646f9e108c Death-row inmate James Earl Cash awakens from his "execution" to discover that prison officials were bribed to fake his death and deliver him into the clutches of a snuff film ring that wants to use him as its newest star.
Manhunt is like a super-violent Truman Show. It is a very dark, disturbing and creepy video game. Most certainly NOT to be played by children or teenagers. There are no heroes here. Only villains. Not one single character is the type of person you'd want to run into a dark alley with. Including the main character. The game is filled with nothing but thugs, Neo-Nazi skinheads, psychopaths, corrupt police officers, lots of cursing, gore, and violence. The star of Manhunt is a serial killer on Death Row who goes by the name of James Earl Cash. On the day he's set to be executed, they take him to the chamber and he is then put to death....or was he? It turns out the "lethal injection" he received was nothing more then a strong sedative. In one of the first scenes, Cash wakes up in a locked dark hospital-like room, alive and well. Over the intercom a strange man's voice speaks to him and tells him to put on a wireless earpiece that is on a table next to him. He does this and then the voice tells him that if he does exactly as he says, he promises that this will be over before the night is out. Cash then enters a Hellish City and is told that the streets are being patrolled by gangs. That they are scum.....just like him. And that they are there to hunt him down and cut him up. The voice tells him that he will try to direct him the best that he can but other then that, Cash is on his own. Cash now has to sneak around the dark ghetto and stealthily kill gang members with whatever objects he can get his hands on since he is completely unarmed and outnumbered. If Cash can get past the first gang, he will have to take on many other gangs afterwards. Same rules apply with each gang he takes on. After he is done with one gang, he has to drop all his weapons and start off on the next level yet again with no weapons and has to use whatever weapons and objects he can get his hands on. In this whole process, he is being recorded by surveillance cameras which is being watched by "The Director," the man speaking to him through the earpiece. It turns out this man has the power to pull a killer off Death Row and place him into an enclosed city where he has to fight to stay alive amongst gangs and what not. It's a night of kill or be killed for the delight of The Director. If James Earl Cash does as The Director directs, he might just survive with his sanity..........and quite possibility his life.
I'm not much of a gamer anymore at all but I did buy Manhunt for PS2. It isn't a horror game such as killing zombies in Resident Evil but something darker, more sinister. The plot involves a criminal who was seemingly executed by lethal injection but wakes up in a room later to find out it was just a strong sedative. He finds this out from a voice over the intercom. The voice (Brian Cox) is that of the "director" and he next tells our antihero to put in an earpiece so that all future communications are quiet. The game being played is "the most dangerous" one and if he survives the night, he will supposedly be let free. The catch is that the "director" is filming everything, not only for his own sadistic pleasure but to create snuff films to sell to his elite customers. And what snuff films they are! He directs you on what to do so that his productions turn out to be top quality, as well as gets rather excited himself for each successful murder. As you creep about the prepared areas, you find various gang members who are getting paid to hunt you down. Of course, you turn the tables on them. Using a plethora of weaponry such as plastic bags, shards of glass, bats, and crowbars (and much more, plus guns in later levels), you sneak up on a thug and kill them. Brutally. In fact, each weapon has three levels of mayhem, depending on how long you can hold down the button while tracking them. After releasing the button, the screen turns into a home video-type view and you watch the execution unfold. A bat at level three has you choke the guy until he unconsciously falls to his knees, then you crack him full swing in the head, realistically spraying skull, brain, and blood against a wall. A glass shard allows you to stab your prey directly in the face several timesÂ…blood splatters on the screen. You get the idea. All this carnage actually relies on stealth and quietude, which makes the game all the more disturbingly somber. The graphics, sound, and music are all quite fitting. Anyway, like I said, I'm not much of a gamer anymore but I still may occasionally pick up a game if it catches my eye. Manhunt is a pretty cool game despite a plot dealing with sadistic voyeurism and its overall graphic and disturbing nature. In fact, that's what makes it interesting to play.
Manhunt is one of theses games which pleases the gore hound in me. It is release for behaviour deemed 'unwise' in reality not to mention the level of controversy the game received due to the Neo-Con Lobby of England and the Daily Mail. However in a way one could also argue the boundaries of taste giving the fascination people have with reality TV. Players are placed into the world of James Earl Cash who has been given a second shot at life only to be used a pawn in a brutal bloodsport with the 'director' pulling his strings. It cleverly ties into the Grand Theft Auto world although I would argue that Liberty City seems like Vegas compared to Carcer City. It is them up to the players to implicate extreme measures or violence and brutality to please their audience and at the same time keep them-selves alive. It is easy to get into , fun , fast paced and also very atmospheric with a still a few jump out moments and the gore level in it will satisfy any inner freak. I think the only thing about Manhunt is that it well the missions can be a very repetitive which may lead to concentration lapses which makes things frustrating from time to time. And also the camera might be a little bit frustrating at the worst of times. However putting that aside Manhunt has to be played as it is there to offend and please anybody who hates some self-righteous moralistic prate who wants to tell us how to live our lives. Check it out if your in a mood for blood. They have also recently lifted the ban on Manhunt 2 giving the media frenzy surrounding the first and I shall indeed be checking it out, hopefully it will live up to the hype.<br/><br/>MANHUNT : 8.3 OUT OF 10 <br/><br/>THEY HAVE JUST KILLED JAMES EARL CASH. NOW THEY WANT TO KILL HIM AGAIN...