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Manhunt Delivers Stealthy Shock For Rockstar

Posted by simoniker on from the pushing-the-envelope dept.

Thanks to U.S. Playstation Magazine for its review of Rockstar North's ultraviolent PS2 stealth action title Manhunt, which it rates as "a solidly constructed third-person affair." The reviewer also explains the most unique feature: "As an interesting gimmick, Manhunt supports the USB headset. With the headset, the Director's comments [as voiced by Brian Cox] are heard only through the earpiece." GameSpot also largely rates the title positively, approving of the "tension and grim satisfaction" in the stealth action gameplay, but highlighting the ways the "game unflinchingly depicts intense graphic violence" as the Director "captures on video the bloody executions" carried out by your in-game character. This leads Playstation Magazine to question the ESRB rating system, suggesting that if Manhunt "didn't merit an AO rating, then I don't know what will", while IGN PS2 simply says, with regard to the gore: "No videogames to date have gone as far."

11 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. Title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So am I the only one who read the title and thought this would be an article about Michael Jackson?

    1. Re:Title by MarkGriz · · Score: 2, Funny

      My thoughts exactly. Although a more appropriate title would be "Manhunt Delivers Stealthy Shock For Former Rockstar"

      --
      Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
    2. Re:Title by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 4, Funny
      Yup, nothing funnier than a little kid getting molested; high comedy there.

      You remember when all those priests were getting busted? You must have been in stiches!

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
  2. About the AO bit... by Bagels · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They mostly define AO (Adults Only)-rated games as games that would involve nudity or sexual acts - a few hentai games from Japan would warrant this, but not much else. As it is, though the game is brutally violent, it's pretty much the same stuff that a 17 year old could see in some of the more violent R-rated movies. The problem is that people have become used to allowing under-17-year-olds to play M-rated games; in this case, the game is clearly *not* targetted at that demographic, though I'm sure that I'm about to be shocked when I hear some ten year olds talking about that awesome cleaver murder they committed in Manhunt...

    --
    --- Bwah?
    1. Re:About the AO bit... by martinde · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sadly, I think you're right. I've never understood these moral judgements in American society (I can't speak for other societies) - sex is "worse" than violence. Excuse me? Sex is a normal part of a healthy (and sexually mature) human being's life. Violence is not a healthy part of anyone's life - even if you want to argue we're hardwired for it in same manner as we are for sex. If we want to repress instincts, let's start with violence, not sex, thank you very much.

    2. Re:About the AO bit... by h0mer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm hoping that this game will be the one that does exactly what you're talking about, treating M-rated games the same as R-rated movies. Although if Grand Theft Auto (just look at the name) didn't do it, I doubt more violence will.

      What's it going to take? It makes me sick when I go to a local gaming store and see 4-5 13 year olds playing Counter-Strike. I played Doom when I was that age, but I see a substantial difference in shooting an Imp and shooting a counter-terrorist's head.

      As if network TV, Eminem, and other mass-media isn't fucking kids up enough already...

      I know some kids can handle it and some can't. But I really don't see the parents making that distinction, they're just turning a blind eye to it. I don't have a problem if you want to let your kid play Manhunt. I have a problem if you let him/her play Manhunt without knowing anything about it.

      --


      I'm on top of my game like I'm standin' on Xbox.
  3. It's not a movie, but... by bottlerocket · · Score: 5, Funny

    "As you go into battle, just remember what the MPAA says: Horrific, deplorable violence is okay, as long as nobody says any naughty words!"

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    where the comment ends and sig begins
  4. Re:Anyone else predict.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Hmm.. I got this last night and can definitely say it is no State of Emergency. It's delivers on its promise -- I haven't been so on edge in a videogame since the first Resident Evil was released.

    And yes, this game is beyond violent -- it is downright vicious. I can't recall any other game where I've actually winced at a cutscene. This is not just gore and blood -- it is savage. Having said that, given the premise of the game, it certainly succeeds at it.

  5. AO is as pointless a rating as NC-17 by AtaruMoroboshi · · Score: 2, Informative


    No major film is released as NC-17. Kill Bill Vol 1 had a long scene edited to be in Black & White soley to avoid an NC-17.

    No major game meant to be profitable is going to be released as AO. The same religious conservatives and "watchdog" groups that threaten to boycott any theaters showing NC-17 films will raise a rukus over any AO game.

    Sad though, as in principle I firmly believe in ratings like AO and NC-17. Occasionally, I want to go to see movies intended for adults only, such as Crash, which was NC-17 and recieved a limited release.

    .

    1. Re:AO is as pointless a rating as NC-17 by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Crash was Ballard's worst work - why would you want to see that nonsense?

      And, in the interest of fairness, conservative groups do threaten boycotts but so do very liberal groups. Dr. Laura's television show was hurt, in part, because of the boycotts brought on by pro-homosexual groups. I think the idea of organized boycotts can have a time and place in order to bring about change but when you use it to silence people whose opinions you disagree with - that's just hurting society. From a conservative group, I can somewhat understand their reasoning but for a liberal group to attack someone who is anti-homosexual seems a bit hypocritical. Aren't they always pushing for acceptance of all and diversity within society? Yet that diversity cannot include anti-homosexuals, etc. Perplexing, very perplexing.

      But back to the game, has anyone heard that Rockstar had to edit parts of Manhunt? With a movie, you can give a cut to the board and then cut bits of the movie pretty easily to appease them. With a video game, this might not be as easy to do - especially if what they are offended by isn't just a simple cut scene but rather an underlying piece of the gameplay. Could this bring about bugs in the finished game? I don't know if game companies are being forced to modify games like this.

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
  6. And I sound like a young whipper-snapper, but... by Intellectual+Elitist · · Score: 2, Interesting
    ...any form of entertainment that allows you to experience something that you've never experienced before automatically has value. You may not personally appreciate or approve of the experience that it offers, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have merit.

    I happen to enjoy movies and games with gritty content. They give me a window into a dark world that I'll thankfully never intersect with in real life, but that I still find conceptually intriguing. That being said, I can't play Manhunt for extended periods of time because the tension and the ultraviolence start to get to me...but that doesn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the game.

    Out of curiosity, since you plan to stop buying games by Rockstar because of Manhunt, have you also boycotted all of the movie studios who have put out films with extremely gory content? I mean, you should clearly be skipping the Lord Of The Rings films because New Line Cinema also put out Seven...