What is the game like to play
Manhunt is predominantly a stealth-based game. You have to lurk in the shadows, lure out the hunters and take them out when they're the most vulnerable saying that there are two distinct parts of this game the first half, sees your focus being on stealth but later on in a game, once you get your hand on some firearms you go from the hunted to the hunter and that changes the whole feel and the dynamic of the experience. The in-game controls are a little bit awkward and they use the trigger buttons to strafe and it can take a while to get used to. You have a light and a heavy attack you can run lean against walls and you can use various weapons as and when you find them, speaking of weapons you'll start off with your bare hands but you'll find things like plastic bags, baseball, bats, iron bars, sawn-off shotguns, handguns, and sniper rifles. It has the game progresses if your health is low you can find painkillers around the level and the VHS icons you find will allow you to save your progression but the key part of the combat is the special kills if you sneak up behind an enemy have to focus on them a target appears over their head this goes from grey to yellow to red and the longer you hold the attack button the more violent the execution will be. Each weapon has a unique death cutscene which looks like grainy CCTV footage but the sick director will be delighted with.
The game takes place in various gritty inner-city locations from dark and dingy back streets shopping malls and even a zoo at one point. The hunters are your enemies and they vary depending on what gang you're currently taking on. They all look different and they have varying degrees of difficulty and you encounter the hoods, the skins, and the war dogs to name a few. Noise is a huge factor in man and as sound will give your position away so if you walk on grass or gravel around hunters they will be alerted to your presence but you can use sound to your advantage like throwing objects or smashing about on a wall to lure an enemy closer. The character animations are a little bit stiff but the game still looks good graphically even though it's quite old it's very dark very gritty and it really dripping with atmosphere. Everything is lit in a moody way and overall it looks pretty good, borrowing the occasional glitch. The in-game soundtrack by Craig Connor is absolutely amazing stuff it really captures the mood and the atmosphere of the dark and twisted world. It's full of morose characters and horrendous violence and the sound tractors really complements it feels a bit like a John Carpenter movie soundtrack but with a darker twist. The combat sound effects are brutal and the hand-to-hand combat is raw you know it really reminded me of the Last of Us in that respect which is a game in terms of the combat that feels very similar to Manhunt. The voice acting is excellent throughout but Brian Cox absolutely steals the show as the deranged director. The stuff he comes out with is both memorable but it's also quite sick in equal measure.
What's Good and What's Bad?
What's good: It's a genuinely challenging and intense experience, the kill scenes are gross but also quite satisfying. The varied levels objectives and enemies keep the game feeling fresh. It's like two games in one with stealth followed by ultraviolence. The game has one of the richest atmospheres I've ever experienced. The soundtrack is perfection and it's a game that has a satisfactory conclusion and right to the end is a hugely immersive and enjoyable experience.
What's bad: The controls are very awkward and they take a while to get used to. Some of the levels are so dark it's hard to see what's going on and the violence can be a little bit overzealous for some.
What is the Verdict
Manhunt is a fantastic game that was very controversial upon its release due to its ultra-violence. Overall, Manhunter is an incredibly violent, dark, and disturbing game. It's one of the most immersive games I ever played back in the day and once you get the hang of it it's very enjoyable but also very tense. It's like being sent to stage in your own disturbed snuff TV show with some twisted director commenting on all your gruesome acts but once you dig in you will get your revenge with some of the most guttural and visceral violence in any game I've ever played. The atmosphere is thick, the music is sensational, and the voice acting by Brian Cox just makes Manhunt a timeless classic in my eyes.
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