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Manhunt
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The most publicized and controversial aspect of Manhunt is the shocking and graphic nature of the violence. For once, it's no exaggeration. When killing one of the gangmembers (or "hunters," as they're collectively known), you can choose to take your time with the attack by holding the A or X button until the cursor on your victim changes color. The longer you hold down the button, the more gruesome the maneuver you finally unleash. There are three levels of attack for each weapon, each with its own nightmare-inducing cinema to match. Seriously, the violence in this game makes GTA III look like Candyland.
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Manhunt 2 is the debut title from the newly formed Rockstar London studio, which is developing the game in conjunction with series creator Rockstar North. Early previews of Manhunt 2 have consistently praised the game's original design and creative use of narrative, tone, and atmosphere to evoke an experience many consider unmatched in video games. The Wii version is being developed by Rockstar Toronto.
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The biggest issue that fans of the original Manhunt will have with Manhunt 2 is the way that Rockstar toned down the violence in the game in order to appease the ESRB's ratings board. The game's trademark executions have been altered significantly, using stylized blurring and loss-of-focus post-processing effects to make the recognition of the events taking place on-screen hazy. Initiating a killing maneuver cuts the camera to an angle more suitable for viewing, which is then modified with camera edits and crimson filters that distort the events taking place, softening the impact of the on-screen brutality. The PlayStation 2 and PSP versions have a grainier look to them, with a more noticeable scanline effect that gives these versions of the game more of the feel of the original Manhunt, like they were recorded via security camera onto heavily reused VHS tapes. The PSP version in particular is the most visually impressive, as the other console versions don't approach the state of the art on their respective platforms, while the handheld version's graphics pack a lot of detail onto the smaller screen. It's important to note that the Wii version of the game is the most heavily censored version of Manhunt 2, as the execution animations on the PSP and PlayStation 2 versions are far more recognizable.
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Though there aren't many legitimate comparisons to be drawn between Manhunt and the latest Grand Theft Auto games, it does have certain mechanical similarities to Rockstar North's previous work that should give you a good frame of reference. Those experienced with GTA III or Vice City won't have any problems getting started with Manhunt, especially since Starkweather will conveniently walk you through the basics when you first begin play. As far as specific points of comparison, Manhunt's hand-to-hand combat system is basically a crude, button-mashing affair, just like in GTA. There are a couple of additional moves; ... you'll rarely need or want to get into a head-on brawl in this game. Guns (including pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, and even a nail gun) come into play later on in the game, and you can fire them using an auto-aim feature, much like in the GTA series (though you can aim manually as well). As if to encourage brutal, close-quarters shoot-outs, Cash will automatically target his foes' heads if you lock onto them from a short distance away.
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In Manhunt, you play as James Earl Cash. He was supposed to have been executed, but the lethal injection he was given only knocked him out. When he wakes up, he is thrust into a sick game where he must kill or be killed and so the manhunt begins. The person behind this horrible scenario is known as Lionel Starkweather, a shady character who speaks to Cash through an earpiece. Starkweather makes movies of real life murder called snuff films, so the more gruesome the murders, the happier it makes Starkweather. He promises Cash his freedom once he completes a few scenes for his films and guides him around the levels so that there can be a maximum number of executions.
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After the fairly successful original Manhunt title, many fans understandably were awaiting a sequel. While it has been a long and fairly strange wait for these fans, at least it hasn't been entirely boring. Over the last few months, Manhunt 2 has been making a lot of headlines. Attention was first drawn to the game because of the announcement of its planned release on the Wii. It was a fairly unexpected announcement given Nintendo's historic tendency to take a more child-friendly approach to video games. Even so, the idea of playing Manhunt 2 using the Wii's motion-sensing controls understandably piqued many gamers' interests.
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