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After much controversy and hype, Manhunt 2 delivers a mediocre experience.
Unlike the original Manhunt, this storyline is somewhat more complicated. I actually found this aspect of the game quite compelling. I was involved and wanted to experience the story all the way through and the game delivered every step of the way.
Originally slapped with an AO rating, Manhunt 2 was modified a bit to get a Mature rating. This hurt the game because the blur effects used on the execution animations, while doing what they were intended to do, pretty much wreck the visceral experience. What looked like a blur/cellophane shader effectively destroyed the real feeling they were going for, which is a shame.
It could be the PS2 showing its age, but the graphics were not very impressive. The animations, on the other hand, were fluid and the variations numerous, keeping all the executions interesting and not ever feeling repetitive, which was one of my chief complaints from the last installment.
The sound effects were not as impressive this time around, either. This may be due to the blurred graphics, but the sounds never felt like they had any real impact, just gurgling and squishing noises everywhere.
You can read my review of the original Manhunt here. What is not surprising is that the criticisms remain largely the same, with two notable exceptions. First, the execution animations did not get repetive simply due to the number and variety of weapons available. Second, the on/off hiding in the darkness did not annoy me this time.
What is absolutely astonishing is that I had the exact same problem getting stuck in the world on a stairway railing as the original game! Another bug killed me when I tried crawling through an opening and suddenly found myself falling in space, then reappeard, dead of course, on the floor by the crawl space. Start over at the last checkpoint. Thanks.
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