Blood sport
Well, here it is. The game the BBFC tried to ban, but which, through a lengthy appeals process, was finally awarded an 18 certificate. And even with cuts and heavily censored execution scenes, this is still a gory and disturbing experience. It is for adults only - and really only for adults who love the Hostel and Saw movies and can cope with effectively starring in one. If you're not in that category, get out of here right now, because things are going to get gruesome.
The truth hurts
While the original Manhunt was a sort of post-modern nightmare, commenting on the nature of simulated violence, the sequel is much more of a straightforward horror romp. You play Daniel Lamb, a decent guy who wakes up in a mental home only to discover he's been the subject of horrific scientific experiments. Together with another inmate named Leo, he must escape and uncover the truth behind his incarceration.
But this is no ordinary videogame quest. In Manhunt 2, uncovering the truth means murdering lots of low-life characters. You're not just running around with a pickaxe, though. This is a stealth adventure, where you must lurk in the shadows, patiently waiting for just the right moment to leap out on passing victims.
Killing me softly?
Each enemy has various stages of alertness, so timing is everything. And once you're behind them ready to attack, there are three options: a quick kill, a slightly more bloody kill, and a full-on claret-spurting gore frenzy. It's up to you to decide what you can get away with in each situation.
From a simple pen to baseball bats and circular saws - whatever you lay your hands on becomes an object of deadly force.
Creeping through the squalid locations, creating diversion noises and attempting to split up packs of roving gang members is tense and grimly exciting. Weapons are horribly improvisational, from a simple pen (but, oh, you should see what Daniel does with it) to baseball bats and circular saws - whatever you lay your hands on becomes an object of deadly force. There are also environmental kills - special areas where enemies can be lobbed into industrial machines or through windows. Hideous but satisfying.
And Manhunt 2 is happy to make use of the movement-sensing abilities of the Wii controller - just don't expect family-friendly sports action. Instead, the game's melee system works like Wii Sports Boxing, with the Wii remote and Nunchuk controlling right and left punches as you flail at the on-screen enemy.
Shake 'n' smack
Even darker than that, you'll need to 'act out' all the execution moves to perform them correctly. This may mean jabbing the remote at the screen, or shaking it violently - whatever the on-screen prompt tells you to do. It's certainly a lot more immersive than just pressing a single 'execution' button, as in the PS2 version.
Sadly, when you start picking up guns and getting involved in firefights, things don't work as well. At some points in Manhunt 2, the whole stealth mechanic breaks down and you're suddenly blasting away blindly, struggling with the not-altogether perfect aiming system. These stages feel repetitive and unconvincing beside the more thoughtful sneak-n-slice levels.
The darkness
Manhunt 2 is pitch dark adult entertainment. It is grim, grey and bloody, with a story that starts off dark and just keeps putting more lights out until you reach the end of the ride. While weird screen effects have been used to masque the most disturbing bits, you know what's going on back there and it ain't pretty. But this is also a skillfully designed stealth shocker, with enough jumpy thrills to keep brave souls playing through the night.
GAME's Verdict
- A unique horror experience.
- Gripping stealth gameplay.
- Interesting controls!
- Incredibly bleak and gory.
- Gun-based levels are dull.
- Did we mention how gory it is?
Review by: Keith 'Over-18' Stuart
Version Tested: Wii
Review Published: 30.10.08