I just picked up the April 2007 issue of ‘The Official UK Playstation 2 Magazine’ and lowe and behold it has a four page feature on Manhunt 2. There are a few bits here and there of new information as well as clarification on some other information we previously had. I have summarised all the information below, also please note that there is spoilers here, so continue at your own discretion.

• Cuts & Bruises – From looking at the screenshots it shows Daniel with a few cuts here and there in select shots, implying that a similar damage system from the first game remains intact.

• Enemies - Foes have less scripted patrols with improved A.I, making them harder to kill.

• Guns - Guns are only a major factor later in the game, much like the original. Although it does look as though members of 'The Project' are prone to turning up whenever and are not specific to one location, much like the Cerberus in the original game.

• H.U.D - Energy bar goes dark blue when hiding, the radar is located on the bottom left of the screen, it again monitors the noise you make.

• Judy - We already knew Judy worked at 'The Honey Pot' brothel, the magazine now reveals that Judy is also a ‘technician’ for 'The Project'. This explains why Daniel was looking for her; the magazine then goes on to (surprisingly) state that Judy dies before providing Daniel with the information.

• Level Information - Within ‘The Honey Pot’ brothel there is a 'whore going to work on a 'client'. The way it is described it seems to me as though this is visible rather than just being audio, however, it may still be the case. When breaking glass you have to time it right to be effective.

• The asylum looks to be full of character, one cell has a inmate that has hung himself, the folks at Rockstar have even gone as far as placing the knocked over chair that he kicked from under himself. There are ‘crap-caked walls’, presumably from Daniels poop-lobbing cell mate.

• The Project - The full title of 'The Project' is 'The Pickman Project', named after its founding professor Pickman.

• Weapons - The syringe is the first weapon you come across; you shortly thereafter pick up the ballpoint pen. The plastic bag and syringe one use items however the biro and glass shard aren't. Baseball bat is wrapped in barbed wire, not spiked like the removed bat from the first game. Previously thought pliers are actually wire cutters, they serve multiple purposes including cutting your way into the ventilation shaft at the brothel and of course executions.

• Weapon Storage – We previously knew about the menu system that pauses the game, the magazine now adds to that by explaining that heavy weapons are placed on Daniels back, medium around his waste and small in his hands, they also say ‘with room for a few other bits and bobs’. So that means either the game pausing menu is for quick access to weapons rather than shuffling through them, or it means you can store everything at once and choose to keep one of each variety on you at once.

In addition to that it has some new screenshots, and a lot of the older ones but they have them at a better resolution, rather than blowing them way up. In one screenshot they talk about Leo, so presumably it is him, then in another it has a similar character with a short sleeved shirt on so either Leo changes from a long-sleeved shirt to a short sleeved one or it is just generic inmates.

To keep up to date with all the Manhunt 2 information currently available, please check out our Manhunt 2 section of the site. Or too see it all summarized head on over to ‘What We Know’.

I also want to address some confusion that people seem to be having concerning the site name, the site is now Project Manhunt and used to be Manhunt Uncut, we aren’t a ‘copy-cat site’, we have merely changed names and site address, the site is run by the same people and has the same content as before. So please try and make note of the new site address and please pass along the information to those who may be interested or unaware of the change, thanks!

Add Comment

GTA IV's trailer officially launches in about an hour and with news of Jack Thompson seeking to ban the game or at least get it named a 'public nuisance' we thought we would take this opportunity to mention some of the details regarding the game and post the trailer.

The trailer will mark the first we have seen any footage of the game up until now, with that said we believe the official website will either go down pretty quick or just not be available for the first couple of hours. A few sites are going to be hosting the trailer and have already said they expect to go down within the hour.

So what do we know about the game then? Here is a summery:

• It will officially be released on October 16, 2007 in the US and in Europe on October 19, 2007.

• The game will feature downloadable content due out in 2008 this was anounced at the E3 press conference on the 9th of May 2006 at the time it was said to be "hours of entirely new gameplay" and that these would be "epic episode packs,"

• It will be released for both Xbox 360 and PS3. The Xbox version is said to feature Dolby 5.1 Surround sound, and be playable at 720p .

• According to various sources the game is said to be using the RAGE engine that Rockstar Games used for their Table Tennis game back in May of last year. 150 game developers are also said to be working on Grand Theft Auto IV.

• Emails were also sent out with the tagline "Things will be different". Rumoured also are a few different locations for where the game is based one of these being Carcer City. London and New York were also said to be the location at one point, the game is also said to be set in the 1970's

More details will hopefully be announced when the trailer hits in about an hour. Expect an update then.

