Its not as shocking as you would expect, but Manhunt 2 still satisfies your primal instincts.

Ever since it was announced earlier this year, Manhunt 2 has courted controversy.
Creating a sequel to one of the most gruesome, dark and unique stealth action titles ever made could easily be seen as a beacon for watch groups to decry video game violence. For fans, the subject was much simpler: Could the title match or surpass the mechanics that made the first title work so well? With the earlier ratings issue that delayed the title well behind it, Rockstar London and Rockstar Games have finally released Manhunt 2 for the PS2, PSP and Wii. But while the first title truly blazed new ground on the console, the sequel isn’t nearly as good as the original.

The game immediately starts with a flashing montage of action at the Dixmor Insane Asylum. This is obviously a place that’s gone horribly wrong, with doctors and orderlies preferring to beat the patients rather than treat them and their mental issues. Of course, this treatment can only go so far before karma retributively strikes back, and one dark night, a power outage strikes the asylum, resulting in the release of the inmates. The staff and administration is quickly overrun as the inmates seek their revenge against their caretakers, with chaos striking every hallway and cell. Without explaining any further backstory or introductions, you’re suddenly introduced to the two main characters, Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper. While this initial meeting is somewhat disorienting, it’s rather apparent that this is intentional to fit with the situation Danny and Leo find themselves in, and adds to the atmosphere of the first level.

It’s still an interesting story that is accentuated by an appropriately dirty and dank visual design. You’ll explore a raunchy, sticky sex club; gritty gas stations; and slummy warehouses; all places that seem like you could catch some nasty disease just by looking at them. A scratchy, slightly blurry filter gives everything the faint haze of scan lines, as if you’re watching an old VHS tape. That effect is particularly pronounced in the PlayStation 2 version. That isn’t to say that Manhunt 2 rises to the occasion from a technical standpoint. Animations and character models look terribly dated. Some environments are also washed out and textures aren’t detailed. The Wii release tends to maintain a better frame rate than the PS2, though there are occasional slight pauses when the Wii accesses the disc, an issue that also crops up from time to time on the PS2–just less often. Aside from these differences (and a few others to be noted shortly), the two versions look more or less identical.

The original Manhunt was practically a commentary on entertainment, with the premise being a highlight on the most extreme form of personal amusement: one man struggling for survival with a sadistic director capturing his every move for a series of snuff films. The sequel doesn’t attempt to build upon the story of James Earl Cash or the death of Starkweather, or lay down any connections to the previous title. Instead, it approaches a completely new subject matter, which appears slightly influenced by The Manchurian Candidate as well as fellow titles like The Suffering. While I won’t give away any plot spoilers, the story covers everything from mind control and personality manipulation to secret medical projects, mental flashbacks and internal behavioral struggles.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 2nd, 2007 at 2:18 am and is filed under Wii, All. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.