Manhunt Games

[Guest MIND]

Have any of you played the Manhunt games from the old PS2 days? I was watching some gameplay on controversial video games and this one just takes the cake. Absolutley brutal.

I don't even know if a new one would be allowed to be made in this day and age.

[Bucket]

They did. It was called Hatred, and the devs tried to manufacture their own outrage. In the end, nobody gave a shit and the game is now just taking up valuable space on Wikipedia.

[Kontra Kommando]

I really enjoyed the first manhunt when I had it on Xbox. I never played the second one.

[Guest MIND]

Bucket said:

They did. It was called Hatred, and the devs tried to manufacture their own outrage. In the end, nobody gave a shit and the game is now just taking up valuable space on Wikipedia.

I had that game for awhile. It sucked. No substance and it wasn't even that gory.

[Quast]

I dunno, manhunt was ok I guess, though very monotonous until it turned into a shooter halfway through and then it just sucked.

[Xerge]

I tried the first Manhunt game for the first time when it was released, but I wasn't really into stealth games so I got bored really fast, I think I only got to the second level.

Anyway, I tried playing it again about two years ago I think, really enjoyed the ambientation and the sordid atmosphere and gameplay, I've always liked imagining myself in that type of situations.

Never really played the second game, but I hope we see a third one soon.

[Guest MIND]

I'm usually ok with games like Doom and stuff but this game looks like a murder simulator. The tone of the game makes it SERIOUS instead of fun.

It's not like in Doom or Grand Theft Auto where it's an enjoyable experience to go on a rampage or what have you with blood all over the place. This game has an eery tone to it that I don't think you'll find anywhere else.

Very sinister.

[PureSlime]

Bucket said:

They did. It was called Hatred, and the devs tried to manufacture their own outrage. In the end, nobody gave a shit and the game is now just taking up valuable space on Wikipedia.

Didn't the Hatred dev do some weird and/or nasty things as well?

[HorrorMovieRei]

First Manhunt is pretty fun, not great, but I enjoyed it. Second one is even more violent, but kind of fucked up on the story, and overall is not as interesting. One thing I loved about both games was the atmosphere. You're always going through slums, ghettos and generally decadent urban enviroments that are usually populated by gangs of gun toting, knife wielding psychopaths. Now, that's scary.

[Xerge]

I agree with you, I find Hatred to be kinda silly compared to Manhunt, at least to the first Manhunt game.

I really find the whole situation of Manhunt to be much more sordid and disturbing than Hatred, because it involves police corruption, insanity and a real pleasure for violence and murder that isn't explained by anger or hatred like it seems to be in Hatred, these people are hunting you because they just think it's so much fun, a sport, an entertainment, not because they are blinded by rage, I've always found cold blooded killers to be psychologically more disturbing than those who go on a killing spree due to an emotional outbursts, and to be in a situation in which you are sorrounded by them is really nasty.

[Guest MIND]

I don't know whether I should purchase either of them or not.

The gunplay looks mediocre but my heart would probably be pounding the whole time.

[Xerge]

MINDustry said:

I don't know whether I should purchase either of them or not.

The gunplay looks mediocre but my heart would probably be pounding the whole time.

I think gunplay is ok, not awesome but not really bad in my opinion and the shotgun is satisfying.

[Guest MIND]

I have a very morbid curiosity.

I think Rockstar purposely made the game as gruesome as possible.

It's still pretty disturbing and I'm a hard person to disturb when it comes to media related things. I probably won't buy it because the whole thing takes itself so seriously to the point of insanity.

I doubt a third one will be made. Not in today's climate. Rockstar got a lot of shit for the first 2 games.

[Use]

I have the first one on PS2. It was more fun to play with a friend taking turns at the controller. It's really a one trick pony.

[CARRiON]

First game is excellent, and has some of the most devoted sound design I've seen in a game, the hunters have literally hundreds of lines of dialogue for various situations, and the impact noises are sickly and meaty. The soundtrack is a dark, sinister ambiance that reminds me of John Carpenter's movies and the atmosphere is oppressing and bleak, and you're forced into an unholy alliance with the main character who committed a crime so bad, he was on death row. Bonus points for using the snuff film backdrop for the whole thing, just adds on to the seediness of it all. Also Piggsy gets an award for most fucked up boss.

