Manhunt

by Rockstar Games

Product Features

• Action/adventure horror game
• Manhunt explores the depths of human depravity in a vicious, sadistic tale of urban horror
• Continues Rockstar North's tradition of world-class gameplay with high production values and sardonic humor
• Explore the depths of human depravity
• For 1 player

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000227T3M
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: April 22, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,346 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Manhunt highlights the sick and gruesome world of cold-blooded murderers. It's an intense, violent gaming experience, capturing the dark side of humanity more accurately than any game before. NOTE - This game has accurate & realistic depictions of violence and murder. It is not recommended for sensitive or younger game players.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A violent (but solid) stealth game, May 24, 2004

By 

bayou_hannibal "bayou_hannibal" (West Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manhunt (CD-ROM)

Overall, I found "Manhunt" to be a pretty enjoyable stealth game. It has very simple and reliable mechanics, and it's easy to pick up and play. Thus, it manages to be somewhat fun by avoiding a lot of the unsatisfying trial-and-error that accompanies most stealth games (like "Splinter Cell"). The game also throws in some token shooting sequences which aren't as well fleshed out, but also end up being kind of enjoyable as a change of pace, if nothing else.

Manhunt is a great setting for a stealth game. You are a death row inmate, being hunted on a great big movie set by gangters, lunatics, and other scum of the earth. All the while, a sick perverted director talks into your ear and eggs you on. He is constantly badgering you to kill, kill, kill. And when you do, it's not a pretty sight. The game is dripping with atmosphere. This is the most brilliantly atmospheric stealth game that I have played since System Shock 2. It's not really scary so much as disturbing. Especially one chapter that takes place in an old mental institution.

There's basically nothing extraordinary here as far as game mechanics goes. Manhunt has a simple formula that borrows heavily from other stealth games. You hide in shadows, and guards have three stages of alertness: clueless, suspicious, and fully aware. The behavior of the guards is pretty predictable, and the stealth routine is easy to learn. Everything works well here because of the setting. The hunters make for some really good fodder. Generally, they are lazy or just screwed up, which explains why they give up looking for you so soon after you alert them.

The visuals for the game are not spectacular or cutting edge, but they get the job done. What the game lacks in high-tech eye candy, it makes up for by throwing a large variety of environments and scenery at you. All of it fits in well with the dark and disturbing theme of the game. Still, the areas could have used more detail.

Where this game really excels is in the sound category. Sound is crucial for a stealth game, and here it is perfect. The music is dynamic. It is quiet when you are hidden, and it picks up when you step out of the shadows. When somebody spots you, it picks up in intensity again. The voice acting is top-notch, and there are tons and tons of great sound bites filled up with it. Some of them are disturbing, while others are just funny, like the radio stations in the "Grand Theft Auto" games. "Manhunt" shows the same attention to detail in the sound department that Rockstar's other games have shown. The guy who really steals the show is the voice actor for the main villain. The raving mad, wealthy genius, Starkweather is one of the best villains to show up in video gaming in a long, long time.

The biggest fault with this game as that it still gets repetitive about halfway through, despite attempts to give you different goals every level. You find yourself repeating the same few actions over and over - bang on wall, hide in shadows, wait for guard to pass by, sneak up on guard, kill guard, repeat. A few the levels are too loaded with enemies to use stealth, and end up being incredibly frustrating. The game also has essentially zero replay value, because of its linear nature.

"Manhunt" is a really good game. The excessive gore and violence enhance the experience, but they aren't the game's only features. Don't be put off by reviews saying that the game has nothing besides gore imagery. There is a good game here. If you like stealth-action games, or if you like Rockstar's other games, then you will like "Manhunt".

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sick, twisted, brutal, but fun, August 9, 2004

By 

A. M Robertson "brother_entropy" (Seattle, wa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Manhunt (CD-ROM)

This is probably one of the best stealth based games made of recent years. But it is also one of the most brutal games I have ever played, it has some parts that are hard for even I to watch, which is saying a lot.

