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Only So-So

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Having read all the reviews of this game posted here, I haven't found anyone with my gripe, so I'm adding it here. The problem is that this game is just too darn EASY. I've seen lots of complaints about it being too hard. When? Even on the highest difficulty there's little to no challenge. I unlocked all the bonus stages and killed everyone on my first time through, and I only died once (at the end of the rabbit level, before I figured out the way to win every time without taking a scratch). If a game is going to create tension or fear, it needs to be difficult (ala Silent Hill on Hard setting- no "bullet adjust"). I'm not what I'd ever call a masterful game-player; it's just that it's always so easy to hide from enemies, even when they chase you, and to follow their predictable patterns. (They walk straight without turning practically FOREVER).

As for the gore and stuff- no video game (or movie, TV show, CD, etc.) ever turned anyone into a serial killer. At worst, it might give an already demented individual an extra idea to add to his list of 1000 ways to commit a heinous crime. If the gore bothers you, no problem. Like a violent film, don't expose yourself to it.

The graphics weren't great, but they didn't have to be. It's "visceral", "gritty", etc. Again, just like a film, we appreciate it when certain ones are filmed in black-and-white today as an effect, or when indie films can't afford to use crane shots. Why should this be any different?

Finally, when it comes to comparisons to GTA- why should there be any? It's a different type of game. There's no reason for it to be any more like GTA than it is like Final Fantasy or Mario Bros. I, too, dislike the total lack of choices in Manhunt, but not because I was expecting GTA-style freedom (or any relation to it whatsoever).

That's it. The game was okay, but not great. Little plot, few choices, and repetition will keep me from playing it again, but I'm not sorry I played it the first time.

Fun. Exciting. Heartpounding. Creepy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a long round of applause to Rockstar North for their wonderful job on the most intense, spinetingling action/horror/adventure game of the century. Honestly, there is no other game out there that could even compare to the content that Manhunt has. The violence and language are a few examples.

The story goes that you are James Earl Cash, a criminal sentenced to death. You are laid on the table and prepare to receive the lethal injection. The needle penetrates your skin. In a few minutes, you black out.
You awake to the sound of your own breathing. You open your eyes and you can hardly see a thing in the pitch dark. All you know is that you are in a dark room. A voice on the loudspeaker above answers all your questions.
You are not dead. You were injected with a strong sedative so you could be brought to the mysterious "director" Starkweather. He wants to make a movie about you and you are the star. The movie is all about you trying to stay alive in some of the most horrific gang zones in all of Carcer City. If you survive the night, you can go home. If not, well you know the answer to that question.

Prepare for the ultimate survival challenge in any game you have ever played before. This Starkweather is out for some hardcore action and violence and you are the meat of it. You are dropped in multiple gang zones and have to kill your way to freedom. Only problem is, there are more of them than there are you. Use the shadows as cover and sneak up to the enemy and execute the perfect kill. The more messy it is, the more Starkweather likes it. Use any means neccessary to kill these a**holes and Starkweather will let you free, or will he.

Manhunt depicts the most horrific night in a young man's life. Can he survive long enough to make it to freedom, or will he suffer a fate far worse than a lethal injection.

Bottom Line: This game is hardcore.

Delectably Evil Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: May 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Giving this game 5 stars makes me feel bad because it is essentially about brutally killing people with glass shards, plastic bags, meat cleavers, shotguns, and many other little "goodies," but the graphics, smoothness, and the difficulty of the game make it top notch, and a must buy. That is, if you are willing to accept human nature and that some people just like bloody games like this, but there is actually a way to think of this, other than just some murderer going around ending lives.

James Earl Cash served his time and even got the electric chair, but then he was taken from that and put into an evil game where he really has nothing to lose other than his life, and he was going to lose that already had it not been for this game. He kills psychotic gang members who have serious issues, and are pretty insane, so, hey! just getting a few of THOSE types off the streets (the Playstation 2 ones, anyways).