Nobody is a good person in Manhunt.

I'm confused by the comparisons to Hatred, the only things they have in common are the kill cams, but a number of games have those including The Punisher, and the controversy. Hatred is more akin to the first Postal.

Manhunt 2 was rushed trash, and lacks everything that made the first one special. I doubt there will be a Manhunt 3, not because of controversy, but because the second game was such a developmental disaster that R* probably doesn't think it's worth it at this point. Very niche game to begin with.

[Lila Feuer]

Manhunt, what a game, not something I probably should of played at 15 but then again I was already playing GTA III a year prior. Outside of being one of my favorite games it is the reason why I'm with my boyfriend today, because we had met each other on the only Manhunt forum out there close to 10 years ago. It's still up today but it's a fucking wasteland, so I wouldn't recommend joining it now.

Like what CARRiON said above me, the first game is excellent, the second not so much, and it is really niche. It's also very basic stealth and it gets repetitive before-long, so if it wasn't for the moody atmosphere, creepy soundtrack, extremely detailed hunter dialogue, or even the gory executions, it would be a very average stealth game indeed.

Bucket said:

They did. It was called Hatred, and the devs tried to manufacture their own outrage. In the end, nobody gave a shit and the game is now just taking up valuable space on Wikipedia.

Nah, Hatred is far, FAR from any kind of a Manhunt 3, some Manhunt fans thought it would be like Manhunt but it's not, the executions are extremely tame and not very satisfying in Hatred. It's just a glorified Postal reinterpretation, and not a very good one sadly.

MINDustry said:

I'm usually ok with games like Doom and stuff but this game looks like a murder simulator. The tone of the game makes it SERIOUS instead of fun.

It's not like in Doom or Grand Theft Auto where it's an enjoyable experience to go on a rampage or what have you with blood all over the place. This game has an eery tone to it that I don't think you'll find anywhere else.

Very sinister.

Wouldn't really call it a murder simulator, by that definition a lot of action games would fit this bill anyway, but it's unique unlike many others because its theme revolves around snuff films, which in itself adds a greater degree of disturbance, because killing violently involves sexual gratification, which is derived by the game's antagonist.

PureSlime said:

Didn't the Hatred dev do some weird and/or nasty things as well?

Apart from really effective viral marketing? No.

HorrorMovieGuy said:

First Manhunt is pretty fun, not great, but I enjoyed it. Second one is even more violent, but kind of fucked up on the story, and overall is not as interesting. One thing I loved about both games was the atmosphere. You're always going through slums, ghettos and generally decadent urban enviroments that are usually populated by gangs of gun toting, knife wielding psychopaths. Now, that's scary.

The real monsters being humans instead of monsters in the traditional sense like Doom or Quake definitely make more effective horror than something with more than four limbs or even zombies. Manhunt explores human depravity and degeneracy, real creeps and scumbags. The dark side of humanity is a frightening one IRL and Manhunt excels in depicting it in its 'purest' form.

Xerge said:

I agree with you, I find Hatred to be kinda silly compared to Manhunt, at least to the first Manhunt game.

I really find the whole situation of Manhunt to be much more sordid and disturbing than Hatred, because it involves police corruption, insanity and a real pleasure for violence and murder that isn't explained by anger or hatred like it seems to be in Hatred, these people are hunting you because they just think it's so much fun, a sport, an entertainment, not because they are blinded by rage, I've always found cold blooded killers to be psychologically more disturbing than those who go on a killing spree due to an emotional outbursts, and to be in a situation in which you are sorrounded by them is really nasty.

I thought prior to release that Hatred would be really fucked up, but it turned out to be quite silly. The first Postal, of which it's a spiritual successor to is IMHO much more effective at psychological horror and being pretty fucked up in tone, even with the cheesy voice acting. It's all a more rawer experience than Hatred's hollywood approach to a cartoon villain's mass murder spree.

MINDustry said:

I don't know whether I should purchase either of them or not.

