Manhunt review

The patsy of this sinister tale is James Earl Cash, executed by the Federal Authorities (or at least they thought so). Instead, Cash is plunged into a starring role in the latest snuff-inspired epic from Lionel Starkweather; entitled Born Again. Cashs only hope is to survive a night of being hunted by packs of violent gangs, in a variety of scenarios created for the despicable viewing pleasure of bloodthirsty Valiant Video aficionados. This is the type of video club that vigorously checks all applicants - and hunts down those who break the rules.Cameras follow the action as Cash works his way through marauding packs of armed gang members. Each gang has a distinctive style of dress, attitude and weaponry. White supremacists, underworld hoods, rednecks and the criminally insane all know that Cash is coming through their area. The only glimmer of hope for Cash is to follow the directions of Starkweather (who conveniently taunts the condemned man through a headset). Starkweather has no real interest in Cash, or the gangs - both are purely meat to him; bought, sold and slaughtered in pursuit of his own seedy entertainment. Manhunt is an extremely gritty title, not only visually, but also atmospherically. It recreates the sinister motif of films such as 8mm, The Warriors, Videodrome and the Guinea Pig series almost to the point of plagiarism. Backed up with snuff-inspired video-feed sequences (and appropriate foul language), this breaks new ground for a videogame. Each killing sequence is intense, ugly and memorable; rest assured this is not a game for juveniles.Manhunt ignores the freestyle violence of State of Emergency, and the accessibility of GTA, to nail down a realistic and rewarding difficulty curve. It forces the player into the role of a killer where soft emotion is simply not catered to. You must learn to move through each environment avoiding contact, observing your prey and delivering that final, gut-wrenching blow. Satisfyingly, the harder you press a kill button, the more intense the kill.Progressing through the initial levels is very much a voyage of discovery, as each level marks a significant notch in difficulty. Those expecting to run through Manhunt in some psychopathic fit of violence and insanity will be sorely disappointed; because you will die. This game rewards observation, restraint and timing in a way that makes each and every successful kill somehow morbidly satisfying. Of the two difficulty settings available, Fetish is the easier, and offers more health power-ups than the extreme (and aptly named) Hardcore mode. Performance on each level is rated, and the five-star Snuff Rating will open up bonus features of varying significance. Apart from actual completion, here lies the challenge of the game, which is surprisingly durable.There are a variety of weapons available in each level, with rudimentary implements such as plastic bags, baseball bats and wire being your first tools of trade (until the guns appear much further on). Whilst guns are efficient, Gamestyle much preferred hand weapons, such as the machete - which allows you to rip the victims head off and keep as a trophy. Killing at close range is more disturbing, and creates an adrenaline rush when performed to the satisfaction of Starkweather. Opponents exhibit solid AI and react to sounds (which can be used to your advantage), whilst sure discovery results in a frenzied pack-hunt. Each new gang marks an increase in intelligence, and initial refuge in the shadows soon loses its effectiveness. This game forces you to think and react to situations as they arise. Gamestyle is well-versed in gorey games and a plethora of video nasties, but even so the shock value on display here is unsettling. Gamestyle played Manhunt the way in which it was designed to be played - in the dark, with a USB headset attached. Whilst the former is easily arranged, we are aware that many will not have the SOCOM peripheral. This is unfortunate, as Manhunt uses the device in a novel way. Like Cash with his headset, the wearer has a direct feed to Starkweather, increasing the atmosphere considerably. Having the director bark in your ear, urging you for more blood, to kill and deliver his snuff footage, is a very effective tool. Yet the device is not merely one-way, as you can shout into the microphone to attract guards and set your own sickening trap. Again, if you do not have the peripheral, then quite demonstrably Manhunt loses part of its blood-curdling edge.Visually, fans of Silent Hill will be in familiar territory with this release. Rockstar North has already shown its mastery of the PS2 architecture, but for Manhunt the well-designed levels are encased in dirt, grit and vulgarity (and masterfully disguise the linear route). Manhunt maintains this gritty look throughout - not by fault, but by design. The camera behaves itself, the control system is intuitive, and the soundtrack is both minimally atmospheric and eerie. The voice acting too is laudable, with many gang members intoning individual and memorable samples. The distinctive presentation even continues onto the manual, which deserves mention purely for the humour that went into creating its mock video-catalogue style.Gamestyle is surprised at just how well Manhunt shapes up, as we feared another State of Emergency debacle. Beneath the gore and gritty urban realism is a well-designed and challenging game. Killing is never meant to be fun, but in Manhunt there is a sick satisfaction to be gleaned from each and every kill. Violence is ugly, and this game hits home because of the lack of any self-imposed straitjackets or censorship