Manhunt 2 Preview

Rockstar isn't usually in the business of letting people down and with the superbly implemented motion controls in manhunt 2, it certainly hasn't.

Using motion controls to execute your unsuspecting prey you may feel a pang of guilt, but chances are you’ll be laughing at how well implemented it is. It's amusing that for a machine built on family values and new ways of playing games it has taken a title as grisly as manhunt 2 to really realise Wii's potential. With a bit of imagination, the sensation of swinging a bat against a prone enemy head is enhanced considerably by the wii remote. It never feels cumbersome or forced, more tactile and innovative, particularly when neck deep in a gun battle. The remote then turns from a motion replicator to a deadly accurate pointer."

As Manhunt 2's gunplay is a considered affair, requiring the judicious use of cover and very little in the way of running and gunning, the remote comes into its own. Headshots can be lined up while you hide behind a protective barrier, leaving you free to pop out and remove opponents head with a timely squeeze of the trigger. Putting a bullet between someone's eyes has rarely felt so satisfying. It's a credit to Rockstar that it has avoided almost every wii development pitfall - this game genuinely feels better to play on Nintendo's console. A sign of things to come perhaps.

If more third parties can take inspiration from Manhunt 2's measured use of the wii's capabilities then the consoles software line-up will strengthen week upon week. And if not, we're still left with what will surely be the definitive version of a nasty, vile and utterly compelling piece of digital entertainment. Review next month.

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