Metareview: Manhunt 2 (Wii, PS2)

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 30th 2007 at 2:36PM }

The horror, HORROR; Manhunt 2 is apparently bloody -- bloody awful. Reviews are starting to squirt out of outlets like a punctured carotid artery about Rockstar's juggernaut of controversy and it's pretty much what most were expecting. Looks like little Timmy won't be getting that "murder simulator" he wanted for the Wii this holiday, unless his parents want to punish him with bad gameplay. According to many of the reviews, the edits forced on the game by the ESRB actually hurt the overall Manhunt experience.

IGN (77/100): "Manhunt 2 for Wii is, in my opinion, the version to buy, if only because it looks ever-so-slightly better and offers a deeper level of interactivity since the Wii remote is used to act out executions. I've referred to this game as Splatter Cell before and I still think that's a fair comparison. Even with its blurred and darkened executions, Manhunt 2 is still an incredibly violent game – easily the most brutal you will find on Nintendo's console. ... The ESRB has forced Rockstar to make content changes which have in turn significantly reduced the impact of the franchise's trademark executions. In fact, oftentimes you won't even able to see who Danny is murdering or how he's doing it – instead, you'll behold a big, dark, motiony blur accompanied by gruesome sound effects. By comparison, many of the executions in the original Manhunt are much more satisfying."
GameSpy (50/100): "The biggest issue that fans of the original Manhunt will have with Manhunt 2 is the way that Rockstar toned down the violence in the game in order to appease the ESRB's ratings board. The game's trademark executions have been altered significantly, to the point where the player loses nearly all recognition of the events taking place onscreen. Initiating a killing maneuver cuts the camera to an angle more suitable for viewing, which is then browbeat by an unwieldy series of camera edits and obnoxious crimson filters that distort the images to the point where it's anyone's guess what exactly is taking place."
1UP (40/100): "Finally, and most unforgivably, the Wii version plays host to unskippable cut-scenes. Better still, they're frequently positioned after checkpoints so you can enjoy them over and over again whether you want to or not. Just in case the adolescent violence, clunky exposition, and lengthy visual explorations of 'kinky' S&M bars weren't embarrassing enough the first time around. Really, the game warrants a 4 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. "

Tags: manhunt2, metareview, ps2, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

McWeen @ Oct 30th 2007 2:42PM

That's too bad, I had high hopes for the game. I actually liked the original.

AstroZombie @ Oct 30th 2007 2:42PM

Yeah, that's about what I expected.

Daniel @ Oct 30th 2007 2:45PM

Fascinating that it would seem that the edits made to pacify the ESRB seem to be what has actually made the game decrease in quality. By all rights, this is where the real controversy should indeed arise from.

AstroZombie @ Oct 30th 2007 2:49PM

I doubt the scores would be much higher, had the original version been the one released. The "neutered" executions are but one of several common complaints from the reviewers.

megaStryke @ Oct 30th 2007 2:50PM

When no one buys this game, Jack Thompson and CSM are just going to claim that it was their call to have the thing boycotted that saved the planet from an almost certain descent in depravity and moral corruption.

Matt B @ Oct 30th 2007 2:50PM

1up is tobias!!!1one

Sean @ Oct 30th 2007 3:02PM

Tobias Funke.

Justin @ Oct 30th 2007 2:51PM

1. Generate controversy

2. ???

3. Profit

Slaziman @ Oct 30th 2007 2:55PM

1. Cut a hole in a box

2. ???

3. Make her open the box

... and that's the way you do it!

NATO_Duke @ Oct 30th 2007 3:17PM

Slaziman - nice one!

The low scores doesn't shock me too much. I didn't care for the first one though, so I assumed I wouldn't like this one.

Rainbow @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:09PM

It should be

1: cut hole in box
2: make her open the box
3: ???
4: PROFIT

d-pad @ Oct 30th 2007 2:50PM

This game looks so...stupid.

James @ Oct 30th 2007 2:52PM

Thought as much.

dave @ Oct 30th 2007 2:55PM

Right is there anyway to get an uncut version? Is there a country that has the uncut game?

megaStryke @ Oct 30th 2007 2:57PM

There's a leaked download of an early and BUGGY uncut build. It can be burned to a disc and played on a modded PS2. Of course, doing that would be illegal. YOU wouldn't do that... would YOU!?!?

Vegnagun @ Oct 30th 2007 5:22PM

Dave you pirate son of a bitch.

License to ill @ Oct 30th 2007 3:11PM

"Manhunt 2 for Wii is, in my opinion, the version to buy, if only because it looks ever-so-slightly better.

You mean it looks better then the PS2 version? Wow thats impressive...

