid walk and clobbering you, ruining your executions. Skip this one and play the original instead.
Originally posted here: https://cultclassiccornervideogames.wordpress.com/2018/10/16/nsfw-manhunt-2-2007-wii-psp-ps2-pc-review/
After the controversy of the first Manhunt, you would think that Rockstar wouldn’t put the money and effort into making a sequel. Maybe a few ports of the first game to other consoles to help recoup some of it’s costs on the down low, but not a fully fledged sequel. But surprisingly, 4 years later, Manhunt 2 was announced and released to the public.
The PC and PS2 versions were developed by Rockstar London, the PSP version was developed by Rockstar Leeds, and the Wii version was developed by Rockstar Toronto, with the WII, PSP, and PS2 versions being released in 2007, an the PC version being released in an uncensored form in 2009.
Instead of being a direct sequel of the first game’s plot, Manhunt 2 instead goes in a different direction. Focusing on two inmates at the Dixmor Asylum for the criminally insane, Daniel and Leo, as a severe thunderstorm causes the security system to go offline, opening all of the cell doors in the facility, letting the people locked inside out to roam around.
In the chaos, Daniel, who is a partial amnesiac, unable to remember how he got into the asylum, with the help of Leo, escape. After this escape. Daniel tries it figure out why he can’t remember his past and how he got into the asylum in the first place. While you’re following the clues, a group of people called the Watchmen are hunting you down, trying to prevent you from finding the truth.
Manhunt 2 tries to do something slightly different with it’s main character in that it tries to make you feel at least some sympathy for the main character. Daniel seems to be just as disgusted with his actions as a lot of the people playing would be. He does get desensitized to it as the game goes along, but when you’re brutally killing people in the dozens like Daniel is, I’m pretty sure most people would get desensitized to it.
While the first game had a great 80’s horror movie vibe going, with a John Carpenter-esque synth soundtrack, and slasher style, Manhunt 2 goes for more of a conspiracy thriller vibe with it’s plot. It isn’t bad by any means, it just doesn’t have the same vibe the first game did, and just doesn’t capture the same vibe as the first game.
The first noticeable difference between this game and the first is that Manhunt 2 definitely cranks it’s mature content up to 11, where the first Manhunt only got the ESRB rating “Mature”, this one got an “Adults Only” rating, meaning it would be refused sale on store shelves for major chains in the US. The difference is that Manhunt 2 adds some sexual content and use of drugs on top of it’s high impact violence and strong language. I earlier asked why Rockstar would want to release a sequel to probably it’s most controversial game, but if you were going to release a sequel to Manhunt, upping everything that made people disgusted to the first one seems like you’re just making it worse.
As a result, the PSP, PlayStation 2, and WII version of the games were censored, with all of the executions having a filter applied to them, to the point of not being able to see whats going on in some of these versions of the game, with the WII version getting the worst of it. But strangely, a lot of the sexual content seems to be intact in these versions. And the Wii version seems to have the best quality video with the cutscenes. Weird.
The core gameplay is the same as the first one. You’ll be hiding in shadows, running from enemies if any of them see you, and be performing executions. Executions have more variety this time around. The instruments of violence you can pick up have a wider variety than the first game, making executions a little less tedious having to sit through the same animations over and over again.
A new addition to the execution system is that you can also use parts of the environment to perform executions, similar to the earlier Punisher game from 2005, which also had to get censored on consoles. You’d think that people would learn. These include electrocuting someone to death with a fuse box, freezing someones head in liquid nitrogen and smashing it to pieces, and even trapping someone in an iron maiden with spikes on the inside. Quite a few of these are level specific, so it never gets old as there is always something new to see.
The gun combat has significantly improved. It’s still not amazing by any stretch, but it’s now a viable option, especially since gun combat has a heavier focus than the last game. If actually running and gunning in this game isn’t your cup of tea, guns can now also be used for executions too, making them actually worth your time. The Melee combat is also better, but is still only viable as a last resort.
Surprisingly, the WII and even the PC version has motion based movements for it’s executions, requiring you you to use the Wiimote and nunchuck to re-enact the executions on screen to execute enemies, while the Wiimote even has noises coming out of it’s speaker when you perform these executions, adding another layer to the already disturbing nature of the game.
The PC version has a slightly gimped version that has you simply moving the mouse in a certain direction to complete the execution. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t feel as smooth as the Wii version, because you’re limited to the mouse. If you are annoyed by it, you can turn it off in the PC version. Because of this feature, both the PC and Wii versions come with a tutorial to show how these move based executions work.
Probably the most annoying part of Manhunt 2, for me at least, is that in the Wii and PC versions of the game, while you’re hiding in the shadows, someone hunting you can come over to the area that you’re hiding, and while they’re inspecting your hiding area, a circle pops up, and you have to hold your mouse/Wiimote in that circle as it moves around. It just feels like an unnecessary addition ontop of the motion controls. I get that it’s supposed to make the stealth part of the game more tense, but it just feels like an annoyance the further you get into the game.
Also, like the fist game, the PlayStation 2 version takes advantage of the PS2 headset, and in a similar fashion, you can hear Leo through the earpiece along with using your voice to attract nearby enemies.
Another feature that the PC and Wii versions also come with is an alternate ending that you can unlock if you do well enough during the game and get a high enough star rating in each level.
While Manhunt 2 isn’t a bad game, and in a lot of ways is much better than the first, it still feels like a step down from the first game purely because it cranks up the shocking content, going for violence and sexual content over the sense of atmosphere the original one. If you liked the first Manhunt, you would probably enjoy the second one, but for the people who don’t like extreme content in their video games, this game is a skip.
