Hands On verdict: Solid, but lacking the XXX-FACTOR...

Given the original Manhunt's self-contained storyline and grizzly conclusion - with maniac director Starkweather meeting his maker on the end on the end of your whirring chainsaw - it's no surprise that Manhunt 2 is a sequel in name and game play mechanics only. Rockstar have gone got a sort of Hammer Horror-wood chase thriller theme this time out, a grue-spattered, X-rated Fugitive riff starring Dr. Daniel Lamb, a scientist on the run from a shadowy organisation called the Pickman Project.

You're not being paranoid...

The game’s opening level sees you escaping from a but-house, and from the off, the trademark humour is very much in evidence - the first thing that happens once you gain control is a fellow inmate urinating on you thought his cell bars. Creeping though the institution as lighting cracks all around will feel instantly familiar to Manhunt veterans. The first kill, a hypodermic needle to the threat of an orderly, results in Daniel hurling his guts up on to the floor in revulsion, though the sense of remorse only lasts as long as it takes for you to push the left stick forward into the next room, from which point Dr Dan happily goes on a killing spree that'd shame Freedy Krueger.

After cutting a swathe though a hospitals worth of psychos, orderlies and psycho orderlies, Lamb makes his escape in the time-honored asylum getaway vehicle - the back of a garbage truck. Why was it collecting trash in the middle of the night? We'll never know.

Rockstar have clearly been thinking about the game's tempo while the original was largely cat and mouse, with you playing as Mr. Squeaky, Manhunt 2 has peeks and troughs, with plenty of fast-paced action sequences breaking up the stalking. In the level 'Most Wanted', you're fleeing from the police, the army and the bloodhound gang. Daniel is far more agile than James Earl Cash was, and he can clamber up, over and under objects with ease. As helicopter searchlights attempt to pick you out, you sprint through suburban streets, leaping fences, crashing though windows, and hiding in warehouses and peoples homes, before ending up in a series of storm drains, where the Bloodhounds doggedly hunt you down.

Hiding in the shadows is far harder than it was before. We got a shock when metaphorically flicking the Vs at the pursuer from within a patch of darkness - he suddenly flicked on a torch, saw us, and beat the crap out of us. Even without torches they can peer into the gloom, inciting a detection-avoiding, button-prompt mini-game to regulate your breathing. On the plus side, you can now smash lights to create shadows, giving you far more control over your environment.

Gun in 60 seconds

Some people thought that shooters came into the original Manhunt way to late in the game. You'll see 'em much earlier this time, though ammo is scarce enough that you'll still have to rely mainly on placky bags and shards of glass for your kills. Guns can now be used for executions, leading to some stunningly grisly deaths involving gun barrels in mouths. Even without activating an execution move, a decent head-shot will burst a man's skull open like melon.

Also new are punisher-style environmental kills. Occasionally, you'll see a skull on your radar. Sneak up on a baddie loitering near one and hit square, and you'll be ‘treated’ to a grisly, one off death animation, ranging from drowning in oil barrels to industrial machinery 'accidents'.

Our favourite was the odd 'body-in-the-trash-compactor' routine, resulting in a cube with a human arm poking out - a brilliant moment of Tex Avery nonsense to break up the game's generally oppressive tone. Height kills are also possible, allowing you to leap down on baddies from above.

Moanhunt

While undoubtedly as dark and violent as its predecessor, we can't help feel things are a little more straight-forward this time. The original didn't demand a sequel, and, either way, we'd rather have seen it on PS3 - though the censors may disagree. It still plays great, but losing the 'John Carpenter does Running Man' vibe has significantly reduced the sleazy, seedy feel the first game had.

Particularly disappointing is the lack of a director urging you on via your headset, especially for those of us who enjoyed having Cox in our ears. But levels set in brothels and gangs of KKK-style hooded villains should up the shock factor significantly when we review the finished game in late July.

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