Manhunt 2 is a 2007 stealth game created by Rockstar Games. It was developed by Rockstar London for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2, Rockstar Leeds for the PlayStation Portable, and Rockstar Toronto for the Wii. The game is the follow-up to 2003's Manhunt and was released in North America on October 29, 2007, and in PAL territories on October 31, 2008. The story follows Daniel Lamb, a man with amnesia who tries to learn his identity, and Leo Kasper, a violent assassin who helps Daniel during his journey.
Originally planned for release in North America and Europe in July 2007, the game was put on hold by Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, after it was denied classification in some countries and received an Adults Only (AO) rating in the United States. Because Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony Computer Entertainment do not allow AO-rated games on their consoles, this would have limited the game’s availability in the U.S. To address these issues, Rockstar changed the game by blurring scenes of violence and removing a scoring system that rewarded players for violent actions. This edited version received an M rating from the ESRB in the U.S. and was released on October 29, 2007. However, some countries, like the BBFC in Britain and the IFCO in Ireland, still refused the edited version. After Rockstar appealed, the game was accepted with an 18 certificate in Britain and a PEGI 18 rating in Ireland. In other countries, such as Germany and Malaysia, the game was banned entirely.
Manhunt 2 received mixed reviews from critics. Many praised the improved gameplay, game engine, plot twists, darker storyline, and use of extreme violence. However, some critics found the voice acting and older graphics to be less impressive. The game caused controversy before and after its release, drawing attention from British parliament member Keith Vaz, American anti-video game activist Jack Thompson, and several U.S. senators. It was also nominated for GameSpy’s 2007 Game of the Year Award for the PlayStation 2.
Gameplay
Players mainly play as Daniel Lamb from a third-person perspective, with Leo Kasper also playable in some missions. Although Daniel and Leo look and act differently, they share the same controls. Like the original game, the main way to play is through stealth execution, where the player must sneak up behind an enemy without being seen and kill them. There are three levels of execution, each more violent than the last: Level 1 (Hasty) is quick and not very bloody, Level 2 (Violent) is much more bloody, and Level 3 (Gruesome) is extremely graphic. The player chooses which level to use. When locked onto an enemy, a reticule changes color to show the level: white (Level 1), yellow (Level 2), and red (Level 3). On PC or Wii, during executions, players must complete quick time events by moving a mouse or Wii Controller or pressing buttons at specific times. If the event is not completed in time, the execution stops, but the enemy is still killed.
In Manhunt 2, stealth features have been improved from the first game. Players have more options for killing enemies, such as using firearms or environmental elements like manhole covers, telephones, or fuse boxes. They can also attack enemies from above by jumping off ledges. A scoring system that tracked how brutal executions were was removed from console versions to meet ESRB’s M rating requirements, but it remained in the PC version.
When not fighting, players must hide from enemies by staying out of their sight or hiding in shadows. The shadow system has changed since the first game. In Manhunt, enemies could not detect players in shadows unless they saw them enter. In Manhunt 2, enemies have improved AI, with some being more alert. If an enemy investigates a shadowed area, players may need to mimic button presses or motions (similar to quick time events) to control their character’s breathing and stay hidden. On PC and Wii, players must keep the cursor inside an on-screen circle. New features include climbing and crawling to explore more, and smashing lights to create additional shadows.
Sound is an important part of the game. Actions like running, opening doors, or stepping on gravel can alert enemies. However, sounds from machinery can help mask the player’s movements. Other combat options include using firearms, taking cover during gunfights, and targeting specific body parts like the head. Players can find painkillers to restore health. If discovered by an enemy, players can run, hide, or fight back with hand-to-hand combat.
Synopsis
Manhunt 2 is set in the year 2007, with scenes showing events from six years earlier, in a fictional city called Cottonmouth. This city is based on real southern U.S. cities, especially New Orleans. Like its first game, Manhunt 2 is part of the same shared universe as the Grand Theft Auto series, created by Rockstar Games.
In 2007, during a severe thunderstorm at the Dixmor Asylum for the Criminally Insane, the security system stops working for a short time, causing all the cell doors to open. Two inmates, Daniel Lamb (played by Ptolemy Slocum) and Leo Kasper (played by Holter Graham), escape. Daniel has memory loss and does not know why he was sent to the asylum. With Leo’s help, they leave the facility and go to the ruins of Daniel’s old home. There, Daniel finds medication that Leo had left for him. The medication helps Daniel remember parts of his past. Together, they search for answers about Daniel’s history while being chased by bounty hunters and members of a secret group called “The Project.”
