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Wicked, Depraved, Fun!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Be warned! This is NOT a children's game! Adults Only!

That being said, from the first moment I started playing this game, I was on the edge of my chair! Rockstar Games even recommends, "Turn down the lights" It is better to play in the dark. Why? Because the game is VERY dark. Dark in Theme and Dark on the screen. Your character spends practically the entire game skulking in dark corners, waiting to "execute" his next victim. I did say "Execute" You get Style Points for executing opponents instead of simply killing them.

And the style of killing, in a word, is "Grisly" Your very first killing involves a plastic shopping bag. You then graduate to glass shivs and then baseball bats & crowbars. At the time of this writing I was up to machetes. This is particularly grusome because you can decapitate your prey.

There was some uploading problems when I first loaded the game however Rockstar Games Customer Service is 24/7 and they helped me in under 10 minutes.

In summary, I would describe this game to be "Running Man meets The Warriors" (If you are not familiar with those two movies, I would recommend them for a fun distraction).

Not recommended for the faint at heart or easily offended. There is non-stop violence and plenty of blue language that would embarass a sailor. Truly a guilty pleasure to play, but like I said at the beginning, "Adults Only!"

AWESOME!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: May 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Played it on my playstation when it first came out and loved it. The graphics are much better on the PC so I decided to play it once again. It's a very graphic game and definatly not for kids. Can't wait for Manhunt 2.

Good Survival Horror/Stealth Game, Not For Everyone Though.

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

Bottom line if you do not like survival horror stealth games where you have to sneak around then you will probably not like this game.

If you do like these type of stealth games but are uncomfortable with extreme violence then you will probably not like this game either.

If you don't like hearing a lot of swearing then you aren't going to like this game either...the people who are hunting you cuss like sailors.

The game appropriately has an Mature rating for the excessive swearing, violence & gore. Its clearly labeled on the cover so you know what you are getting into.

It is stealth gaming at its best where you character slips into dark spots hidden from the hunters who are after you, you quietly wait for the right time sometimes tricking them to come over, sneak up when they are not looking....then...brutality at its best, the longer you wait to execute the more gruesome it is, this provides a nice payoff for us adult gamers who don't mind a bit of violence & gore with their gaming experience.

Obviously the execution scenes are where all the controversy is, yes they are pretty violent however by modern day standards it almost seems implied since they are all viewed through a
video camera and are generally kind of distorted and fuzzy (made to look intentionally like a bad snuff film), still extremely violent nevertheless. I read that New Zealand actually banned this game from being sold...that is ridiculous that adults over there have the option to buy this game taken away from them.

The game progression depends on your ability to maneuver in an undetected manner and kill the hunters. If you think you are just going to come out blazing with hand to hand combat on
every fight you are not going to last very long. The more action based weapons such as shotguns and chainsaws do not come until towards the end of the beginning/middle of the game.

Control-wise there is nothing special here, but again as mentioned this is not a combat/action fighting game so no need to let this deter from the gameplay.

The storyline is pretty creative & original with a very dark theme that combines the "Running Man" meets "8mm". If you have seen both of those movies then you will know what I mean.

Graphically the game looks really good on the PC (as most do) vs. what I have seen on the PS2.

I am running this with:
P4 (1.4 ghz)
640mb Ram
64mb video card.

Check it out!

Awesome game but repetitive

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: May 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First off - this game is not for children. It has the warning labels right on the box parents...so please parents do your job and PARENT!!! Don't complain that this game is violent or that Rockstar Games warped your childs brain. Just because you have children doesn't mean my day has to be spoiled or my rights have to be stepped on.

I have to say this game is quite original in concept. You are a prisoner that has to escape other scumbags.

You have to use your head, think in advance, lure them out for a sucker killing. And I do mean sucker killing with close up graphics of the whole gory event....sweet!

The learning curve is a bit rough. I recommend starting off on the easiest setting, getting the hang of it, learning to manipulate your environment, weapons and sneak attacks. Once you have it down, restart the game from the beginning and do your thing!!!

