Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2 is a 2007 stealth game by Rockstar Games. It was developed by Rockstar London for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2, Rockstar Leeds for the PlayStation Portable, and Rockstar Toronto for the Wii. It is the sequel to 2003's Manhunt and was released in North America on 29 October 2007, and in PAL territories from 31 October 2008. The game follows Daniel Lamb, a mental patient suffering from amnesia as he tries to uncover his identity, and Leo Kasper, a sociopathic assassin who guides Daniel in his journey.
Originally scheduled for a North American and European release in July 2007, the game was suspended by Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive when it was refused classification in some countries and given an Adults Only rating in the United States. As Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony Computer Entertainment do not allow licensed releases of AO titles on their consoles, this would have severely limited their potential customer base in the US as well. In response to these ratings problems, Rockstar censored the game, blurring the screen during the game's executions and removing the scoring system, which rewarded players for particularly brutal killings; this edited version was rated M in the US by the ESRB and was released on 29 October. However, boards in some other countries still refused the edited version, such as the BBFC in Britain and the IFCO in Ireland; following Rockstar appealing, ultimately the game was accepted with an 18 certificate and PEGI 18 rating respectively. Still, in some countries such as Germany and Malaysia, Manhunt 2 was banned outright.
Manhunt 2 received mixed reviews from critics: the improved gameplay, game engine, plot twists, darker storyline, and use of extreme violence was praised, but its voice acting and outdated graphics drew mixed responses. The title garnered controversy before and after its release, getting the attention of British parliament member Keith Vaz, American anti-video game activist Jack Thompson, and various US senators. It was nominated for GameSpys 2007 Game of the Year Award for the PS2.
Gameplay
Players primarily assume the role of Daniel Lamb in a third-person perspective, with Leo Kasper also playable in certain missions. Although different in appearance and personality, both have similar controls. As with the original game, the primary gameplay mechanic is stealth execution, whereby the player character must approach an enemy from behind, undetected, and kill them. There are three 'levels' of execution, with each level progressively more violent and graphic than the last; Level 1 executions are quick and not very gory, Level 2 are considerably more gory, and Level 3 are over-the-top. The player is in control of which level they use; once the player has locked onto an enemy, the lock-on reticule changes color over time to indicate the level; white, yellow, and red. When playing on PC or Wii while doing the executions, there is a quick time event which lists down certain moves that either the mouse or Wii Controller must move or by pressing a certain button at a specific time in order to finish the execution. If it does not finish in the specific time, it will stop the execution and skips it entirely, although the player still kills the person.Manhunt 2s stealth elements have been updated from the previous game. For example, players are given more choices in terms of executing enemies. Aside from the three levels of execution per weapon, players can use firearms for executions. Two further additions to the execution system are "environmental executions" whereby the player can use elements of the game world to eliminate opponents, and "jump executions" whereby players can attack enemies from above by leaping off a ledge. A scoring system based on how brutal the executions was excluded from the console versions in order to obtain an M rating from ESRB, while the PC version retained this feature.
While out of combat, players must hide from enemies by staying out of their point of view or hiding in the shadows. The shadow system in the game has been tweaked from the first game. In Manhunt, unless a hunter saw a player enter a shadow area, he would be unable to detect the player within it. In Manhunt 2 however, enemy AI has been expanded, with some enemies more vigilant than others. When hiding in the shadows, if an enemy investigates the area, the player may have to mimic a combination of buttons or motions, in order to regulate the character's breathing so as to ensure that he remains calm and undetected. In the PC and Wii version, the player must keep the cursor inside an on-screen circle. Climbing and crawling have been added to the game to increase the sense of exploration. Another new feature is the ability to smash lights so as to create extra pockets of shadow. Audio is an important aspect of the game. Tasks such as running, opening doors, walking on gravel and cornstalks, or accidentally knocking objects over, can alert the enemy to the player's position. However, sound sources such as machinery can be used as a tool to cover the player's own noise. Other forms of combat aside from stealth are incorporated. Firearms allow for gunfights. Players can take cover from enemy fire, while individual body parts such as the head can be targeted. Painkillers can be found throughout the game, improving the player's health. When the player is discovered by an enemy, they can either run, hide or attempt to fight back with hand-to-hand combat.
