Manhunt 2 Review

Manhunt 2 is the sequel to Rockstar Games' original Manhunt from 2003. The video game is available for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, and PSP. This game has been receiving more attention for its rating than its quality. After being tagged with an adult rating, Rockstar Games reduced the rating down to mature. Finally, Manhunt 2 has made it way into gamers' hands. The storyline in Manhunt 2 is about the protagonist named Daniel Lamb. Daniel Lamb is a scientist who is conducting unethical research at an edifice (Dixmor Insane Asylum). Unluckily, Daniel Lamb and his colleagues lose their funding for their research. Despite the lack of funding, they decide to pursue their research. One stormy night, a thunderstorm struck near the Dixmor Insane Asylum. As a result of the inclement weather conditions, there was a power outage. All of the inmates in the Dixmor Insane Asylum become free, and chaos ensues. The plot in the game was much different from the director style approach in the original Manhunt. I thought the storyline in this game was about as convoluted as Manhunt. In regards to the gameplay, much of the gameplay from Manhunt remains intact in Manhunt 2. These gameplay features entail a radar, distracting foes, alertness level of adversaries, and stealth. Stealth is still the name of the game in Manhunt 2, and gamers will learn that stealth kills are much easier to perform than other kills.

The original Manhunt was more gory than Manhunt 2, and Manhunt 2 has been drastically censored. Just like the first game, you can execute three types of stealth kills depending on your timing. Players can perform a swift kill, violent kill, or gruesome kill. Holding the attack button longer will result in the more gratifying kills. Some new features to the gameplay include utilizing your surroundings to eradicate opponents. For instance, lighting an enemy on fire is allowed in the game. Executing hunters with a firearm is another new addition to the game. There are also those contact sensitive moments in the game (ala Resident Evil 4 and God of War). Artificial intelligence itself is a complete disaster. There are enemies in this game who do an abysmal job of locating where you are hiding. This is especially conspicuous when they are aware of your presence. These opponents acted like a bunch of blind and asinine squirrels attempting to find an acorn. I did not know whether to laugh or shake my head in disbelieve. To makes matters worse, none of the enemies have any idea how to use a gun.

All of them fire their guns inaccurately and imprecisely. I have seen better shooting when Dick Cheney fired a shotgun. On the bright side, gamers are given much more freedom to explore the environment in this adaptation of the game. This is due to the fact that you can shoot out the lights and the incompetence of the hunters. Regrettably, this takes away from the challenge of the game. Moreover, it makes the game vastly more rudimentary than it needed to be. The majority of the gameplay itself is redundant. This is fine as long as the gameplay is engrossing. I am sorry to say that the grotesqueness seems to wear thin after approximately the first few hours of the game. More than one ending is possible, but both endings leave some vague unanswered questions left at the conclusion of the game. The game does have adequate audio. Voice acting is believable, and I thought the music fit the tone of the game perfectly. Moreover, the sound effects are realistic with the glass shattering and the cutting of bones. Overall, Manhunt 2 is a video game is has some enjoyment. But it is really only for the Manhunt enthusiasts.
Final Verdict: Manhunt 2 is an average game.
7 out of 10