The graphics and environment are very nice, the AI is a bit on the stupid side at times. Your methods and gameplay levels do become a bit repetitive unfortunately. Also, the biggest let down is that you have to use the same method over and over...get a feel for where the bad guys are, sneak into a dark corner nearby to hide, slap the wall with my bat or corwbar to make noise to lure them close, then sneak up behind at the right time to execute them. You must do this over and over and it wears thin. That is why I gave it a 4 out of 5. I finished the game on the hardest setting and I was truly hoping for something more interesting to develop as I advanced but it was not to be.

The dialog is funny and sick, the mood is spooky!

I recommend playing this game at night with the lights off and the head phones on so you can hear and feel every detail the game offers.

This Game is Extremely Violent!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 10
Date: May 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is crazy! Chopping people's head off and jabbing shards of glass into peoples faces. Blowing heads off with shotguns and watching the brains slide down the wall! Hitting someone in the forehead with a hammer! All this and getting more and more points for the worst way you can kill the guy! Awesome!!! I love this game. I recommend it to anyone over the age of 10! Screw the Mature rating! Everyone needs to play this killerific game! Buy it now god damn it!

A violent (but solid) stealth game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 18 / 19
Date: May 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Overall, I found "Manhunt" to be a pretty enjoyable stealth game. It has very simple and reliable mechanics, and it's easy to pick up and play. Thus, it manages to be somewhat fun by avoiding a lot of the unsatisfying trial-and-error that accompanies most stealth games (like "Splinter Cell"). The game also throws in some token shooting sequences which aren't as well fleshed out, but also end up being kind of enjoyable as a change of pace, if nothing else.

Manhunt is a great setting for a stealth game. You are a death row inmate, being hunted on a great big movie set by gangters, lunatics, and other scum of the earth. All the while, a sick perverted director talks into your ear and eggs you on. He is constantly badgering you to kill, kill, kill. And when you do, it's not a pretty sight. The game is dripping with atmosphere. This is the most brilliantly atmospheric stealth game that I have played since System Shock 2. It's not really scary so much as disturbing. Especially one chapter that takes place in an old mental institution.

There's basically nothing extraordinary here as far as game mechanics goes. Manhunt has a simple formula that borrows heavily from other stealth games. You hide in shadows, and guards have three stages of alertness: clueless, suspicious, and fully aware. The behavior of the guards is pretty predictable, and the stealth routine is easy to learn. Everything works well here because of the setting. The hunters make for some really good fodder. Generally, they are lazy or just screwed up, which explains why they give up looking for you so soon after you alert them.

The visuals for the game are not spectacular or cutting edge, but they get the job done. What the game lacks in high-tech eye candy, it makes up for by throwing a large variety of environments and scenery at you. All of it fits in well with the dark and disturbing theme of the game. Still, the areas could have used more detail.

Where this game really excels is in the sound category. Sound is crucial for a stealth game, and here it is perfect. The music is dynamic. It is quiet when you are hidden, and it picks up when you step out of the shadows. When somebody spots you, it picks up in intensity again. The voice acting is top-notch, and there are tons and tons of great sound bites filled up with it. Some of them are disturbing, while others are just funny, like the radio stations in the "Grand Theft Auto" games. "Manhunt" shows the same attention to detail in the sound department that Rockstar's other games have shown. The guy who really steals the show is the voice actor for the main villain. The raving mad, wealthy genius, Starkweather is one of the best villains to show up in video gaming in a long, long time.

The biggest fault with this game as that it still gets repetitive about halfway through, despite attempts to give you different goals every level. You find yourself repeating the same few actions over and over - bang on wall, hide in shadows, wait for guard to pass by, sneak up on guard, kill guard, repeat. A few the levels are too loaded with enemies to use stealth, and end up being incredibly frustrating. The game also has essentially zero replay value, because of its linear nature.

"Manhunt" is a really good game. The excessive gore and violence enhance the experience, but they aren't the game's only features. Don't be put off by reviews saying that the game has nothing besides gore imagery. There is a good game here. If you like stealth-action games, or if you like Rockstar's other games, then you will like "Manhunt".

