HeinBloed
2003
The snuff-angle on the classic gamey structure of unlocking the door to the next area after the room is cleared is very clever. Voyeurism, power fantasies and sadism are to some degree part of most violent games, Manhunt just cuts the middle man and its impressive commitment to its dire premise still makes it one of if not the most radically unhinged video game produced for a wide audience.
The atmosphere is dense: The visuals consist of a noisy, gloomy mud; every level has it's own recognizable layer of filth. The different enemy types are memorably disgusting. They are a collection of groups that all for slightly different reasons believe that some human lives are worthless. A short-winded ex-soldier exclaimes blasé faire that 'it's been a while', implying that this is not his first time hunting another human; cops happily admit that they will kill you on sight, after trying to convince you that they are there to serve and protect; Nazis question the pureness of your bloodline. These are relatively broad strokes and some enemies are just derivative cliches of gang members and asylum inmates, but there is enough specificity in the writing and the performances to make this part of the game actually thought-provoking as a collection of facets of dehumanization.
The dedication to presenting violence in a new way doesn't stop at the audiovisual level. The power balance between weapon types is extreme. In Manhunt you can't bring a knife to a gunfight and neihter can your enemies. The generous auto-aim enhances this feeling. Gunfights are less about aiming, more about looking in the right direction, being at the right distance and having as few guns pointed at you as possible. I can't think of another game in which picking up a gun so massively changes your perspective on the level.
A Rockstar-Novum: This search for realism in mechanics actually leads to compelling and dynamic gameplay. There are many creative stealth-puzzles in Manhunt and the game has a better readability than most stealth games from the time. It wouldn't surprise me if Manhunt was a major inspiration for The Last of Us and Hotline Miami, but leaving precise aiming out of the equation makes it feel more methodic than its spiritual successors.
Unfortunately this came out in a period when Rockstar seemingly didn't want people to finish their games. The last levels are absurdly difficult in a way that feels completely unfair and made me rate the game a star lower than I'd previously thought I would. These sections are so bad that I'll think twice before ever playing this again, which is a shame.
And while I did enjoy Rockstar's sleazy deep dive into depravity, I can happily admit that I'd have zero interest in playing a visually higher fidelity Manhunt. There are things my eyes can go without.
The atmosphere is dense: The visuals consist of a noisy, gloomy mud; every level has it's own recognizable layer of filth. The different enemy types are memorably disgusting. They are a collection of groups that all for slightly different reasons believe that some human lives are worthless. A short-winded ex-soldier exclaimes blasé faire that 'it's been a while', implying that this is not his first time hunting another human; cops happily admit that they will kill you on sight, after trying to convince you that they are there to serve and protect; Nazis question the pureness of your bloodline. These are relatively broad strokes and some enemies are just derivative cliches of gang members and asylum inmates, but there is enough specificity in the writing and the performances to make this part of the game actually thought-provoking as a collection of facets of dehumanization.
The dedication to presenting violence in a new way doesn't stop at the audiovisual level. The power balance between weapon types is extreme. In Manhunt you can't bring a knife to a gunfight and neihter can your enemies. The generous auto-aim enhances this feeling. Gunfights are less about aiming, more about looking in the right direction, being at the right distance and having as few guns pointed at you as possible. I can't think of another game in which picking up a gun so massively changes your perspective on the level.
A Rockstar-Novum: This search for realism in mechanics actually leads to compelling and dynamic gameplay. There are many creative stealth-puzzles in Manhunt and the game has a better readability than most stealth games from the time. It wouldn't surprise me if Manhunt was a major inspiration for The Last of Us and Hotline Miami, but leaving precise aiming out of the equation makes it feel more methodic than its spiritual successors.
Unfortunately this came out in a period when Rockstar seemingly didn't want people to finish their games. The last levels are absurdly difficult in a way that feels completely unfair and made me rate the game a star lower than I'd previously thought I would. These sections are so bad that I'll think twice before ever playing this again, which is a shame.
And while I did enjoy Rockstar's sleazy deep dive into depravity, I can happily admit that I'd have zero interest in playing a visually higher fidelity Manhunt. There are things my eyes can go without.
2022
Sometimes more is more. What's most impressive for me about Elden Ring is that it delivers on the idea of a fantasy world that is more multifaceted than anything I've ever seen before. Every newly discovered chunk of the map is a sight to behold, the sheer mass of unique small and big vistas and moments is unbelievable and irresistible. There hasn't been a Miyazaki game that is this thematically and aesthetically absorbing since Demon's Souls and sometimes the game comes surprisingly colse to rekindling Demon's and Dark Souls' magic.
Elden Ring is a graceful behemoth that presents itself with such a naturalness and serenity that one forgets just how much incredible work was done to make it reality. I hope the people at From are alright though.
Elden Ring is a graceful behemoth that presents itself with such a naturalness and serenity that one forgets just how much incredible work was done to make it reality. I hope the people at From are alright though.
2019
Scary af and the 90s aesthetics are to die for. Low key one of the best looking games I know. The first RE I've played in which the lab is a major highlight.
As shooter/survival game Village is pretty shoddy. As a maximalist love letter to all kinds of horror stories it's an incredible triumph. Can't believe this is a triple-a videogame. What a banger.
Agonisingly boring stealth segments, an infuriating bossfight, unecessarily cryptic level paths, manual ammo/armor pickups and so on. Wtf is going on at Machine Games? The modern Wolfenstein games are visually breathtaking. One of the best world designs I know of plus an incredible sense of scale. The voice acting is wonderful and as a german I'm always blown away by the brillinatly disgusting delivery of the villans. The shooting is great, blowing nazis to pieces is an unmatched gore spectacle. But (!) there is so much tedious and iritating stuff here that seems so obviously bad. Just don't put the bad stuff in! This should be an easy 5/5 for freaks like me!
2010
Saving private space man.
Still the best shooting in games peroid but the hooah bs gets tiring.
Reach has some phenomenal fights, some of the best in the series, but the strange atmosphere of the first game is completely gone by this point. Bungie never recaptured the lightning in the bottle that was Combat Evolved. The story and characters are still miles better than the cringefest that was ODST and it's more fun to play than ODST and Halo 2. Still kind of a bummer.
Still the best shooting in games peroid but the hooah bs gets tiring.
Reach has some phenomenal fights, some of the best in the series, but the strange atmosphere of the first game is completely gone by this point. Bungie never recaptured the lightning in the bottle that was Combat Evolved. The story and characters are still miles better than the cringefest that was ODST and it's more fun to play than ODST and Halo 2. Still kind of a bummer.