Manhunt
Finally! Something called Manhunt that doesn’t have to do with teenage girls trying to find a date to the prom! Yay! (throws graduation hat into the air and hugs person next to me). But in all seriousness, this game proves that it is fun to shoot fat, racists while they’re on the poop-bucket. And it feels like its been long overdue.
Alright, your James Earl Cash, a convicted murderer and you’re headed for the electric chair. They strap you in and leave the room…….they pull the switch. The lights flicker and go out. What the hell? You’re still alive? Yes, and it’s all thanks to a sicko only known as the Director (for now anyways). But wait! There’s more! He wants you to be in his movie! Sounds great right? You get your life back and you start it with a movie deal! Wrong. You see, he faked your execution so that everyone will think that you’re dead. Then he gets you to be in his movie, or you’ll be killed. The thing is, his movie is all about you trying to get out of Carcer City, a rundown-pretty much deserted city, alive. And to make things even better, he drops you into the “Craphole Section” of the city, which is full of murderers and convicted felons who want to use your skin as a mask (they’ve done worse). Sounds fun right? Well, if it was real, of course it wouldn’t. But because this is virtual, it’s HELLA fun.
Now the gameplay of Manhunt isn’t exactly groundbreaking. But it is a silky-smooth mix of stealth and gunplay. You can peek around corners, hide in shadows, sneak up behind enemies, throw objects to lure enemies, and even use tipped beds as a shields during an intense gunfight. And there’s a lot of ways to get through levels in this game, and there aren’t enough buttons to fit all the actions, so the controls better be good. Well, almost. The controls are perfect, it’s just the not-so-hot camera and jitteriness of some actions bog down the gameplay a smidge. But its only a smidge so keep reading!
The difficulty of this game is almost perfect too, its just that some levels are tougher for some people. I had a crapload of trouble on a level that Flipmo passed with ease. I think it has to do with the way people think, but, what do I know? I only have a Masters Degree in Psychology, I don’t know anything about that stuff. And if there was any real problem I had with the gameplay, it would have to be how dumb the enemies can be sometimes. You can be on the run, all enemies alert of where you are, and then they go neutral. For no reason at all. it’s a glitch I wish was fixed. In reality, it’s not really that big of a deal, but this is my magazine and I can say what I want. So get your own mag.
If there was any part of the game that really shines, it would be the awesomely funtastic gameplay. But if there was any part of the game that had a little stain on it, it would be the graphics. Now, the graphics aren’t bad, not at all. But they are definitely nothing compared to the awesome glow of Max Payne 2’s graphics (another Rockstar born game). But they definitely impress in the atmosphere aspect of the game. You’ll be creeped out, nervous, and even shaky. The dark and gritty graphics are great for this game, the lights are very cool (though they don’t cast shadows), the gore is impressive (gotta love seeing a big hole in a guy’s head after you shot him with a shotgun), and the levels are varied and detailed. Even though you’re in one city throughout the entire span of the game, they development crew somehow made each level seem completely different from each other. From a zoo to a prison, the levels rock. But it’s the little things in life that count. The character models are blocky, the game is anything but sharp, some texturing is very bland, and for a game based on hiding in the shadows, they decided that a shadowing system wasn’t needed. It would have really helped. But the graphics are definitely more good than bad.
Hark, did I just hear the sound of a racist murderer getting a Hatchet to the throat as blood gurgles out of his neck? Yes I did, and it sounded great. The sound is probably one of the best things about this game. Gravel makes noise and enemies can hear if you make noise. Hide in the shadows, knock on the wall, and when the baddie comes to check it out, you blast his face in. And if you run, you cause a lot of noise, so walking is required throughout most of the game. Which makes running on gravel in an area full of the bad guys a death wish. And everything has a noise it seems. The different gang members shout insults at you and you can even hear the wind.
But if you’re counting on Manhunt to come out with a 6 CD soundtrack like GTA: Vice City did, then you’re out of luck. Because Manhunt has almost no music. It’s absolutely quiet when your enemies are neutral, but if one of them thinks he saw you, tension music starts up. And if he does see you (and happens to be chasing your pansy ass down) then the music gets a little louder and quicker paced. Also what I like about it is that every few levels, the music changes, which mixes things up. I even remember banging my head to some great guitar in one of the tunes, I got caught on purpose just to hear it.
Erde’s Closing Statements
Manhunt is, in my opinion, the greatest game ever. Now I know what you’re going to say. “You said so much bad about this game, how is it the best game ever?” It’s very simple, actually. As a reviewer, I have to cover all aspects of the game, even the bad. So I decided to get the bad out of the way and tell you just how great it is now. BUY THIS GAME NOW. I’ve had too many good memories with it not to love it. And don’t let people or the media tell you that “It was made as a publicity stunt”. Because this is an actual game, it’s actually good, and the gore is just the center of the game. Besides, you got to remember that Rockstar’s “theme” is controversy. So shut up, get up, and buy this game. Not for kids. (Erdegent = urgent)
~Erde Kaiser