The gunplay looks mediocre but my heart would probably be pounding the whole time.

Gunplay is great and refreshing from the usual stealth and executions, it's cover-based and requires patience and timing your shots and reloads, or you'll die very quickly. Think the final shootout in The Way of the Gun, that's Manhunt's firefights in a nutshell. Manhunt 2 on the other hand, overdoes the shooting and it's an overall a much easier game than the original, you could go Rambo in it if you wanted to and you wouldn't suffer too much damage. Try that in Manhunt 1 and you'll quickly go belly up or face down.

MINDustry said:

I have a very morbid curiosity.

I think Rockstar purposely made the game as gruesome as possible.

It's still pretty disturbing and I'm a hard person to disturb when it comes to media related things. I probably won't buy it because the whole thing takes itself so seriously to the point of insanity.

I doubt a third one will be made. Not in today's climate. Rockstar got a lot of shit for the first 2 games.

R* wanted to make a realistically violent game, which was very different from what they usually do, and several people reported not being very happy with what they were working on during the first game because it was so mean-spirited and gruesome. MH2 bombed though for numerous reasons, so the likelihood of a third game is pretty much screwed.

[MrGlide]

I never got around to playing the first one but played the second, it was fun and super violent, I'm not found of the story though as it propagates bullshit.

[Lila Feuer]

Despite a poor final product it was originally suppose to be a much better looking and playing game. It was to be released in 2006 but the closing of R* Vienna's office pushed things back until its release in 2007 by R* London, who took over the project. R* North, the guys behind GTA series and MH1 originally supervised the project. Everything from the PSP resulting in graphics downgrade to the Wii's motion sensor controls lead to a censored and almost AO rated game on consoles. It retained its violence on the PC, including the AO rating, which like Hatred was highly unnecessary. There was also suppose to be an XBOX version with higher quality assets by the same people who did the XBOX versions of GTA III and Vice City, but like all good things involved with MH2 this was scrapped.

[CARRiON]

MrGlide said:

I never got around to playing the first one but played the second, it was fun and super violent, I'm not found of the story though as it propagates bullshit.

In what way? Mental health?

[MrGlide]

CARRiON said:

In what way? Mental health?

ya, I really like rockstars games but stigma is a bitch. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/manhunt-2-slammed-for-its-portrayal-of-mental-illness this words it quite well imo.

[CARRiON]

MrGlide said:

ya, I really like rockstars games but stigma is a bitch. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/manhunt-2-slammed-for-its-portrayal-of-mental-illness this words it quite well imo.

Yeah, I have mental illness and the stigma in Hollywood and the video game industry gets tiring, and I've experienced its effects first hand after someone learned of my mental issues and swore I was going to snap and kill him and his GF or something to that effect. He was really very ignorant about it all and I have no doubt in my mind its thanks to the portrayal of mentally ill in our media.

I hear Ninja Theory's game Hellblade is going to attempt an actual approach to a developed character with a mental illness. I mean, that's all I'd like to see. Not "I'm violent and evil because I have schizophrenia". I know a number of people with schizophrenia and none of them are violent or mean people, you probably wouldn't even know they had it.

[MrGlide]

CARRiON said:

Yeah, I have mental illness and the stigma in Hollywood and the video game industry gets tiring, and I've experienced its effects first hand after someone learned of my mental issues and swore I was going to snap and kill him and his GF or something to that effect. He was really very ignorant about it all and I have no doubt in my mind its thanks to the portrayal of mentally ill in our media.

I hear Ninja Theory's game Hellblade is going to attempt an actual approach to a developed character with a mental illness. I mean, that's all I'd like to see. Not "I'm violent and evil because I have schizophrenia". I know a number of people with schizophrenia and none of them are violent or mean people, you probably wouldn't even know they had it.

Dead Space does a decent job imo. I'v not seen a game that's portray's my experience's but they would kinda be hard to implement them into a video game.

[Coopersville]

Great story and art direction; bad gameplay and graphics. Probably would have benefited a lot more from being an Xbox/PC exclusive.

[vinnie245]

I really enjoyed Manhunt and im not even a stealth fan, the plot, atmosphere and terrific John Carpenter style soundtrack really help with the experience overall despite its repetition.

