Manhunt (Video Game 2003)

Death-row inmate James Earl Cash awakens from his "execution" to discover that prison officials were bribed to fake his death and deliver him into the clutches of a snuff film ring that wants to use him as its newest star.

Director:

Navid Khonsari

Writers:

Alan Davidson, James Worrall,

Stars:

Sean R. Lynch, John Doman, Lenny Venito

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean R. Lynch	...	Hoods (voice) (as Sean Lynch)
John Doman	...	Hoods (voice)
Lenny Venito	...	Hoods (voice)
Gregory Salata	...	Hoods (voice) (as Greg Salata)
Peter Appel	...	Hoods (voice)
Nestor Serrano	...	Hoods (voice)
Gregory Sims	...	Innocentz (voice) (as Greg Sims)
Adam Sietz	...	Innocentz (voice) (as Adam Seitz)
Geoffrey Cantor	...	Innocentz (voice)
Antone Pagan	...	Innocentz (voice)
James Urbaniak	...	Innocentz (voice)
David Coburn	...	Innocentz (voice)
Kendall Clark	...	War Dogs (voice)
Rick Aiello	...	War Dogs (voice) (as Ricky Aiello)
Julian Dean	...	War Dogs (voice)

Storyline

Manhunt is like a super-violent Truman Show. It is a very dark, disturbing and creepy video game. Most certainly NOT to be played by children or teenagers. There are no heroes here. Only villains. Not one single character is the type of person you'd want to run into a dark alley with. Including the main character. The game is filled with nothing but thugs, Neo-Nazi skinheads, psychopaths, corrupt police officers, lots of cursing, gore, and violence. The star of Manhunt is a serial killer on Death Row who goes by the name of James Earl Cash. On the day he's set to be executed, they take him to the chamber and he is then put to death....or was he? It turns out the "lethal injection" he received was nothing more then a strong sedative. In one of the first scenes, Cash wakes up in a locked dark hospital-like room, alive and well. Over the intercom a strange man's voice speaks to him and tells him to put on a wireless earpiece that is on a table next to him. He does this and then the voice...

---

Plot Keywords:

death row | prison | execution | gore | surveillance camera | 

---

Taglines:

This is a brutal blood sport.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

M

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 2003 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rockstar North, Rockstar Games, Rockstar Vienna

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The game takes place in Carcer City, which is the city right next door to Liberty City, the locale of Grand Theft Auto 3, and was also mentioned numerous times in that game.

---

Goofs

In the level "Graveyard Shift", Cash uses a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun. In the cut-scene that ends the level, Cash is carrying a pump-action military-style shotgun.

---

Quotes

Smileys #1: You think we should run away? But Mr. Starweather say Fug must stay!

---

Crazy Credits

After the credits finish rolling, a random segment of a children's television show plays briefly. Supposedly, this is to give the impression that Starkweather taped over the majority of the children's show with the snuff film footage of Cash's killings.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Hills Run Red (2009)

User Reviews

Disturbingly Enjoyable

Manhunt is made by Rockstar, the same company that brought us the GTA series of games. GTA is known for its controversial subject matter (violence, crime etc.), so even before I played Manhunt I kinda knew what to expect. The game takes place in the fictional Carcer City, with you playing as James Earl Cash. Cash has been sentenced to death, but the sentence is never really carried out. You are rescued by the mysterious Starkweather (voiced brilliantly by Brian Cox), but you soon realise there is a rather big catch to your timely rescue. It seems Starweather likes to film so called "snuff films" and has chosen you as his newest star. You proceed to put on an earpiece and you're guided through the game by Starkweather. The game mostly has you fighting gangs, which are seemingly hired by Starkweather to be your victims. You will mostly stalk your prey, attacking them from behind with a lot of different weapons. This isn't an all out brawler though. You might be able to take on one enemy head to head, but taking more than one foe in mêlée combat will usually result in death. The first half of the game mostly involves stalking enemies from the shadows, with the second part being more action packed. When approaching an enemy from behind, there are 3 levels of kills you can perform, depending on how long you hold down the attack button. For example, a level one kill with a piece of wire will choke an enemy, while a level three attack will decapitate him. Calling this game violent would be an understatement. It deserves its R rating, and was even banned in some countries. I would even go as far as to say this is the most violent game I have ever played. The "executions" you perform when attacking an enemy from behind are brutal to say the least, and with many different weapons and three different levels of killing, there's plenty of variety. There is also quite a lot of swearing, so be warned. Technically the game is awesome. The controls are easy to use and get used to, the sound is great, with brilliant voice acting and the graphics are top notch, with the grainy effect really adding to the feeling that you are being filmed and watched. It is very intense, with eary music and Starkweather urging you on as you stalk your enemies. Overall it is a great game all around. It combines stealth and action perfectly, and even though it can be very difficult and frustrating at times, it is still disturbingly enjoyable. So if you can handle the violence there is no reason for you to miss out on playing this.