Synopsis
Setting
Manhunt 2 takes place circa 2007, with flashback sequences set six years prior, within the fictional city of Cottonmouth, which is inspired by several southern US cities, mainly New Orleans. Like its predecessor, the game is part of the same shared universe as the Grand Theft Auto series also created by Rockstar Games.Plot
In 2007, at the Dixmor Asylum for the Criminally Insane, a severe thunderstorm causes the security system at the asylum to momentarily go offline, opening the cell doors throughout the facility, resulting in the populace wandering freely through the corridors. Two somewhat saner inmates are Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper. Daniel, who suffers from disorientation and is partly amnesiac, is unable to remember how or why he was admitted to Dixmor. Under Leo's guidance, they escape the facility and make their way to the ruins of Daniel's old home. Inside, Daniel recovers medication which Leo says he left there for himself in the event of him forgetting the past. The medication helps to clear his head somewhat, and he begins to remember fragments of his former life. He and Leo then set out to unravel the secrets of Daniel's past, all the while pursued by bounty hunters and agents of a mysterious organization called "The Project".As the plot unfolds, Daniel learns that he was once a top scientist in the employment of the "Pickman Project", a government-sponsored weapons program involving brainwashing and mind control techniques. The Project's goal was to create the perfect assassin; to accomplish this, they developed the "Pickman Bridge", a brain implant containing the personality and skills of a trained assassin which could be activated on command. Theoretically, these personalities can coexist, unaware of each other. The idea is to remotely activate the assassin persona for a mission, but keep it disabled otherwise, meaning the person would then have no memory of what happened, neutralizing enemy interrogation.
As Daniel puts the clues together and begins to remember more of his past, he and Leo set out to find Dr. Whyte, a Project researcher and one of Daniel's co-workers. However, before they can get to her, they are ambushed and sedated. Daniel wakes up in a room with Whyte, who reveals the truth to him. Six years prior, with the Project's funds under threat, Daniel volunteered himself to test the Pickman Bridge, hoping that the resulting payoff would allow him to clear his family's debts and provide a financially secure future. However, the Bridge malfunctioned soon after it was implanted, causing Daniel to suffer from dissociative identity disorder, resulting in him being able to directly communicate with the implanted personality, who he perceives as a real person - Leo Kasper. Whyte explains that Leo is dangerously unstable, and has been working against Daniel from the very beginning.
Whyte reveals that, after the implant malfunctioned, Leo's personality asserted itself, suppressing Daniel's own, and he went on a rampage across the city, murdering police officers and members of the Project, destroying the Project's records of Daniel and himself, and finally making his way to Daniel's household and killing his wife. His goal was to weaken Daniel's grip on reality to the point where Leo could take complete control of his mind. However, the Project caught Daniel/Leo after the murder, erased his memory, torched his house, and had him committed to Dixmor, where they had been working to study the effects of the implant and repair the damage, without success. Upon learning the truth, Daniel determines that he must destroy Leo once and for all. He enters a deep hypnotic state and faces off against Leo within the confines of his own mind. He is finally able to let go of the guilt he feels over his wife's death, allowing him to destroy Leo and assert control.
Having done so, Daniel awakens on a deserted road with his memory erased once more. He is holding an envelope informing him that his name is "David Joiner", providing him with a new home address at 526 Hope Street, Apartment B, and wishing him luck. Daniel briefly hesitates before walking away.
An alternate ending is unlocked on the Hard difficulty or if Danny killed too many civilians throughout the game, resulting in the final battle being played from Leo's perspective. He successfully destroys Daniel's personality and wakes up in control of his mind and body. Whyte, believing she is speaking to Daniel, asks him if he is okay, to which he replies he is keen to get back to work on the Bridge. As he looks at himself in the mirror, Daniel sees Leo's reflection looking back at him.