Manhunt 2

Manhunt 2, arguably the most controversial game of the decade finally arrives for the PS2, PSP and the Nintendo Wii following rating issues in both the UK and the US.

Daniel Lamb, a mental patient suffering from amnesia wakes up to find his cell door open and another inmate, Leo, coaxing him to escape with him away from ‘The Project’ who are holding them captive and thus the psychological horror stealth game begins. In order to escape from the mental institute, rediscover forgotten memories and enact revenge upon the people responsible, Daniel and Leo must hide in the shadows and fight the people responsible for the atrocities committed to them. This is primarily acted out in the form of ‘executions’ which involve sneaking up behind enemies and using anything from shards of glass to axes as well as a variety of firearms to kill their foes which are displayed in close-up and often graphic detail.

There was an initial backlash to the violence in the game from the BBFC and consequently the final product is moderately toned-down to censor some of the executions. The end result is that Manhunt 2 close-ups are excessively contrasted and saturated so that some of the gore is hidden. However due to the game being a psychological horror and subsequently the protagonist’s decent into madness this suits the aesthetic of the game and to some extent compliments the overall effect.

Unique to the Wii is the ability to act out the executions depicted on-screen, for example if a quick swipe to the right is required then the wii-mote must be sliced to the right accordingly. This adds to the emersion within Manhunt 2 and raises the overall level of challenge as specific movements involving the wii-mote and nunchuk, often in conjunction, are required to successfully complete the necessary actions. by Jonathan Rose

Horror Games – Left 4 Dead 2, Manhunt 2 Horror , Resident Evil 5, Wii Resident Evil Darkside, Call of Duty World at War, Plants Vs. Zombies, Silent Hill

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