Buy the game, indulge yourself in creeping in the shadows and popping out to take out those who want you dead. Help James Earl Cash, the person he was named after (James Earl Jones) would be proud.

Best kept secret in gaming

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'm shocked at some of the mixed reviews this game is getting, I guess only IGN and GameSpot know what a good game is. I'm tired of all the overrated games like Prince of Persia and Ratchet & Clank 2, my little brother canned those games faster than... (I'm not a writer.) It's time we stopped having people in their mid-thirties reviewing games on how tight the controls are.

You'll hear a lot about the moral of this game and how you have to choose if you want to keep playing. Hell yeah! You wanna keep playing because it's a good game and you want to beat the challenge. This game is not a strait up action game, my brother sucks at this game because he's not patient enough, he just wants to go out and kill everyone. This is more for the Resident Evil fans, it's a brutal survival horror but not really scary as much as disturbing. The gameplay is also great, I've seen people say stuff about the poor AI, this AI is no different from any other game like Metal Gear Solid and Tenchu, the guys search for you for little while and then you will loose them, but everytime you stab a guy in the face or bash his head in, it's worth it. It's either you or them, and there is different ways to kill guy with knifes, string saws, bats, hooks, glass shards, nail guns it goes on. You come out of he shadows and kill guys brutally, every kill feels like an accomplishment. When you get seen guys will chase you and pick on you and laugh. It takes some thinking because sometimes guys have nail guns and they shoot you as you run away or a guy with a gun will be protecting a certain key area. You can use detached heads as bait also, for those of you who like GTA or Resident Evil, this is the ultimate survival game. This is just a game, I recommend it to everyone. This and FFX-2 are probably the best games this Holiday season. It's a shame this game is getting mixed reviews and such low marketing exposure. For any of you who got stuck playing Prince of Persia and Ratchet and Clank 2 and feel betrayed by those 9.5 ratings, you know the ratings are cheap. This is the game to play this holiday. It's an experience like no other in gaming before. My hand goes out to Rockstar Games, for not being afraid to get things done.

The Most Offensive Game Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: April 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This Game Is Amazing... This Game Is Original From Start To Finish. Alright You Start Off As A Convicted Murdered, You Soon Find Out You Are Being Directed By The Voice (Starkweather) Through An Online Snuff Film Which Starkweather (The Voice) Is Watching On His Computer In His Mansion Guarded By "Piggsy." Alright This Game Has The Same Gameplay As Many And Most Of Rockstar's Games, AMAZING! The Killing Is Brutal & Has A Lot Of Blood In It. The Kills Are Very Creative, I Mean Who Cuts Of A Man's Head With Piano Wire? The Story Is Very Nicely Kept In Place, You Keep Thinking This Is The End, This IS The End, But It's Not Over Yet! This Game Is Flat Out Amazing, If You Like Survival Horror Games You Will Enjoy This One, Just Dont Give It To Little Johnny, I Give Manhunt For The Playstation 2 A 5 Out Of 5!

Excellent Game!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I rented this game this afternoon, started playing at 7:00 p.m. and just looked at the clock and noticed it was 12:30 a.m.! Five and a half hours seemed to have gone by in seconds.

This is an outstanding game that forces you to think as opposed to simply mash buttons. The graphics are great and set an eery mood, and the sound and voice acting is top notch.

I highly recommend this one, and I'm very picky about games. First thing tomorrow I'm going to go return the game to the rental store, then go to the nearest distributor and BUY IT!