As the story progresses, Daniel learns he once worked for the “Pickman Project,” a government program that tested brainwashing and mind control. The project aimed to create a perfect assassin by using a brain implant called the “Pickman Bridge.” This implant could store the skills and personality of an assassin, which could be activated remotely. The idea was to allow the implant to control the assassin’s actions without the person remembering what happened, making it harder to interrogate them.
As Daniel remembers more, he and Leo try to find Dr. Whyte, a former coworker. Before they reach her, they are captured and sedated. When Daniel wakes up, Dr. Whyte explains that six years earlier, Daniel volunteered to test the Pickman Bridge to pay off his family’s debts. However, the implant malfunctioned, causing Daniel to develop dissociative identity disorder. This condition allowed him to communicate with the implanted personality, which he believes is a real person named Leo Kasper. Dr. Whyte reveals that Leo is unstable and has been working against Daniel from the start.
Dr. Whyte explains that after the implant failed, Leo took control of Daniel’s mind, causing him to attack people, destroy records, and kill Daniel’s wife. The Project then erased Daniel’s memory, burned his home, and sent him to Dixmor to study the implant’s effects. After learning the truth, Daniel decides to destroy Leo. In a mental battle, Daniel overcomes his guilt about his wife’s death and defeats Leo, regaining control of his mind.
Afterward, Daniel wakes up on a road with no memory. He finds an envelope stating his new name is “David Joiner” and a new address: 526 Hope Street, Apartment B. He hesitates briefly before walking away.
If the player completes the game on the hardest difficulty or kills too many civilians, an alternate ending is unlocked. In this version, Leo defeats Daniel and takes control of his mind and body. Dr. Whyte, thinking she is speaking to Daniel, asks if he is okay. He replies that he is ready to continue working on the Bridge. When he looks in the mirror, he sees Leo’s face reflected back at him.
Development
Development of Manhunt 2 began shortly after the release of the first Manhunt. Rockstar North, the company that created the first game, was working on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, so development was given to Rockstar Vienna. From the first quarter to the third quarter of 2005, a German company called Rabcat Computer Graphics helped create more than 350 3D models for the game. However, on May 11, 2006, Rockstar Vienna closed, and the main development was moved to Rockstar London. Rockstar Toronto worked on a version for the Wii, and Rockstar Leeds worked on a version for the PSP. Take-Two officially announced the game on February 6, 2007, with a planned worldwide release in July 2007. Despite working on the game for two years, employees of Rockstar Vienna were not credited in the final product.
Rockstar launched the first teaser website for the game on February 7, 2007, and the official website was launched two months later. Additional details were shared by Official PlayStation Magazine, which was the first to show the game. Other media outlets, such as Kotaku and IGN, later reported on the game. Kotaku posted a preview that included a recording of someone playing the game, showing the first direct gameplay footage. The video was recorded at a Sony Computer Entertainment event in North America.
Controversy
The controversy around Manhunt 2 began two days after its announcement, even before any details or footage of the game were shared. At first, people talked about how the first Manhunt game had been wrongly linked to a murder in the UK. Take-Two, the company that made the game, addressed this issue on 8 February by saying, "We know some people incorrectly claim the original Manhunt was connected to the 2004 Warren Leblanc case. Court records show clearly that Manhunt had no role in the case. The judge, lawyers, and police all agreed that the game was not involved." That same day, Patrick and Giselle Pakeerah, the parents of Leblanc’s victim, criticized the game and said it influenced their son’s death. Leicester East MP Keith Vaz supported them, saying he was "astonished" that Rockstar, the game’s developer, was making a sequel.
On 23 February, activist Jack Thompson promised to stop the game from being sold, claiming the police were wrong about the game not belonging to the Pakeerah family and that Take-Two was lying about the incident. He said, "The original Manhunt caused a British youth to be killed by his friend, who played the game repeatedly. The killer used a hammer, just like in the game. Take-Two is hiding the truth about the game’s connection to the murder." On 10 March, Thompson said he would sue Take-Two and Rockstar to ban Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV as "public nuisances."
On 16 March, Take-Two asked a U.S. court to stop Thompson’s lawsuit, arguing that video games bought for private use cannot be considered public nuisances. The next day, Thompson wrote, "I hope Take-Two does something so foolish that I can defeat them." On 21 March, Thompson filed a counter-suit, accusing Take-Two of breaking the law and claiming other companies, like the Entertainment Software Association and IGN, were helping Take-Two. He called Rockstar North, the game’s developers, "Scottish sociopaths" and said Take-Two was "spewing pop culture sewage" to children. However, his claims had errors in the facts.
