Manhunt (2003, Rockstar. PlayStation 2, X-Box).

<~ A typically grisly execution. Things getting nasty in Tesco's as Cash gets busy with a placcy bag. Nasty.

Manhunt is a truly original, one of a kind classic, more than worthy of a next-gen sequel. The likelihood of this happening is tragically slim as this was a game somewhat overlooked due to it's graphic content. A lot of wussy gamers chose to bypass playing one of the best games in recent years. Their loss as Manhunt is a pure dose of unadulterated fun. You play as James Earl Cash rescued from a lethal injection on death row, handed a second chance at life by sadistic snuff film director, Starkweather. That is subject to the director’s conditions to co-operate and play his part in a deadly game of cat and mouse. For Cash it’s kill or be killed.
As you make your way through the dark, foreboding alleyways of Carcer city you are instructed to commit increasingly grisly and disturbing executions at the behest of the omnipresent director who communicates with Cash via an earpiece. Utilising an array of exotic weapons ranging from plastic bags and glass shards to begin with, to machetes and meat cleavers later on in the game. When performing a fatality the game camera switches to Starkweather’s point of view in glorious, fuzzy snuff-o-vision to give you the optimum view of your dirty deed. It’s bizarrely voyeuristic and may give you bad dreams for a while. Blood and skull fragments fly at the camera as you score a home run with a hunter’s head. You’ll hear your victim gargle, desperately gagging for air as you saw through his neck with cheese wire. Be forewarned the faint of heart might lose their lunch; Manhunt is every bit as horrifying as it sounds. Yet, Manhunt is so intuitive and hugely gratifying to play. Lock onto a character using L1 and three arrows will frame your next victim’s head. Hold down  or X and slowly creep up on your ill-fated prey. The colour of the arrows denotes the level of violence with which cash will perform the kill. White arrows are quick kills, no fuss, no muss. Hold on a little longer and yellow kills are suitably vulgar, but it’s the red kills that you’ll want to strive for. Keep racking these up and you’ll be rewarded a higher star rating and stars unlock extras.
Most of Manhunt has Cash relying on stealth and lurking in the shadows, a strategy that you’ll be forced to adopt in order to survive. You’ll need to patiently plan your attack before you go steaming in, as Cash won’t last long up close and personal. It’s more viable to hang back and wait, the hunter’s AI is such that you won’t be able to predict their patrol patterns right away, you’ll have to survey your surroundings and consider your options.
For the latter part of the game, Cash gets tooled up with a variety of firearms making gun battles the order of the day. It makes Manhunt refreshingly varied.
If like me you are desensitised to violence you’ll lap this up. If you cry when the little fluffy kitten dies on Animal Hospital or vomit at the thought of watching Casualty, this isn’t the game for you. Go play Crash Bandicoot instead.Give Manhunt your full attention and you’ll discover a game that’s satisfying, rewarding and enjoyable in equal measure. Unmissable for anyone old enough to drink beer.
Verdict: 10/10