One-on-one with Rockstar's grisly sequel

There's an unsettingly morbid satisfaction in slitting a man's throat in Rockstar's grimy sequ8el to the controversial Manhunt. The pounding heartbeat (both in-game and out) that accompanies the foreboding creep towards your victim is soon replaced by a mixture of nervous laughter, grimace and relief as you, or indeed severely disturbed scientist Daniel Lamb, slice and dice away another human life. It was them or you, after all.

Ware as the original Manhunt dealt with distinctly adult flavoured themes of snuff cinema and voyeurism, its sequel is taking a slightly different, if no less grisly approach. Manhunt 2 is a game structured around the concept of schizophrenia, the mental illness that inhibits its sufferers from separating reality from unreality (not slip personality, as is the common misconception). In videogame terms, this means 'hero' Daniel Lamb will be dealing with apparitions, hallucinations and more than just a few voices in his fractured mind. Nasty stuff.

It also acts as a plot device to allow for flashbacks, which form a significant part of Manhunt 2's narrative. While the original game told it's story almost in real-time. Daniel's tale is told from both the present day and the past, with our hero regularly breaking down into a fit while we play through a level in his mind. During our hands-on time, amnesic Lamb had just discovered a box of his old personal possessions, triggering a convulsive fit and a journey back into the depths of his psyche Michael, an old acquaintance of Lamb's, though an abandoned factory as a SWAT team bears down on the two.

Within minutes of holding the controller, it was clear that we were in very familiar territory, Manhunt 2 controls near-identically to its predecessor, something that initially feels unwieldy. So used to standard twin-sticked third person controls are we that not being able to manipulate the camera with the right stick feels backwards, until you realize why the game has been designed in that way. Taking clues from survival horror Manhunt 2 doesn't was to allow the player to just stroll casually through its environments, it wants you to feel restricted, to feel vulnerable at all times. To rotate the camera, you have to stand still and nudge the analogue stick in the appropriate direction. To strafe, you have to use the shoulder buttons. It requires a slight rewiring of the brain to get used to, quite fitting considering the subject matter.

After the initial confusion dissipates, it's back to the job at hand: grisly, strangely necessary executions. As with the original, Manhunt 2 is almost unbearingly tense. Hiding in the shadows, waiting for the absolute perfect opportunity to strike - its heart pounding stuff. And with the glut of new weapons available including a cattle prod and some rather nasty wire cutters, those with a thirst for blood will not be disappointed. far be it from us to ruin the more 'extreme' death scenes, but be assured, there's violence in Manhunt 2 that will make grown men weep. And who would want it any other way? With over a month left in development still, Manhunt2's excellent combination of ultra-patient stealth and meaty gunplay has already won us over. If it can maintain the excitement of the level we've enjoyed over its entirety, then Rockstar will be onto yet another winner. Just don't show it to your girlfriend. Or your mother. Or a sensitive friend. They just might not understand.

Nowhere to hide

One of the most voiced complaints concerning the original Manhunt was the suspension of disbelief required when hiding in the shadows. All too often, an enemy standing mere meters away from you would ignore your trembling frame because the game decided you were hidden. Keen to improve this, Rockstar London has included a frightening random element to it's hide and seek. If a patrolling guard is particularly suspicious, he may peer into the murk and catch a glimpse of what could be you. Should this happen it cues a QTE-style mini-game. and if you fail, you're sprung. In Manhunt 2 you never feel safe.

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