Add Comment

The GTA IV trailer has launched and as expected the official RockstarGames website went down before the timer even hit 0. Here is a quote taken from the trailer, You will notice part of this quote was what was sent out in emails earlier.

Life is complicated. I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different.

Here is the trailer:

Add Comment

GamePolitcs has published article up about a recently published book titled ‘Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy’. The book written by Dr. Craig Anderson of Iowa State University, Katherine Buckley and ISU professor Douglas Gentile is said to be ‘the first work to link research and public policy in the video game violence debate.’ The book cover features the X-Box release of Manhunt.

Book description:

Violent video games are successfully marketed to and easily obtained by children and adolescents. Even the U.S. government distributes one such game, America's Army, through both the internet and its recruiting offices. Is there any scientific evidence to support the claims that violent games contribute to aggressive and violent behavior?

Anderson, Gentile, and Buckley first present an overview of empirical research on the effects of violent video games, and then add to this literature three new studies that fill the most important gaps. They update the traditional General Aggression Model to focus on both developmental processes and how media-violence exposure can increase the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both short- and long-term contexts. Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents also reviews the history of these games' explosive growth, and explores the public policy options for controlling their distribution. Anderson et al. describe the reaction of the games industry to scientific findings that exposure to violent video games and other forms of media violence constitutes a significant risk factor for later aggressive and violent behavior. They argue that society should begin a more productive debate about whether to reduce the high rates of exposure to media violence, and delineate the public policy options that are likely be most effective.

As the first book to unite empirical research on and public policy options for violent video games, Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents will be an invaluable resource for student and professional researchers in social and developmental psychology and media studies.

Add Comment

It would seem that Jack Thompson has decided to counter sue Take-Two following last weeks lawsuit filled by the company against Thompson.

Select Thompson quotes:

Thompson refers to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as a "violence and sex simulation game" that perpetuates racial stereotypes, asking, "What else would one expect of Scottish sociopaths sipping their single malt Glenlivet in between brainstorming software programming sessions?"

As everyone in Scotland does of course, it is a researched and proven fact that everyone in Scotland is a sociopath and unable to conjure up a thought without “sipping their single malt Glenlivet”.

All Take-Two would have to do is submit each game to a court of law to see if it contains material harmful to minors or if it does in fact constitute a nuisance of any kind under Florida law. The games are finished. There is plenty of time to submit the games, and doing so will not in fact impede their release--unless they are in fact harmful to children.

Breaking news, Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV are finished folks; the developers are presumably sitting printing off the covers on their ink jet printers.

The countersuit reads, "In addition to the RICO predicate act of extortion (intimidation) of Thompson by Take-Two, Take-Two has committed other predicate RICO acts, including but not limited to fraud, distribution of obscene and/or sexual material harmful to minors, as already determined by the United States Federal government...and other predicate racketeering acts. Additionally, upon information and belief, Take-Two, through its Blank Rome lawyers, sought in Alabama to tamper with a witness in a pending criminal case, according to that witness' lawyer.

The innate one has more to say (big surprise, right?) but at risk of falling asleep I will leave it to you to read yourself.

Source: Gamespot

Add Comment

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has released a list of backwards compatible PlayStation 2 games with the soon to be released PlayStation 3. Manhunt is currently listed as not being compatible, Sony is able to issue updates to the systems back catalogue through software upgrades, as it stands the system has firmware 1.6 pending for release this coming Thursday. I am sure by the time Manhunt 2 is released they will have added Manhunt to that list. Other Rockstar titles such as Canis Canem Edit, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories suffer from game play issues.

Add Comment

You might have heard that Jack Thompson has responded to the recent news that Take Two are going to sue him, this was due to him requesting Manhunt 2 and GTA IV be banned. Here is what he had to say regarding the matter:

This shows the extent to which I have become a problem for (Take Two). Or maybe they are trying to show that I won’t be a hindrance in the sales of their upcoming products." "(Take Two’s law firm) Blank Rome… has, by this remarkable lawsuit, laid bare precisely what it is about - the silencing and destruction of Take-Two’s most abiding and most successful critic.", "I have been praying, literally, that Take-Two and its lawyers would do something so stupid… that such a misstep would enable me to destroy Take-Two… The pit Take-Two has dug for itself will be patently clear next week when I strike back.

Jack Thompson can take anyone down, he is indeed a one man army when it comes to this type of situation. I doubt he will manage it, as it is various websites are reporting that Take Two may be for sale, you can bet Jack Thompson will take the credit for that. Thanks to forum member colonelsheppard for the heads up.