The controversy is definitely warranted, but its a game...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

As far back as I can remember, I have never seen a game awarded the AO rating for violence, and violence alone. Well readers, if there ever was a game that deserved this rating, it is MANHUNT. The new title from Rockstar, the "gifted" minds that have brought us such games as MAX PAYNE 1 and 2 and the GRAND THEFT AUTO's, is definitely something that will set the new standard for what is acceptible in video games. After reading about the controversy on the internet, I decided to go down to my nearest GAME CRAZY, and return some games, in the hopes of attaining some trade in on MANHUNT. I think I traded in some N64 games for it, ZELDA and MARIO 64...which is incredibly ironic, it was like trading one spectrum for the other. There was one copy left and before I knew it, I was at home playing. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting what I got. MANHUNT is a horrifyingly entertaining descent into the deepest regions of madness, much more than one could ever fathom.It is a sick, twisted, sadistic, dirty, distgusting, disturbing, and most importantly, unflinching look at a world that truly does exist, but people don't want to hear about. It is a game that truly does entertain, but in a I-just-saw-my-best-friend-die-and-I-liked-it kind of way. The atmosphere is definitely akin to the SILENT HILL games, except instead of killing hordes of monsters, as you do in SILENT HILL, MANHUNT has you killing, in graphically brutal fashion, humans.

I have heard this game being compared to SPLINTER CELL. That isn't true, the only thing that even comes remotely close, is the stealth idea and the fact that you can hide in shadows. Other than that, SPLINTER CELL is a much better game, but in a different way. In SPLINTER CELL, you could avoid your enemies, sneak around them and beat the level much faster and effectively. In a way, avoiding confrontation all together was the idea of SPLINTER CELL. In MANHUNT, you are awarded for hiding in the shadows, but only if is results in a rediculously violent execution. Take for instance, in SPLINTER CELL you are sneaking your way around a building when you come upon a human being. Sneaking by this person, using the shadows and what not, is how you are supposed to play the game. In MANHUNT, sneaking by a person is un-heard of, as a matter of fact you are penalized in your final rating from 1-5 stars at levels end if you don't kill everyone, or everyone you came in contact with. So in SPLINTER CELL you sneak by this person and you are on your way. In MANHUNT, lets say you have the knife equipped, you will sneak up on the person, and depending on how you are feeling (you can charge up the EXECUTION by holding the X or square button) you could perform the execution where your character stabs the enemy in the back and then whips him around and stabs his eyes out. All the while blood is splattering on the TV screen.

As far as the AO rating is concerned, I wasn't fully convinced this game need it until I played the level "STRAPPED FOR CASH". In this level, Cash, your character, has had his family kidnapped and tied to four different posts in the level. As it is explained at the beginning of the level, your job is to save them. However, if you aren't able to eliminate the guards around each family member, they will be executed. Now here is where, for the only time in the game, I thought perhaps, yes, just perhaps, the game had gone a little too far. If in fact you do not save them, the respective guard points a gun point blank at their heads and blows it off, literally. It was something that was put in to disgust and to mordify, and it definitely did that. Also, in this level, you only have to save one of them, so there is no starting over if one of them dies. Which is what would happen in a much different game.

To end this review, I highly recommend this game. It is new, fresh and most definitely honest and not sugar coated. I have respect for games like this, because they do things that others only dream about. Taking a game this far only says one thing: ROCKSTAR is the definitive game production company, who have gained my respect not with games like GTA, but with games like MANHUNT. MANHUNT is an unflinchingly honest game that is most definitely something that should be played by adults, and is something that, in all honesty, could have been alot worse. I hope they make a MANHUNT 2, because I know I will buy it. Also, just to clear this up, the ending of this game is quite possibly one of the greatest endings in video game history. I highly recommend it and the game.

The most important game to be released in years

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Manhunt is easily one of the best games I've ever played. While the gameplay is thoroughly enjoyable, and a hell of a good third-person stealth action/adventure title, what kept me glued to my couch, making me want to progress all the way to the end, was simply the concept.

You play the role of James Earl Cash -- a death row inmate who was executed by lethal injection...or so it seemed. It turns out that the execution was an entire ruse to fool the public, constructed by Lionel Starkweather, a former prestigious Hollywood director turned snuff film producer. Cash wakes up in a dark room, shocked to find himself alive. Starkweather's voice blasts over the intercom, and tells Cash to put on the earpiece beside him. Cash puts it on, allowing only him to hear Starkweather. Now, he has to navigate through an abandoned city, participating in Starkweather's snuff films by violently killing various gang members (or rather, "hunters") who are out to find him. He is promised that if he does everything Starkweather tells him to, it will all be over, before the night is out.

