Slipping Into Darkness

Manhunt is one of the most underappreciated games of the PS2 generation, a dark and brutal exploration of violence that brought Rockstar's uncomprimising vision into the stealth genre. More serious in tone than the satirical Grand Theft Auto series, the game wasn't an enormous blockbuster, but did earn a sizable cult of fans. These fans will be pleased to learn that Manhunt is returning, with a surprising twist.

First off, this game is not a sequel, at least not in the traditional sense. Although much of the gameplay (as well as the emphasis on bloody violence) is still intact, the plot and characters are completely new, with no crossovers with the original saga of death row inmate James Earl Cash.

Our new protagonist, scientist Dr. Daniel Lamb, is a much different man than Cash. In fact, he's not a criminal at all, but rather a family man working o na top secret neurological weapons program. After funding for the risky program is pulled, Lambs' boss, Dr. Pickman, takes the program underground. Lamb, a true believer, volunteers to be a test patient against the protests of his wife. Sadly, this decision is a tragic one. After the experiment, Daniel suffers from intense psyhcosis and paranoia. This enentually leads him to a cell in Dixmore Hospital for the Criminally insane, which is in reality a front for Pickman - a place to dispose of the project's "mistakes." Six years pass, and Daniel begins having trouble remembering if his old life was real or just another feverish dream. The days pass slowly, until one night when a electrical storm cripples the hospital's security system, opening the cells. Daniel and his unstable friend Leo take this opportunity to escape, embarking on a quest to uncover the events of their past.

While the plot is new, the gameplay closely resembles the original Manhunt, as does the gritty digital video look of the graphics. As before, stealth is key to success, and staying alive is more matter of wits and misdirection than brawn. A meter shows when you are covered in shadow and safe from discovery, allowing you to distract guards by tapping on walls or throwing small objects (this time you can even chuck a decapitated heads for extra emphasis). After that, its a matter of sneaking behind your prey and performing one of three levels of executions. Of course, there are new, even more gruesom executions this tim around, and some new weapons like syringes and pens ripe for jabbing. Rockstar has also added environmental executions for time when you don't have a weapon in your inventory. For example, we saw LAmb use a simple desk phone to strangle a man to death. Unfortunately, no details were given how the Wii version will play, but you can use your imagination.

Rockstar has opened up other areas of the gameplay as well, especially exploration. You can now climb up and down, allowing you to access higher or lower areas as in The Warriors. You can also crawl through tight corridors or vents. One other intriguing addition we noted was the ability to cloak the sound of your move ments under noises made by NPCs. In one instance, we were able to smash a brothel window without alertin the guards by timing it perfectly with the groans of a man getting a particularly strenuous lap dance ( The game is rated M, by the way).

Altough our time with the game was brief, our first impressions of Manhunt 2 were extremely positive. If anything, this sequel's relationship with violence is even more comple, forcing us to look at why we're so drawn to horror and gore. Lamb us a more reluctant murdere than cash; after his first kill you'll see him throw up in shame. While it will likely be a rough ride for the weak of stomach, Manhunt 2 looks to be a strong entry in the unique series.

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