Manhunt (2003) (VG)

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Writers:

Alan Davidson (written by) &
James Worrall (written by) ...

Release Date:

19 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

They just killed James Earl Cash. Now they want to kill him again.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Death Row | Alley | Snuff | Gore | Execution

Cast

Stephen Wilfong	...	James Earl Cash (voice)
Brian Cox	...	The Director (voice)
Kate Miller	...	Journalist (voice)
Renaud Sebbane	...	White Rabbit (voice)
Mark Margolis	...	Tramp (voice)
Noelle Sadler	...	Dispatcher (voice)
Brad Abelle	...	Prison Voice (voice)
Sean R. Lynch	...	Hoods #1 (voice) (as Sean Lynch)
John Doman	...	Hoods #2 (voice)
Lenny Venito	...	Hoods #3 (voice)
Gregory Salata	...	Hoods #4 (voice) (as Greg Salata)
Peter Appel	...	Hoods #5 (voice)
Nestor Serrano	...	Hoods #6 (voice)
Gregory Sims	...	Innocentz #1 (voice) (as Greg Sims)
Adam Sietz	...	Innocentz #2 (voice) (as Adam Seitz)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:MA (original rating) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Australia:Refused Classification (re-rating on appeal) | Germany:(Banned) | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:(Banned) | Norway:18 (self applied) | UK:18 | USA:M

Company:

Rockstar North

Trivia:

When the game is beaten, a news reporter mentions the questioning of a police officer named Gary Sheaffer. This is a reference to a radio bit in "Grand Theft Auto 3," also made by Rockstar Games, where a news radio reporter mentions "police chief Gary Sheaffer in nearby Carcer City" who is being indicted about some missing witnesses.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The game is said to take place in the same world as GTA, yet the game manual specifically states that the director moved to Carcer City to start producing snuff films after an accident in Hollywood, a place that is replaced by Vinewood in the GTA universe.

Quotes:

Smileys #1: [singing] One, two, buckle Fug's shoe / Three, four, cut up a whore /

Movie Connections:

References Dawn of the Dead (1978)

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.