Source: gamepolitics.com

Add Comment

Take Two have decided it is time to sue Jack Thompson for his recent efforts to try and ban Manhunt 2 and GTA IV. In 3 days time (Monday) Jack puts his claim in to ban those games, as mentioned in a previous news post. This has prompted Take Two to launch a pre-emptive attack by petitioning to the 'United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida' they seek to stop the game being declared a 'public nuisance' under Florida law. Here is a little from the claim:

Thompson has a history of making multiple threats of legal action, whether substantiated or not, both against (Take Two) as well as the retailers who purchase the video games and offer them for sale to the public. Thompson has made such threats again in connection with Manhunt 2 and GTAIV…

All i can say is he had it coming to him, he hasn't even seen the game yet and he is trying to block Manhunt 2 from coming out. Serves him right, i hope they get Jack Thompson declared a 'public nuisance' maybe then Take Two will get a break for a while. You may remember the trouble with Canis Canem Edit (Bully) coming out in October 2006, Jack's claim to ban the game was rejected that just goes to show that his claims are not substantiated, there isn't even a gun in that game and it was rated a 15 (Teen). Take Two have also said they wish to claim their attorney fees and other costs from Jack, since they have been forced into action by him. Hopefully this is the last we hear from Jack Thompson regarding the matter, although i doubt it.

Source: gamepolitics.com

Add Comment

Last Tuesday (March 6th) IGN put up an article titled ‘AutoLockon #10 Your platform's got personality issues’. In the article Rus McLaughlin discussed issues about receiving mixed signals between console hardware and software, at the forefront of the article was Manhunt 2.

Article intro:

I don't know about you, friend, but lately I'm getting mixed signals from Nintendo. I mean, c'mon now... you've seen their commercials. Everything about the Wii marketing machine, from the very name onward, politely suggests you gather Mom and dear ol' Dad, the kids and a few random-yet-friendly strangers into the family room for an all-ages game as wholesome as a fresh coat of extra-white paint on a nunnery wall. But then, last January, Nintendo added a global news channel to the Wii menu options. Okay, that's a little different. Would've liked a continuous news-crawl feature better, but still handy and informative. I approve. One month later, word comes down that Manhunt 2, the sequel to a serial killer sim that rewards your stalking patience with extra-gory gore, will port to the Wii.

It isn’t a particularly interesting read and amongst all the Manhunt 2 information that was released it seemed rather pointless to mention it at the time, but now that the news has once again calmed down I thought I would bring it up.

The article is only available to IGN Insiders, you can view the article by clicking here.

Add Comment

It's official Jack Thompson is suing Take Two to stop them selling Manhunt 2 and GTA IV. Joystiq is claiming that Jack plans to file the suit next week from March 19th in his words he wants to:

Prevent the sale of two hyperviolent video games set to be released this year and sold to anyone under 17 years of age.

This goes back to an earlier news post we made on the 25th of February. For that particular news post click here.

Little to nothing is known about both games and already Jack Thompson seeks to ban them, is it possible he is just looking for a copy of both games early? He is claiming that because both games will be rated "Mature" that younger gamers below the age of 17 will have easy access to them even though that isn't the case he claims stores will just sell the games to anyone regardless of age, let me get this straight, he wants to ban the games completely because they might be sold to under age gamers? How does that one work out?

It isn't Take Two's fault if certain retailers fail to sell games to the right age group, why should Take Two be sued? He won't be happy until the age ratings take up 50% of the games cover just so some retailers will finally get it into their heads that these games are supposed to be for mature audiences only.

He mentions the fact that the player can plunge a syringe into the eye of their foes and remove their testicles as a bad point of the game taken from the recent magazine article that came out. How obvious was it that he wouldn't like that one? I doubt we were the only ones surprised that Rockstar gave out the details to Manhunt 2 so early before release. He claims that Take Two are set to sell a game to 'children' who's only purpose is to teach them how to castrate their foes. Typical, that is the only reason people would play the game isn't it? Forget anything else.

Add Comment

Today I went into that very same newsagent and what do I see sitting? Issue 4 of the Official Playstation Magazine - UK. I have no idea why we where given the date we were told yesterday. Anyway here is some more information from the magazine:

• Bag, glass shard, 'heavy handgun', nightstick and double barrel shotgun return. One bag execution has Daniel standing behind an orderly punching him in the face while the orderly is on his knees. There is also what appears to be a smaller hammer in one image, although I can’t confirm that.

• Biro, sledge hammer and spiked bat join the party.

• There is a brother level named 'the Honey Pot', a woman named Judy is here – the brother is a ‘front’ for recruiting for ‘The Project’.

