Cinematic only as peak Rockstar could do. Much as Max Payne is inspired by John Woo and GTA Vice City was by Scarface, Manhunt is clearly inspired by the gritty horror movies like Texas Chainsaw and the New French Extremity movement (which at the time was starting to find it's footing), and wears it like a glove throughout. Some of the best stealth gameplay you can find for this era, also gets brutally hard in the final stretch. Takes a bit for the story to get going, but once it does, it's a smart relentless reverse-slasher, a self-statement on violence in media and a gritty horror-crime thriller with a brilliant musical score, although more story on it's bones would have been recommended. Heard 2 has more story, so can't wait to get around to that soon

Manhunt is extremely controversial, and for good reason. It's hyper-violent and disturbing, forcing you to sneak around and execute enemies in brutal ways. The story is bleak, the atmosphere is oppressive, and it definitely makes you question how far is too far in a video game. It can be disturbingly effective at what it does, but even if you're into horror, the excessive and repetitive violence becomes numbing. Manhunt is a hard pass for most, and only for those with a strong stomach and an understanding that its brutality is intended as a commentary, not simply entertainment.