Manhunt on Xbox

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: June 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I was really excited when this game was first advertised. But was mad when it only for PS2. Well it cam to Xbox! I rented the game b/c it looked a little strong. IT IS! This is game that your mother warned you about. Blood, gore, curseing its all here. This game is not for everyone! Know that! But for those with stomach for Rockstar's "Manhunt" will get a pretty good game. You are James Earl Cash, a "dead man" stuck in a wasteland called Carcer City whare you are hunted by 5 gangs each with a differnt look as well as diffent ways of hnting and killing you. There is not as much stratagy in the game as I had hoped. It's pretty easy to hide. The game was not as scary as I anticipated ethier. But some kill sceens are intense. The game gets a tad borning after a while. It's just the same thing. Salking and killing. This is a game you should deffinately rent. Rockstar is still the best at putting out origenal, crowd pleasing titles.

Wonderful

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: July 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Manhunt is the kind of game that prides itself on atmosphere and gratutious violence. The makers of this game obviously have Seven in their DVD collections. The grit and grime of the urban landscape is in full effect, obviously their intent was to make this city seem like hell. THey succeeded. The voiceovers are ok, except for Brian Cox who is amazingly good as Starkweather. This game is one in which you can gather around the friends, break out the machete and show a brutal slaying to "oooooh's" and "aaaaaah's." My list of complaints: No unlimited saving, the shootout parts of this game are horrendously frustrating, and I just think the checkpoint system should be killed entirely from games. Its ok for a game to be hard, just not so hard that you break stuff. Anyway, if you want an atmospheric game that really just disturbs the hell out of you. You got it.

sick, twisted, brutal, but fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: August 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is probably one of the best stealth based games made of recent years. But it is also one of the most brutal games I have ever played, it has some parts that are hard for even I to watch, which is saying a lot.

The basis of the game is that you are playing a bad man named cash, who was put to death for murder. But it turns out that he wasn't killed, he was put unconscious. When he wakes it turns out that he is being put into a form of a "snuff film". Where he is being filmed by some rich, eccentric, sicko that likes to see people murdered, and is going to make him a film star. You are put into preselected areas with gangs of various types that are trying to kill you, and you can't get out of the level until you either kill all of them or kill enough to open the door. Most of the levels are stealth, but there are some that are more traditional first person shooter apects of shooting and killing all enemies. Including some levels where stealth is tertiary to shooting skills. Unlike most first person shooters though, you never have access to body armor, and can't take many shots at all.

The weapons are more of a personal type. The first being plastic bags, shards of glass, and billyclubs. The first two are one use weapons, you kill someone and it is lost. Some are multi use, like the billy club, baseball bat, crowbar, machete, etc....... When you are doing a stealth kill you can be patient and quiet enough to sneak behind the target and wait until your target sign goes from white, to yellow, to red. The higher the color the more brutal the death and the more bonus points you can get. Creating a sick way to play the game harder. You can face them mano e mano, but this is harder since they are pretty tough and usually armed, and doesn't get you any bonus points. You also have the ability to throw various objects to get people to investigate, then you can sneak up on them while they are exploring the noise.

This game was fun, but it was sick in the tradition of Grand Theft Auto, and above. Just the premise of being in a snuff film is enough, but the insane brutality of the games kills. You stab peoples eyes out, crack their heads with bats, or decaptitate them with machetes. You can even keep heads to throw and attact the enemy to the area. The only aspect that makes it even is that the people you are killing aren't good people. the first group you face are gangbangers dressed in hoods, the second group is white trash aryan white supremists, the third are mentally ill in halloween masks, crazed survivalists etc.... The conversations you can overhear shows that they are murderous hateful individuals. so it is redeaming morally in that point alone.

Definitely don't play this game if you have an impressionable mind or don't like violence or gore. This game is probably more graphic and violent that grand theft auto, which is saying a lot. But it was a well made game, with good mecahnics, a decent interface, and challenging aspects. hopefully this group will put something else out, but I shudder to think what they will have to do to push the envelope this time.

Boring and Frustrating

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: September 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I played 8 levels and this game is a combination of all that sucks about computer gameplay....1. ALL STEALTH and NO PLAY is totally BORING. 2. Preset game save is total BS when you finish 1/2 of a tough level and lose to some stupid logistical nightmare of getting around a wall while being shot at and of course dying easy. 3. I like to watch real time game play when I attack someone..not a video outtake!! I tore it off my hard drive and plan to give this game to someone I hate.

IT IS NO FUN....DONT BUY IT.

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