The snuff-angle on the classic gamey structure of unlocking the door to the next area after the room is cleared is very clever. Voyeurism, power fantasies and sadism are to some degree part of most violent games, Manhunt just cuts the middle man and its impressive commitment to its dire premise still makes it one of if not the most radically unhinged video game produced for a wide audience.
The atmosphere is dense: The visuals consist of a noisy, gloomy mud; every level has it's own recognizable layer of filth. The different enemy types are memorably disgusting. They are a collection of groups that all for slightly different reasons believe that some human lives are worthless. A short-winded ex-soldier exclaimes blasé faire that 'it's been a while', implying that this is not his first time hunting another human; cops happily admit that they will kill you on sight, after trying to convince you that they are there to serve and protect; Nazis question the pureness of your bloodline. These are relatively broad strokes and some enemies are just derivative cliches of gang members and asylum inmates, but there is enough specificity in the writing and the performances to make this part of the game actually thought-provoking as a collection of facets of dehumanization.
The dedication to presenting violence in a new way doesn't stop at the audiovisual level. The power balance between weapon types is extreme. In Manhunt you can't bring a knife to a gunfight and neihter can your enemies. The generous auto-aim enhances this feeling. Gunfights are less about aiming, more about looking in the right direction, being at the right distance and having as few guns pointed at you as possible. I can't think of another game in which picking up a gun so massively changes your perspective on the level.
A Rockstar-Novum: This search for realism in mechanics actually leads to compelling and dynamic gameplay. There are many creative stealth-puzzles in Manhunt and the game has a better readability than most stealth games from the time. It wouldn't surprise me if Manhunt was a major inspiration for The Last of Us and Hotline Miami, but leaving precise aiming out of the equation makes it feel more methodic than its spiritual successors.
Unfortunately this came out in a period when Rockstar seemingly didn't want people to finish their games. The last levels are absurdly difficult in a way that feels completely unfair and made me rate the game a star lower than I'd previously thought I would. These sections are so bad that I'll think twice before ever playing this again, which is a shame.
And while I did enjoy Rockstar's sleazy deep dive into depravity, I can happily admit that I'd have zero interest in playing a visually higher fidelity Manhunt. There are things my eyes can go without.
The atmosphere is dense: The visuals consist of a noisy, gloomy mud; every level has it's own recognizable layer of filth. The different enemy types are memorably disgusting. They are a collection of groups that all for slightly different reasons believe that some human lives are worthless. A short-winded ex-soldier exclaimes blasé faire that 'it's been a while', implying that this is not his first time hunting another human; cops happily admit that they will kill you on sight, after trying to convince you that they are there to serve and protect; Nazis question the pureness of your bloodline. These are relatively broad strokes and some enemies are just derivative cliches of gang members and asylum inmates, but there is enough specificity in the writing and the performances to make this part of the game actually thought-provoking as a collection of facets of dehumanization.
The dedication to presenting violence in a new way doesn't stop at the audiovisual level. The power balance between weapon types is extreme. In Manhunt you can't bring a knife to a gunfight and neihter can your enemies. The generous auto-aim enhances this feeling. Gunfights are less about aiming, more about looking in the right direction, being at the right distance and having as few guns pointed at you as possible. I can't think of another game in which picking up a gun so massively changes your perspective on the level.
A Rockstar-Novum: This search for realism in mechanics actually leads to compelling and dynamic gameplay. There are many creative stealth-puzzles in Manhunt and the game has a better readability than most stealth games from the time. It wouldn't surprise me if Manhunt was a major inspiration for The Last of Us and Hotline Miami, but leaving precise aiming out of the equation makes it feel more methodic than its spiritual successors.
Unfortunately this came out in a period when Rockstar seemingly didn't want people to finish their games. The last levels are absurdly difficult in a way that feels completely unfair and made me rate the game a star lower than I'd previously thought I would. These sections are so bad that I'll think twice before ever playing this again, which is a shame.
And while I did enjoy Rockstar's sleazy deep dive into depravity, I can happily admit that I'd have zero interest in playing a visually higher fidelity Manhunt. There are things my eyes can go without.