The game itself makes an excellent point about contemporary media: human violence is the most popular form of entertainment. Turn on your television, and what do you see? Shows that require real people to degrade and humiliate themselves for a paltry cash prize (Fear Factor), and "real-life" voyeur entertainment that captures car crashes, hostage situations, and riots (World's Most Shocking Videos, Wildest Police Videos, When Animals Attack, etc.). The game brilliantly captures these themes and in doing so, creates a rather dark, yet illuminating satire.

This game is definitely not for the weak-stomached -- this is by far the most violent game I've ever played. Cash "executes" the hunters in incredibly vicious and brutal ways, with a variety of weapons, some of which are ordinary household objects. When performing an execution, the camera changes from the player's perspective, to the perspective of a gritty, static-filled camcorder; giving the player a voyeuristic feeling. These executions are extremely painful to watch.

The gameplay is challenging, maybe too challenging for some. There are various objectives that require more from you than just brutally killing hunters. Some are actually quite clever; in the scene "Drunk Driving", you're forced to escort a vagrant through the city. Sneaking by hunters is one thing. Sneaking by hunters, while leading around a staggering drunk, who whistles constantly and trips over trash cans is quite another. The game also offers some of the best gunfight action to be seen in a PS2 game. Although the A.I. lacks in some areas (all the hunters, from the street thugs, to the military personnel will fall for the same tricks), it shows huge advancements in others. Hunters can hear you when you run, reload your firearm, or (yikes) step on a noisy patch of gravel, when sneaking behind them. I was also impressed with the two levels that require you to act as an escort; the two characters you escort are reasonably intelligent, and will be able to keep up with you, even if you sprint at full speed. They're a major step above Half-Life's bumbling scientists and security guards.

One of my favorite scenes is "Strapped For Cash", a level which allows little margin for error, due to the scenario (I'm not going to give it away, as it's a shocking twist). This level shocked me the most, simply because the scenario is one that I can honestly imagine reality television shows using within the next twenty years.

This game is definitely not one for children, and should not be played by any or those with emotional disorders. To everyone else, I strongly recommend that you take a look at this game, and see what it really has to say.

fun, but....ugh..

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Manhunt is a great challenge and, suprisingly, quite terrifying game (anyone remember "piggsy"? *shudders*). However, its not for the weak of heart. manhunt is a greusome game with strong profanity and a disturbing story. When you start the game and realize that you can saw a guys head off with a thin wire, you know its gotta be bad. There are endless ways to kill people, and each death becomes more graphic as you progress. Nearing the end your decapitating people with chainsaws...right after you eviscerate them. Put all this aside, and you'll have a great time with this wonderful, yet awful, game.

If Only I Could Hunt The Hunter...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

...Wait a second, I can! Sadistic pleasure at its finest! If you want a synopsis, read the back of the video game box or read the 144+ reviews posted here at Amazon.com. My goal with this review is to persuade those of you who are tinkering with the idea of giving this game a try. First, may I recommend that you RENT this game before paying $49.99 at your local Best Buy (make sure you have a memory card to save your progress!). This game only appeals to certain personality types - those that enjoy acting out their most sadistic fantasies via a video game, with no "real life" consequences. Manhunt provides the gamer with an outlet for pent-up aggression (i.e., therapy!). Seriously though, I strongly OPPOSE this game for individuals who can't distinguish between the "real world" and a video game environment. Nevertheless, I can ALMOST guarantee that if you were ADDICTED to the Grand Theft Auto series (Rockstar Games), you will find enjoyment in playing this game. There are many similarities between the two. My personal opinion is that this game offers smooth gameplay, stunning graphics, hilarious voice-overs, a gripping storyline and most importantly, replay value. Please feel free to disagree with my opinion; let us compare opinions, invite a few more points of view, and debate, like the humans we are.

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