The dispute ended before going to court. Thompson agreed not to sue or threaten Take-Two, and Take-Two dropped a previous lawsuit against him about Bully, a game he tried to ban in 2005.
In May 2007, Thompson asked Wendy’s to cancel a promotion featuring toys based on Nintendo Wii games, including Manhunt 2, because the game was coming to the Wii. Wendy’s ignored him and continued the promotion. Thompson also wrote to Florida officials, saying the Wii version of Manhunt 2 was dangerous because players would use the controller like a real weapon. On 6 June, Florida’s attorney general said he was worried about how the game used the Wii Remote.
The Center for a Commercial-Free Childhood also asked the ESRB, the group that rates video games, to give Manhunt 2 an "Adults Only" (AO) rating.
On 19 June 2007, less than a month before the game’s release, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) rejected Manhunt 2. Rockstar said they were disappointed but agreed to follow the BBFC’s rules. They claimed the game was not more violent than movies like Saw and Hostel. However, the BBFC said Rockstar was wrong and that they did not treat games unfairly.
On the same day, the ESRB gave Manhunt 2 an AO rating, which meant major stores like Walmart and GameStop would not sell it. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony said they would not allow AO-rated games on their platforms, effectively banning the game in the U.S.
A few months later, an uncut version of Manhunt 2 for the PlayStation 2 was leaked online by a Sony employee.
Because of the BBFC and ESRB decisions, Rockstar changed the game. They made five main changes:
1. They added a blurring effect during executions, making the screen red and flashing black-and-white.
2. They removed most decapitations, keeping only two important to the story.
3. They changed the pliers execution to simply hitting the enemy over the head instead of tearing their throat or removing their testicles.
4. They removed innocent characters from certain levels, so players no longer had to decide whether to kill them.
5. Other changes were made to reduce the game’s graphic content.
Reception
Manhunt 2 received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews from critics. Some reviewers praised the game's graphic violence and its storyline based on psychological horror. GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd said the game was "not as shocking as you'd expect, but Manhunt 2 still satisfies your primal instincts," and he noted that the game was better to play on the PSP platform. Mikel Reparaz from GamesRadar said, "if you're in the mood for something creepy and horrific that'll leave you feeling a little dirty, Manhunt 2's still-shocking murders and eerie, is-it-real-or-am-I-just-insane storyline won't disappoint." Game Informer gave the Wii version of the game a score of 7.75/10, stating that "Manhunt 2 is every bit as grim and brutal as the first […] the writing, as is typical of Rockstar's games, is top-notch, and Daniel and the rest of the characters do come off the screen as very real and human […] It's a testament to this quality that I was really driven to see the tale out to its end." Similarly, Nintendo Power gave the Wii version a score of 7.5/10, stating that while the game does deliver for the most part, they were disappointed by the way external influences led Rockstar to change the game, and that the story, while interesting, is "highly predictable." Yahoo! reviewed the PSP version, stating "there's simply never been a game quite as squeamishly immersive as this […] it's even more terrifying for seeming like the most real thing in a game this year."
Jeff Haynes from IGN compared the game to the original, finding it fell short of the standard that game set; "Manhunt 2 isn't the tour de force title that will grab your attention and keep you there like the first one did." The review went on to state that "the AI doesn't feel as good as the first game, the setting and environments don't feel as menacing, and the story is definitely weaker. That isn't to say that Manhunt 2 isn't a good game, because it is." 1UP.com stated that "really, the game warrants a 4 [out of 10] because it's technically playable and, despite its best efforts, probably won't plunge the industry into a period of navel-gazing and political sanction. Everything else about it is largely forgettable." Jonathan Hunt from X-Play suggested that without the controversy concerning the rating, the game would be "nothing more than an obscure footnote in Rockstar's history." Ars Technica's Michael Thompson echoed similar thoughts, writing in a retrospective piece in 2009 that the controversy surrounding Manhunt 2 "was more interesting than the game itself."
The game is listed at #8 in IGN's "Top 10 Gaming Controversies" and was ranked (alongside the first game) as the sixth most controversial video game by UGO Networks. Machinima listed Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper #7 in their "Top 10 Criminal Duos in Gaming."
Future
Take-Two Interactive said it does not plan to continue the Manhunt series. In October 2007, Stephen Totilo from MTV Games asked Rockstar Games producer Jeronimo Barrera about adding a multiplayer feature to future versions of the Manhunt series, such as including the game in the Rockstar Games Social Club. Barrera appeared to support the idea.