[deadwolves]

I played the original a few times once. It was dumb as hell but okay, a little like Tenchu Stealth Assassins, but with white supremacist drug addicts. The second one looked just as silly, tearing off heads with your bare arms and exploding heads for no reason everywhere but so violent that I thought it was a bit of a joke to be fair. Once you get too into splatter, it becomes kind of comical.

MrGlide said:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/manhunt-2-slammed-for-its-portrayal-of-mental-illness
Rockstar's Manhunt 2 has been slammed by a US charity for its "irresponsible, stereotypical portrayal of mental illness", GamesIndustry.biz reports.

"Even though some people may consider Manhunt 2 to be only a game, it unfortunately perpetuates and reinforces cruel, inaccurate perceptions that people who live with mental illness are violent"

Oh come on, since when has the media industry taken mental illness or impairment seriously. Serial killers are all crazy guys, bad guys are all the crazy ones, quick good guy! Shoot them! Kill the crazy person! (Despite mentally ill people being more likely to be victims of violence rather than the perpetrators)

A while back there was a wonderful Japanese game called Rapelay, where you, the protagonist as such, are tasked with molesting women and sexually assaulting them. It is literally a game about rape. It caused massive outcry, and just before the developers canned it for life, they defended themselves by asking "Why? Murder is in video games all the time. Surely murder is worse than rape?" The point is that they did not take the game seriously, more as enjoyment and fantasy, and their argument was that it is the censors that essentially failed to recognise the distinction, not the customers/audience.

I have to see adverts that say "Buy XXX brand of makeup" every day on the way to work, but does that mean I run out and buy makeup every time I see the advert? Of course not.

[Six]

One of my favourite games.

I tend to look past the killing ranks because in a way it almost contradicts the story. James Earl Cash is man determined to survive against the directors onslaught, he's not a man for style points. Aside from moments where he's forced to attack in a particular way to progress, staying alive is James' only objective (apart from the one instances of saving his family, and even this shows he isn't some hollow shell of a man).

The atmosphere is the real winner here. Playing this game i really felt vulnerable, and with the derelict setting and gritty story it really boost these emotions.

The graphics were ok for the time. Not brilliant but not terrible either. It came out in late 2003, almost a year before GTA San Andreas and that doesn't exactly look beautiful these days. As for the gameplay, it's semi-realistic. You'll get beaten quite bad in a single fight and you're guaranteed dead when aggravating two enemies. Gun play is more of the same, you can perhaps take 2 or 3 shots before you're dead, same for the enemies.

Nevertheless i had great fun playing this back in the day and probably still would if i picked it up even now.

[Du Mhan Yhu]

Both MH1 and MH2 are among my favorite games, I still play them both from time to time.

[Lila Feuer]

Since GOG recently got 2K I'm really looking forward to seeing Manhunt again. The Steam version is a pain in the ass to work with.

[june gloom]

The fundamental difference between Manhunt and Hatred is motive. Hatred is pretty much a Columbine simulator in affect; Manhunt is altogether more nuanced in its plot (you play a death row murderer thrown into a game too twisted even for him.)

I'm not going to say it's the height of art, but it does a good job of playing on the old snuff film urban legend for a riff on the kind vintage low-budget slasher flicks from the late 70s/early 80s. The game deliberately plays up its illicit underground footage vibe with mimicking grainy tape; the soundtrack was composed on an old Korg mono/poly synth (the kind used in extensively in movies around the early 80s -- think John Carpenter) and the setting is urban decay of such extremity you could mistake it for a post-apocalypse wasteland (or Detroit -- though I think Carcer City was supposed to be set in the GTA3 universe's version of New Jersey, which is also fitting.)

[Jello]

Manhunt emulated on the Xbox360 was really enjoyable, mainly for the fact that if you were wearing a headphone, the "director" would talk into the earpiece. I first played through it on the PS2, and it had ambiance, but once you had the "director" talking into your ear it really elevated the sense of death. The downside was that I was telling people how immersive it was, but they couldn't hear the "director"... kind of ruined it for everyone else in the room.