Manhunt: What's the point?

[Concept]

I wrote the article on this site. It's littered with grammatical errors and isn't structured entirely as I'd like - I'll be the first to admit to that considering the time frame it was written in. At some point I'm hoping to revise it.

What I will say with Manhunt is that it's one of the most compelling and atmospheric games of this generation, for numerous reasons I don't have the time to list here. I'll try and come up with a more detailed post later on, but not all games have to be enjoyable to be of merit.

The reason Manhunt works for me is that it doesn't take a moral stance on its violence. The character you control is scum, and the people he is up against are scum. There are no positions of morality involved - everyone is on level pegging.

[gingerj]

The reason Manhunt works for me is that it doesn't take a moral stance on its violence. The character you control is scum, and the people he is up against are scum. There are no positions of morality involved - everyone is on level pegging.

Isn't that exactly the same as the GTA series?

[Concept]

Nope. The contexts in both games are entirely different, and I'm not entirely saying Manhunt is unique in this levelling off.

It's application is unique, but that's different.

The existence of pedestrians in GTA, and the hierarchy (in terms of the player's ascendancy) also means the games can't be (strictly) compared to each other.

[vertigo]

Are you trying to insinuate that Rockstar can't actually produce a decent game and the only way they stay afloat is to create unnecessarily over violent games to create a hype machine that shifts units?

Where's our Space Station Silicon Valley sequel/update then?

[Concept]

Where's our Space Station Silicon Valley sequel/update then?

If only. I'd like to see a sequel to Body Harvest as well.

Rockstar North/DMA Design have been the UK's best major developer for well over a decade now.

[funkydan]

Well, if they don't agree with your findings, you could always nip behind them and strangle them with a plastic bag!

[Atticus]

The point of Manhunt, for me, is the thrill of fear, along with the satisfaction of outsmarting the thugs who mean you terrible harm. Getting chased and hiding, heart pounding behind a wrecked car or dustbin, while they're hunting for you, cursing you, is just brilliant. The emotion it instills in you evokes memories of getting chased by the 5th year skinheads at school. The danger. The thrill.

It's also an intelligent game. Best stealth game I've ever played. Plus you have the freedom to play it how you want to, and approach levels/mission (though essentially linear) in different ways.

And style-wise it's a treat for any John Carpenter fan

[Lyris]

Are you trying to insinuate that Rockstar can't actually produce a decent game and the only way they stay afloat is to create unnecessarily over violent games to create a hype machine that shifts units?

I would never !

[thebuddahman]

Where's our Space Station Silicon Valley sequel/update then?

Why can't everyone just smile!!

[Kaladron]

The point of Manhunt, for me, is the thrill of fear, along with the satisfaction of outsmarting the thugs who mean you terrible harm. Getting chased and hiding, heart pounding behind a wrecked car or dustbin, while they're hunting for you, cursing you, is just brilliant. The emotion it instills in you evokes memories of getting chased by the 5th year skinheads at school. The danger. The thrill.

It's also an intelligent game. Best stealth game I've ever played. Plus you have the freedom to play it how you want to, and approach levels/mission (though essentially linear) in different ways.

And style-wise it's a treat for any John Carpenter fan

I see what you're saying and I felt the same way for the first couple of kills but I quickly found that it became very repetitive. All I was doing was hiding and killing or running away, hiding and killing. Yawn.

[Concept]

Without wishing to spoil anything, the game constantly mutates in genre throughout its progression. There are clear shifts.

[Kaladron]

Can you give examples (in spoiler tags)? i'm not sure if I have time to play that far.

[MikeRox]

personally having tried Manhunt for about 15minutes, I found the whole concept of the game a complete turn off. But then I like my games happy laalaa in general.

[Concept]

I generally like all sorts.

What intrigues me about Manhunt (this is slightly off-topic) is that people are lavishing praise on The Warriors to the hilt, which although conceptually and in terms of identity is different to Manhunt, without the film kitsch attached to it, would be viewed just as morally despicable.

Yet in it's present state and because of said licence, lots of people are more than happy to look behind such aspects of consideration.

[themanwithapc]

That's a good point but it worries me a little. It's almost as if the desire to kill is already in the player and that the game encourages it.

Very true. I'd argue all of us have a violent side, some more so than others. However, wouldn't you rather have the player venting this sort of emotion in a videogame, where essentially there isn't any physical damage caused, rather than doing the same in real life? Looking through history, repression (of emotions and in general) only causes greater damage.