Rockstar reveals Manhunt 2 for the PS2, PSP, and ... Wii

by Christopher Grant { Feb 6th 2007 at 3:20PM }

Get ready to wave goodbye one last time to all those specious misconceptions that the Wii -- thanks to its unique name, diminutive size, and first-party mascot -- is a children's system. Rockstar Games, who've always had a penchant for controversy, just added a gasoline-soaked two by four (with nails in it) to the "do video games teach kids to kill" bonfire, announcing that Manhunt 2, the sequel to last generation's ultraviolent snuff film-slash-video game, will be released on the PlayStation 2, the PSP and the Wii -- with nary an Xbox 360 or PS3 announcement in sight.

The PS2 and PSP versions are being developed by Rockstar London, their newest studio, in conjunction with Manhunt series creator Rockstar North (Grand Theft Auto) while the Wii version is being handled independently by Rockstar Toronto (The Warriors). We're going to be hearing a lot more about this one.

Tags: Manhunt, Manhunt2, Rockstar, RockstarGames, Take2

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Arno @ Feb 6th 2007 3:22PM

Haha. The Wii.

WebPimp @ Feb 6th 2007 3:25PM

OH you know it'll be slick playing this on the Wii. Swinging the appropriate item at whatever is in front of you. Should be good times.

mark @ Feb 6th 2007 3:26PM

Should be entertaining at the least. Glad Rockstar is supporting the Wii -- hopefully Table Tennis and/or some new ip's come out of it.

Slaziman @ Feb 6th 2007 3:26PM

But, POKEMON!!! AND.... RED PLUMBER!!! LOLOL KIDDY SYSTEM

Ken @ Feb 6th 2007 3:27PM

Oh yes.. Now this should hold me over until Sadness (They changed the title right? I can't seem to remember it) comes out for the Wii. That's really cool.

Probot @ Feb 6th 2007 3:28PM

Manhunt was one of the worst games last generation. I'm disappointed Rockstar is wasting their time on a sequel.

Rob @ Feb 6th 2007 3:29PM

What the stupid Jack Thompsons should realize is that this is an M rated game intended for a Mature audience. Wii also has the capability to Block games from being played based on its rating.

Yes, Wii is a more family friendly system but that doesn't mean it ONLY has those type of games. If A child is playing this on Wii then it's the fault of that child's parents not Nintendo.

dis_guy @ Feb 6th 2007 3:34PM

Rob is right, even the 360 has this. When I first registered my 12 year old brother on xbox live he couldn't do alot of stuff until I changed th esettings for him. Nintendo's Wii is probably the same. (I wouldn't know because I still don't have one :( )

Revolution @ Feb 6th 2007 3:37PM

#6

I'd hardly call a game with a 76 on Metacritic "one of the worst games last generation". I was not a huge fan of the game but you might be exaggerating just a touch.

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/manhunt?q=manhunt

Jason @ Feb 6th 2007 3:39PM

Of course you know how negligent today's parents are, so I fully expect "shocked and appalled mothers" who catch Timmy mimicing the motions of pulling a plastic bag over someone's head, choking them and then jamming glass shards in their eyes... Rockstar is like Jerry Springer.

Je2037 @ Feb 6th 2007 3:44PM

I can see plastic bag and broken bottle Wii controllers now..

Je2037 @ Feb 6th 2007 3:44PM

I can see the plastic bag and broken bottle Wii controllers now..

Je2037 @ Feb 6th 2007 3:44PM

fug!

iceatcs @ Feb 6th 2007 3:46PM

hmm, it will be more likely not the same game since 2 different studio mean 2 different developers group.

I bet the wii version it might sounds like one on one with point of view visial (FPS) game like Dragon Quest Swords. Not sure with gore effect! No blood like Red Steel.

MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Feb 6th 2007 3:48PM

Can we stop with the "Nintendo is kiddy" bullshit. It was just a marketing gimmick created by Sega, then continued by Sony, to denounce Nintendo as a system for "kids" because they don't believe in hardcore violence and sex, as they want a family image.