• Environmental kills are noted by white x on the h.u.d. The radar returns.

• There is telephone and toilet environmental executions.

• There is now a weapons inventory which now pauses game. No idea if this means you can carry more than 1 item from each grouping.

• Free aim shooting – the magazine notes shooting as being easier due to free aim shooting, but this was also present in the original game. It is presumably enhanced.

• Rockstar North is doing the audio for the game, which means the return of Craig Conner and Allan Walker.

• Hinted at that the USB headset will return - Just my assumption, not confirmed!

• Level design and (most) game mechanics are very similar to the first game. No free roaming (GTA).

The magazine appears to have had the chance to play the first two levels from the game, the first acting as a tutorial. They say that Daniel had been working on a drugs-based weapons program (for ‘The Project’) six years prior to the events in the game and that he is a lot more complex than Cash was. The game picks up with Daniel in containment, and his first victim is a female doctor, which he kills by strangling her. An electrical storm soon hits and knocks out the power to the hospital, freeing the patients, as Daniel passes by the cells an inmate throws urine over him! And this is where the stealth mechanics of the game begin to come into play. Apparently if you aren’t quiet in your escape then a ‘larger’ inmate will throw faeces over you, sound lovely. Before long you meet Leo, the magazine goes onto explain that Daniel is so helpless in the beginning that he won’t fight back when attacked, it isn’t until his health drops so low and he has had enough of Leos taunting that he stands up for himself.

The magazine skips forward ‘several hours’, it doesn’t explain if this is through a cut-scene or if they are jumping ahead of levels in-between. But the level they describe is the brothel level ‘The Honey Pot’, the purpose of the level is to find Judy. Upon arriving at the brothel they are greeted by a pimp, who takes Daniels ID, this is when you are introduced to environmental kills. The level is described as having pimps, project members and people having sex everywhere. The sounds of people having sex allow for Daniel to manoeuvre his way around the brother easier due to them drowning out any sound he may be making.

The magazine states that the game is due for release ‘this spring’ rather than summer, this is likely a difference of opinion but isn’t spring usually around April or May?

Studio manager for Rockstar London, Mark Washbrook also participated in a interview in the magazine. When asked 'Any chance we'll see Piggsy again?' Mr. Washbrook responds with ' Ah, we'll see’.

Excerpts:

• No title has satisfied the fiercely loyal Manhunt fan base since its release and there was no question that we could leave them hanging any longer!

• Although there's no denying that Manhunt contained violence and gore it would be missing the point if people thought these elements were what made Manhunt as great as it was.

I also want to add that the game looks great; it is easily the best looking Rockstar game graphically (with exception to Table Tennis – obviously). It retains the same art direction of the first title but looks a whole lot more polished than anything that has come before it. So far everything is looking outstanding in my opinion, Rockstar have attained everything that made the first game great all while expanding upon it and they appear to be making it for the people that want the game, rather than trying to change the opinions of others.

As a side note I want to remind everyone that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is now available for the Playstation 2 in the US and in Europe this Friday.

Add Comment

Games Radar is reporting that issue #4 of the UK Official PlayStation Magazine has first dibs on Manhunt 2 information and screenshots. It appears that most of the information in the magazine was all ready (kind of) known. The below quotes are taken from Games Radar:

Later in the game, a member of The Project has both his plums and a pair of vertebrae removed with a pair of pliers

• The Director, gangs, CCTV cameras and death row dodger, James Earl Cash, from the first Manhunt won't play a part.

• Manhunt 2 's main character, scientist Dr Daniel Lamb, is locked in a private asylum by The Project - shady backers of a top secret drugs-based weapons program that Lamb was working on

• After breaking out of the asylum, Daniel Lamb goes on the run with psychotic inmate Leo Kasper, who is happy to coach Lamb on the brutal art of violence

• Like the first Manhunt, kills are executed in three deadly shades - Hasty, Violent and Gruesome

• Environmental kills have been introduced (push an enemy face first into a live fuse box, for example)

• Loud ambient noises can be exploited by Lamb to drown out his own crashing about

• When hiding in shadows, if an enemy comes close the player will sometimes have to copy a button combo in order to regulate Lamb's breathing and ensure that he remains undetected

• Lamb can climb and crawl - two moves that Manhunt's James Earl Cash couldn't do

• Guns can be used for stealth kills

Games Radar also states that the magazine is on sale Wednesday 7th of March however when we contacted our local newsagent we where told they have just got issue three in and that they do no expect issue four until Thursday the 29th of March, so don’t rush out for it just yet. If anyone is able to clear this information up, please get in contact with us.

Add Comment