After the controversy of the first Manhunt, you would think that Rockstar wouldn’t put the money and effort into making a sequel. Maybe a few ports of the first game to other consoles to help recoup some of it’s costs on the down low, but not a fully fledged sequel. But surprisingly, 4 years later, Manhunt 2 was announced and released to the public.
The PC and PS2 versions were developed by Rockstar London, the PSP version was developed by Rockstar Leeds, and the Wii version was developed by Rockstar Toronto, with the WII, PSP, and PS2 versions being released in 2007, an the PC version being released in an uncensored form in 2009.
Instead of being a direct sequel of the first game’s plot, Manhunt 2 instead goes in a different direction. Focusing on two inmates at the Dixmor Asylum for the criminally insane, Daniel and Leo, as a severe thunderstorm causes the security system to go offline, opening all of the cell doors in the facility, letting the people locked inside out to roam around.
In the chaos, Daniel, who is a partial amnesiac, unable to remember how he got into the asylum, with the help of Leo, escape. After this escape. Daniel tries it figure out why he can’t remember his past and how he got into the asylum in the first place. While you’re following the clues, a group of people called the Watchmen are hunting you down, trying to prevent you from finding the truth.
Manhunt 2 tries to do something slightly different with it’s main character in that it tries to make you feel at least some sympathy for the main character. Daniel seems to be just as disgusted with his actions as a lot of the people playing would be. He does get desensitized to it as the game goes along, but when you’re brutally killing people in the dozens like Daniel is, I’m pretty sure most people would get desensitized to it.
While the first game had a great 80’s horror movie vibe going, with a John Carpenter-esque synth soundtrack, and slasher style, Manhunt 2 goes for more of a conspiracy thriller vibe with it’s plot. It isn’t bad by any means, it just doesn’t have the same vibe the first game did, and just doesn’t capture the same vibe as the first game.
The first noticeable difference between this game and the first is that Manhunt 2 definitely cranks it’s mature content up to 11, where the first Manhunt only got the ESRB rating “Mature”, this one got an “Adults Only” rating, meaning it would be refused sale on store shelves for major chains in the US. The difference is that Manhunt 2 adds some sexual content and use of drugs on top of it’s high impact violence and strong language. I earlier asked why Rockstar would want to release a sequel to probably it’s most controversial game, but if you were going to release a sequel to Manhunt, upping everything that made people disgusted to the first one seems like you’re just making it worse.
As a result, the PSP, PlayStation 2, and WII version of the games were censored, with all of the executions having a filter applied to them, to the point of not being able to see whats going on in some of these versions of the game, with the WII version getting the worst of it. But strangely, a lot of the sexual content seems to be intact in these versions. And the Wii version seems to have the best quality video with the cutscenes. Weird.
The core gameplay is the same as the first one. You’ll be hiding in shadows, running from enemies if any of them see you, and be performing executions. Executions have more variety this time around. The instruments of violence you can pick up have a wider variety than the first game, making executions a little less tedious having to sit through the same animations over and over again.
A new addition to the execution system is that you can also use parts of the environment to perform executions, similar to the earlier Punisher game from 2005, which also had to get censored on consoles. You’d think that people would learn. These include electrocuting someone to death with a fuse box, freezing someones head in liquid nitrogen and smashing it to pieces, and even trapping someone in an iron maiden with spikes on the inside. Quite a few of these are level specific, so it never gets old as there is always something new to see.
The gun combat has significantly improved. It’s still not amazing by any stretch, but it’s now a viable option, especially since gun combat has a heavier focus than the last game. If actually running and gunning in this game isn’t your cup of tea, guns can now also be used for executions too, making them actually worth your time. The Melee combat is also better, but is still only viable as a last resort.
Surprisingly, the WII and even the PC version has motion based movements for it’s executions, requiring you you to use the Wiimote and nunchuck to re-enact the executions on screen to execute enemies, while the Wiimote even has noises coming out of it’s speaker when you perform these executions, adding another layer to the already disturbing nature of the game.
The PC version has a slightly gimped version that has you simply moving the mouse in a certain direction to complete the execution. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t feel as smooth as the Wii version, because you’re limited to the mouse. If you are annoyed by it, you can turn it off in the PC version. Because of this feature, both the PC and Wii versions come with a tutorial to show how these move based executions work.
Probably the most annoying part of Manhunt 2, for me at least, is that in the Wii and PC versions of the game, while you’re hiding in the shadows, someone hunting you can come over to the area that you’re hiding, and while they’re inspecting your hiding area, a circle pops up, and you have to hold your mouse/Wiimote in that circle as it moves around. It just feels like an unnecessary addition ontop of the motion controls. I get that it’s supposed to make the stealth part of the game more tense, but it just feels like an annoyance the further you get into the game.
Also, like the fist game, the PlayStation 2 version takes advantage of the PS2 headset, and in a similar fashion, you can hear Leo through the earpiece along with using your voice to attract nearby enemies.
Another feature that the PC and Wii versions also come with is an alternate ending that you can unlock if you do well enough during the game and get a high enough star rating in each level.
While Manhunt 2 isn’t a bad game, and in a lot of ways is much better than the first, it still feels like a step down from the first game purely because it cranks up the shocking content, going for violence and sexual content over the sense of atmosphere the original one. If you liked the first Manhunt, you would probably enjoy the second one, but for the people who don’t like extreme content in their video games, this game is a skip.
We need games to be directed by Psychopath again
soulless
Played this on my wii and I don't have much memories about it but I do remember that asylum and ghost house being pretty scary and the game as a whole had good atmosphere.