Everyone that uses this phrase, even as a joke, is just showing their ignorance.

vidGuy @ Feb 6th 2007 3:50PM

@Ken,

Nope, Sadness is still Sadness. Darkness (by Crossbeam Studioes, soon the maker of Orb and Thorn) was changed to "Midnight".

http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2007/01/16/darkness-renamed-midnight/

Regarding Manhunt 2, I doubt I'll be picking it up, as these types of games don't really strike me as too much fun. Maybe I'll give it a rental, though.

I don't know, I'm unsure what to think about the PS2 ports. First, it makes me disappointed that publishers are porting games from the least graphically capable system of last gen. No, the Wii isn't a visual powerhorse, but when it can handle visuals better than those of the XBOX, it shouldn't be regulated to PS2 level graphics. The games can still be tons of fun (see WarioWare, Twilight Princess) but it just seems to be lazy.

Second, it makes me think that maybe developers are focused more on the PS2 than the PS3. What'll be interesting is if/when developers start announcing games for "360, Wii, and PS2", deciding to leave PS3 out of the mix entirely.

But then I think, "well, the PS2 had the strength of a huge library selling for it, even though about half of those games were utter trash". And I wonder if the Nintendo is ready to accept crappy 3rd party ports in addition to stellar 3rd party gems. I guess they've learned not to be so restrictive, but it's still a little disappointing when I have to waver through a few weeks of junk to get to the gems.

I'm glad I have the VC to hold me over until Metroid Prime 3.

pandafresh @ Feb 6th 2007 3:54PM

uhm, but look at the gamecube, its library mostly consists of E games. Theres nothing wrong with being "kiddy" It's just the truth in past Nintendo experiences; they tend to be more family friendly. Again nothing wrong with that.

Probot @ Feb 6th 2007 3:55PM

Revolution,

Critic scores are largely irrelevant. I played it and thought it sucked. And I'm not alone in that assessment.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2004/20041201l.jpg

I'm actually shocked that it reviewed that well. It was a really bad game. You basically limped (slowly) around and pressed one button. I played it for a couple hours before I got bored with it. They simply tried to shock the player with violence, but that got old after the first couple of kills.

I hope Rockstar reconsiders and focuses on something else.

Ken @ Feb 6th 2007 4:04PM

Thanks vidGuy... I dont have access to gaming sites at work (except this one... weird) so I couldn't reference anything.

mike @ Feb 6th 2007 4:08PM

This could be Rockstar's litmus test to see if a GTA could survive on Wii.
The 1st Manhunt was kinda lackluster, I hope they revamp the whole game, Wii remote killings could be cool.

Jason @ Feb 6th 2007 4:09PM

Limped around? Pffft... jackass. The game is about stealthily sneaking and remaining hidden in the shadows until you build up your special meter to pull off one of the kickass gory kills. Manhunt was a sweet game, and I enjoyed the lurking, baiting enemies into an area and creeping behind them to dispatch them in a number of ways... It had good thrills when you were trying to sneak and made a noise, then a gang tries to sniff you out and you have to fight, run or hide. Sucks that it didn't measure up to your ADD.

Darkness @ Feb 6th 2007 4:13PM

This is pretty good news as it provides more choices for those who own a Wii. Let's face it, there are lots people out there who don't like games like Mario Bros or Pikmin. Now these guys get to have choices on what to play. Nintendo has been set on making sure everyone gets something to play and even if you don't like these ultra violent games, there is someone out there who does.

The only thing I'm worried about is now that you can use gestures to pull off moves, how will parents and even the ESRB handle these kinds of games?

sheppy @ Feb 6th 2007 4:15PM

vidGuy, I actually think it goes more along to prove one of my earlier points. PS2 and Wii will constantly feed off each others libraries. Wii will get more games and PS2 will rmeain active for a long time still. Of course, that's just theory.

Oh well, regardless.

Seriusly, Manhunt was one of those games that begged for the headset. You got ambient noise you wouldn't get off the TV and to top all this off, enemies could hear any noise you made or more importantly, ragged breathing. If you have a copy, I suggest throwing on the headset and letting the true uniqueness of this title sink in.

MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Feb 6th 2007 4:16PM

"uhm, but look at the gamecube, its library mostly consists of E games."

You lie. Your opinions are not moot to this discussion.

ymmv @ Feb 6th 2007 4:20PM

This news just proves that the Wii is current-gen and not next gen. You get Wii, PS2 and PSP games on one hand, PS3 and Xbox 360 games on the other hand.

Doug Clayton @ Feb 6th 2007 4:20PM

What made Manhunt bad? I loved the utter thrill of running from psychopaths and then gutting them. Then again, I grew up watching slasher movies. Still if you actually took time to get further in the game, it gets a lot better. The adrenaline rush is almost as great as in RE4 or Call Of Cthulhu.

frankie23 @ Feb 6th 2007 4:22PM

#18: Sorry pandafresh, but "family friendly" does not hold the same meaning as "kiddy". Family means there's something for everyone to enjoy, while kiddy suggests it is only for children, and adult gamers will not find anything of interest there. Nintendo systems are, undoubtedly, aimed at being for the whole family; people label them as kiddy to denigrate them.

#24: Amen to that. Manhunt is a good game on it's own; with the headset, it's an amazingly immersive experience. Brian Cox whispering into your ear is about as creepy and disturbing an encounter as I've ever had playing a video game.

Sensai @ Feb 6th 2007 4:23PM

Woah woah woah woah woah....

....what's a Wii?

rodeo @ Feb 6th 2007 4:29PM

Not very "next gen" to get a PS2 port. I expect people to really come out against this since ports are so frowned down upon for the PSP/PS3.

LuckyChowmeinDude @ Feb 6th 2007 4:36PM

No XBox , XBox360 or PS3 version?

MooG @ Feb 6th 2007 4:57PM

Slaziman: Your comment holds no water fanboy. Troll elsewhere.

Crono @ Feb 6th 2007 5:00PM

Hey MooG:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm

K?

maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 6th 2007 5:16PM

I have a vague image in my head of the cover for this game, however, I was never given the chance to play it. Sequel, don't mind, doubt I'll buy though.

And as for the person who said Rockstar was wasting their time, not exactly, thats the glory of having more then one studio Einstein, the comapany can make various games for different systems without worry of waiting for one game project to finish before starting a new one. Duh!

Slaziman @ Feb 6th 2007 5:18PM

How obvious I have to make it that I'm being sarcastic? The Internet sure is full of retards.

Jake @ Feb 6th 2007 5:38PM

@35
Yeah, damn I even caught your sarcasm. You could work on the humor a bit... ;)

This is probably the most Non-family friendly game to ever hit a Nintendo console. And yes, if you think Nintendo is no more kiddy than the other consoles you don't understand what people are calling kiddy or you are in some weird kind of denial.

Look at the list of top selling games from each platform last gen. If you can't see the overall difference from what the people on different platforms are playing, you are amazingly detached.

It is okay if you don't guage maturity by style, realism, or amount of violence. But, a lot of people do. Those are the ones calling your stuff kiddy. I would call Viva Pinata kiddy compared to Gears of War. Each can be enjoyed by adults and I like each. But one is kiddy and the other isn't.

GAMECUBE
Super Smash Bros. Melee (6 million)[48]
Super Mario Sunshine (5.5 million)[49]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (3.5 million)[50]
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (3.07 million)[37]
Mario Party 7 (1.86 million)[51]
Luigi's Mansion (2.19 million in US only)[41]
Animal Crossing (1.58 million in US only)[41]
Resident Evil 4 (1.55 million)[39]
Metroid Prime (1.49 million in US only)[41]
Sonic Adventure 2:Battle (1.44 million in US only)[41]
Sonic Mega Collection (1.30 million in US only)[41]
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (1.25 million)[51]

PS2
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (14 million)[92]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (13 million)[93][94]
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (11 million)[84]
Grand Theft Auto III (11 million)[93]
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (7 million)[95]
Kingdom Hearts (5.5 million shipped)[65]
Final Fantasy X (5 million)[13]
Devil May Cry (4 million)[96]
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (3.7 million)[97]
Final Fantasy XII (2.38 million in Japan only,[98] 1.3 million in US only,[54] approximately 3.68 million)
Madden NFL 2004 (3.5 million in US only)[94]

XBOX
Halo 2 (8 million)[109]
Halo: Combat Evolved (5 million)[110]
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2.4 million in US only)[94]
Fable (1.5 million in US only)[103]
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (1.3 million in US only)[104]
Project Gotham Racing (1.2 million in US only)[105]

C. Grant @ Feb 6th 2007 5:53PM

Jake wins. :)

Measure @ Feb 6th 2007 6:02PM

Ouch... that's quite a blow to the Wii.