The basis of the game is that you are playing a bad man named cash, who was put to death for murder. But it turns out that he wasn't killed, he was put unconscious. When he wakes it turns out that he is being put into a form of a "snuff film". Where he is being filmed by some rich, eccentric, sicko that likes to see people murdered, and is going to make him a film star. You are put into preselected areas with gangs of various types that are trying to kill you, and you can't get out of the level until you either kill all of them or kill enough to open the door. Most of the levels are stealth, but there are some that are more traditional first person shooter apects of shooting and killing all enemies. Including some levels where stealth is tertiary to shooting skills. Unlike most first person shooters though, you never have access to body armor, and can't take many shots at all.

The weapons are more of a personal type. The first being plastic bags, shards of glass, and billyclubs. The first two are one use weapons, you kill someone and it is lost. Some are multi use, like the billy club, baseball bat, crowbar, machete, etc....... When you are doing a stealth kill you can be patient and quiet enough to sneak behind the target and wait until your target sign goes from white, to yellow, to red. The higher the color the more brutal the death and the more bonus points you can get. Creating a sick way to play the game harder. You can face them mano e mano, but this is harder since they are pretty tough and usually armed, and doesn't get you any bonus points. You also have the ability to throw various objects to get people to investigate, then you can sneak up on them while they are exploring the noise.

This game was fun, but it was sick in the tradition of Grand Theft Auto, and above. Just the premise of being in a snuff film is enough, but the insane brutality of the games kills. You stab peoples eyes out, crack their heads with bats, or decaptitate them with machetes. You can even keep heads to throw and attact the enemy to the area. The only aspect that makes it even is that the people you are killing aren't good people. the first group you face are gangbangers dressed in hoods, the second group is white trash aryan white supremists, the third are mentally ill in halloween masks, crazed survivalists etc.... The conversations you can overhear shows that they are murderous hateful individuals. so it is redeaming morally in that point alone.

Definitely don't play this game if you have an impressionable mind or don't like violence or gore. This game is probably more graphic and violent that grand theft auto, which is saying a lot. But it was a well made game, with good mecahnics, a decent interface, and challenging aspects. hopefully this group will put something else out, but I shudder to think what they will have to do to push the envelope this time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Survival Horror/Stealth Game, Not For Everyone Though., May 7, 2004

By 

Marc (Satellite Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manhunt (CD-ROM)

Bottom line if you do not like survival horror stealth games where you have to sneak around then you will probably not like this game.

If you do like these type of stealth games but are uncomfortable with extreme violence then you will probably not like this game either.

If you don't like hearing a lot of swearing then you aren't going to like this game either...the people who are hunting you cuss like sailors.

The game appropriately has an Mature rating for the excessive swearing, violence & gore. Its clearly labeled on the cover so you know what you are getting into.

It is stealth gaming at its best where you character slips into dark spots hidden from the hunters who are after you, you quietly wait for the right time sometimes tricking them to come over, sneak up when they are not looking....then...brutality at its best, the longer you wait to execute the more gruesome it is, this provides a nice payoff for us adult gamers who don't mind a bit of violence & gore with their gaming experience.

Obviously the execution scenes are where all the controversy is, yes they are pretty violent however by modern day standards it almost seems implied since they are all viewed through a
video camera and are generally kind of distorted and fuzzy (made to look intentionally like a bad snuff film), still extremely violent nevertheless. I read that New Zealand actually banned this game from being sold...that is ridiculous that adults over there have the option to buy this game taken away from them.

The game progression depends on your ability to maneuver in an undetected manner and kill the hunters. If you think you are just going to come out blazing with hand to hand combat on
every fight you are not going to last very long. The more action based weapons such as shotguns and chainsaws do not come until towards the end of the beginning/middle of the game.

Control-wise there is nothing special here, but again as mentioned this is not a combat/action fighting game so no need to let this deter from the gameplay.

The storyline is pretty creative & original with a very dark theme that combines the "Running Man" meets "8mm". If you have seen both of those movies then you will know what I mean.

Graphically the game looks really good on the PC (as most do) vs. what I have seen on the PS2.

I am running this with:
P4 (1.4 ghz)
640mb Ram
64mb video card.

Check it out!