Manhunt (PS2, Xbox, PC) :
Never being ones to shy away from courting controversy, 2003 saw Rockstar Games launch Manhunt to a games playing public hungry for more GTA-style shenanigans after the wonderful Vice City...the public would soon discover that this game would take inspiration from a rather darker side of the eighties though...the video nasty!
As Death Row inmate, James Earl Cash, players awoke to find themselves escaping execution thanks to the mysterious Director... a strange chap who communicates with Cash via a headset and keeps an eye on him with various cameras positioned throughout Carcer City, the dark and seedy backdrop for what is about to become a really bad night for James.....
The Director informs us that we can only be free if we indulge his sick taste for snuff movies, and roam through the streets assassinating various vicious gang members who similarly are all out for Cash's blood! Not having much choice, he (and therefore we!) are forced to hide in the shadows, popping out every now and then to bump-off a baddie and try to find some form of escape from all the madness....
Using plastic bags, shards of glass, baseball bats, crowbars....basically anything with at least one pointy end...you sneak up behind one of the low-life gang goons, lock on with one of the shoulder buttons and let go to unleash an execution. Each weapon has 3 different attacks, depending on how long you hold the button down....the lock-on cursor changing from white..through yellow..to red, with that being the gruesomest execution and therefore the one that bags you the biggest brownie points from the Director!
You have to stay in the shadows though, as walking out into the light sees load of enemies all ganging up on you, making it very difficult to fight back unless you can run away quick enough to find more shadows to hide in! It's this lurking in the shadows that takes up the biggest part of the game, and means that people with no patience won't do very well with this, as sometimes you'll need to learn the enemies paths for the best way to kill them and this can take ages....
Thankfully, being a Rockstar game, all of the enemies are blessed with some great dialogue, and whilst they seek you out you'll hear them complain about being hungry or losing their shoes or what they're going to do to you when they find you for making them stand in the cold for so long! You'll encounter quite a few different gangs too...from the racist Skinz to the totally bat-shit crazy Smileys, all with their own relevant rantings to keep you entertained while you wait for the opportunity to bash their brains in....
About halfway through the game, just when you've got used to sneaking about using the bats and knives, guns are introduced and you discover just who it is putting you through all this craziness, and decide to go pay them a visit! Having hold of these weapons changes the pace of the game slightly, meaning it never gets too stale and keeps you interested!
One extra element people sometimes forget to mention when talking about Manhunt, is the ability to use your Playstation's headset and mic to influence the game...Plugging it in, you hear the Director's voice directly in your ear making it feel like he's actually talking to you! And, any cough or sneeze you happen to let slip during play will actually alert the hunters in game, and have them coming to find the source of the noise! So best not to play this way if you happen to suffer from allergies, but it's an awesome addition to an already impressive title....
Understandably, all this murder and mayhem had various censors and retailers worried about putting the game on shop shelves...this was made even worse when the game was linked to the murder of Stefan Pakeerah, although it was later noted that it was Stefan who owned Manhunt and not his murderer...
Back in 2004, I was working in the Virgin Megastore's game department, and was told to take Manhunt from the shelves and place it under the counter...We were still allowed to sell it, but only if it was specifically asked for! Needless to say, the publicity from the tragic case above... and the fact it was banned in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Germany...only helped sales of the game, and almost every 5 minutes I had people coming in to the store asking if we had any copies left....
It's a game that's definitely not for the squeamish, and it is very graphic in its display of violence...but as usual, the media surrounding its release made it seem far worse than it actually is! Although not for everyone, I recommend you give it a try though, as it's one of the best stealth titles out there...and having to hide in the dark as some psychopaths from the local asylum try to hunt you down and poop down your neck makes for some of the most truly suspenseful and scary gameplay in any of the games on this blog!
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