Rockstar is basically saying that they don't consider the Wii to be in the same class as the 360 and PS3. Grade A titles go there, the less advanced titles go to the PSP, the PS2, and the Wii.

This seems to signal that Rockstar won't be bringing any titles from the 360 or the PS3 to the Wii.

chenry @ Feb 6th 2007 6:04PM

Oh cripes. Manhunt was horribly boring.

Darkness @ Feb 6th 2007 6:25PM

Measure, I wouldn't think that at all.

Take Metal Of Honor...

The Wii gets both Metal of Honor: Vanguard as well as Metal of Honor: Airborne.

PS2 only gets Metal of Honor: Vanguard.
PS3 and 360 only get MoH: Airborne.

As a Wii owner, I'm happy I don't have to buy a new system to play either game. I wouldn't be surprised if this happens with other games as well.

DrXym @ Feb 6th 2007 6:30PM

Welcome to the future Wii owners - crappy mini / party games and sloppy seconds from the PS2 & PSP.

GCNH87 @ Feb 6th 2007 6:33PM

I think it's great that the game is coming to Wii but I really hope GTA comes too. I bought a PS2 for the GTA games and they were great and all. But just think of how much fun they'd be if they did a good job on implementing Wii controlls

Measure @ Feb 6th 2007 6:58PM

According to IGN, MOH:Airborn is NOT coming to the Wii. See: http://wii.ign.com/articles/751/751607p1.html

In any case, if your read my earlier post, you'll see I was talking about Rockstar, not all game publishers in general.

The prospects of GTA4 hitting the Wii got a bit dimmer with this announcement.

Geo @ Feb 6th 2007 6:59PM

The fact that this is coming out for PS2, PSP, and wii further proves that Sony put out the PS3 too early. PS2 outsold PS3 this christmas, and still has one killer first party app coming. The thing clearly has some legs left in it.

And using jake's chart, why do people talk about MGS4 as being a huge, AAA, killer app system seller? MGS3 did about half of what MGS2 did.

Geo @ Feb 6th 2007 7:03PM

And measure, how do you figure that the games for PS3 and 360 are the grade A titles? If you think about it financially, the most money is to be made on a PS2 /wii game than a 360/ps3 game. They can spend a lot more time and effort on a PS2/wii game, and the budget would still be less than a PS3/360 game.

Darkness @ Feb 6th 2007 7:09PM

Measure, you're wrong on this one. MoH:Airborne is headed to the Wii.

http://gonintendo.com/?p=12136

I was shocked when I read that, but happy at the same time. I just hope they do a good job with the controls.

Measure @ Feb 6th 2007 7:11PM

Geo: Big budgets DEFINE grade-A titles. This is true in music, movies and videogames.

That's not to say some of the other stuff, particularly the indie stuff, isn't great... it's just not Grade-A.

Measure @ Feb 6th 2007 7:13PM

Darkness: You want to trust gonintendo over IGN? Okay... good luck with that.

ThatFuzzyBastard @ Feb 6th 2007 7:20PM

Christ I hated Manhunt... I love Splinter Cell, but I thought Manhunt was a step-by-step guide to how not to do a stealth game. Sure, the first kill was fun, and some of the gore effects were groovy, but every kill ended up being the same strategy: make noise, hide, wait wait wait wait wait wait KILL! A painful contrast to better stealth games' ability to mix up strategy and objectives to avoid the crushing boredom that the genre can succumb to.

Wiimote plastic-bagging might be cool, though, especially if you have to hold it still while the Wiimote rumbles crazily.