Playing through Manhunt, I frequently found myself wondering if I would have been more impressed with the game if I hadn't left it in my backlog until 2021. Certainly the violence would have seemed more subversive in 2003, but from a gameplay perspective, it was released a year after Splinter Cell and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, and two years after Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. By that point, you could also pick up budget-priced reprints of Metal Gear Solid and Thief II. Manhunt has creepy run-down environments and a moody synth score, but mechanically, I don't feel that it's as well-rounded as any of the previously mentioned titles. At first it seems like the lack of spy gizmos is going to be made up for by the wide variety of melee weapons, but once the novelty of the execution animations wears off (which took about two hours in my case), it becomes apparent that they're largely interchangeable. Outside of a few truly awful brawling sequences, the first two-thirds of the game amounts to repeatedly making noises to draw enemies' attention, then attacking them while their backs are turned. The last act gets tricky on account of the sheer number of heavily armed cops and guards, leading to all the campaign's most frustrating and exciting moments. At times, the difficulty rivals Codename 47; players seeking a challenge will definitely find one. Ultimately, Manhunt is a real mixed bag. It’s too clunky and repetitious to be unconditionally recommended, but its grim atmosphere isn’t easily forgotten.