I knew this games was going to be a piece of shit.

arrrgh @ Oct 30th 2007 3:18PM

sadly it's just glorified shovelware

a.j. @ Oct 30th 2007 3:19PM

"I knew this games was going to be a piece of shit."...
lol. right ons. yo's.

Grapefruit Juice @ Oct 30th 2007 6:11PM

but Will Wright tells me it sooooo next-gen.

Blast Processing Megadrive @ Oct 30th 2007 3:13PM

Tch, that's a shame. Though, the scores are oddly distributed. 77 from IGN doesn't sound that bad (On a school scale, we're talking about and C+ game; On a non-school scale, it's above average (average being 50, of course)). But then it goes all the way down to 40 from 1Up?

The game had been getting generally favorable previews, and now it's getting less-than-stallar reviews. What gives?

AlexP @ Oct 30th 2007 3:16PM

It's that way for a wide array of games, Manhunt is far from being the first.

Blast Processing Megadrive @ Oct 30th 2007 3:25PM

I know. It just annoys me. It's hard to get a good vibe on how good a game is when the ratings are all over the place.

I guess I'll give Manhunt 2 Wii a rental at least. I'd like to support the 3rd parties, but they gotta bring their A-game (or at least, B-game) to the board.

Seroth @ Oct 30th 2007 3:28PM

The game is getting a rental from me...just 'cause it'd probably be a good fit for a Halloween gaming session... but the censorship still pisses me off.

LobsterMobster @ Oct 30th 2007 4:24PM

So basically, all this game did was draw the eye of angry parents even closer, leading to voluntary censorship of games to come. Nice job Rockstar.

Ocho @ Oct 30th 2007 4:49PM

Agreed. Between this and their whining episode with the Simpsons, I'm really not too impressed. They're mismanaging and squandering their credibility just as Take 2 did their funds. Lame.

Vegnagun @ Oct 30th 2007 5:27PM

Rockstar really annoys me. I'm all for violence in video games, just put up some good context to back it up, maybe a fantastic story for example? They, however, lack the ability do do anything more than make a game controversial, which in turn makes all games controversial because every video game is like this, right? a big fu to rockstar.

Evan @ Oct 30th 2007 4:04PM

"Just in case the adolescent violence, clunky exposition, and lengthy visual explorations of 'kinky' S&M bars weren't embarrassing enough..."

Well said. This game's adolescent violence and immature kinkiness is an embarrassment.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Oct 30th 2007 4:22PM

I also knew this game was going to suck from the very beginning.

bm @ Oct 30th 2007 4:37PM

"The biggest issue that fans of the original Manhunt will have with Manhunt 2 is the way that Rockstar toned down the violence in the game in order to appease the ESRB's ratings board."

They should have played the Dutch version. ;P As far as I know, we're the only country in the world getting the fully uncut version of the game (but correct me if I'm wrong).

Slaziman @ Oct 30th 2007 4:52PM

I heard it would be allowed, but will they ship it? I live in Holland so I guess I could check.

4cr JaXs @ Oct 30th 2007 4:42PM

I want my ******* A.O. Version.
ESRB can ******* ESAD.

Mr Khan @ Oct 30th 2007 4:51PM

I said this from the first i heard of this game

"Why are we making such a big controversy over a game that will most likely pass by unnoticed as another run-of-the-mill affair?"

Poisoned Al @ Oct 30th 2007 4:59PM

IGN marked it under 80. It MUST be bad!

cybereality @ Oct 30th 2007 6:00PM

Thanks to ESRB tightwads, R* just lost my $50.

And for the record, I really liked the first one.

Aj Collins @ Oct 30th 2007 6:24PM

I have the game for both the PS2 and PSP. These idiot reviewers need to find something else to do, they suck at reviewing. If your not going to buy it based on these reviews, at least give it a rent. You'll like it and buy it...trust me.

playwhutyalike @ Oct 30th 2007 7:21PM

This game is going to suck? Good.

I've got my hands full with Zack and Wiki.

shouryuuken @ Oct 30th 2007 9:37PM

no surprise, the game actually looked pretty bland and boring. i didnt like the first one.. i was trying to remember if i had even played it, and i remember for a little while checking it out.. and thinking "meh."

Synner @ Oct 30th 2007 9:52PM

I played the first one for about an hour, it sucked so bad I returned it the same day I rented it, no surprise here. Saint's Row has already proven that evolution has passed R* by.

Questworld @ Oct 30th 2007 11:08PM

Are you telling me that the only merit of this game was due to seeing the gruesome executions? Is it like BMX XXX where if they took out the strip club "rewards" there's no merit to the game from a gameplay standpoint (not that I'd call the strip club videos a merit mind you)? Are the level designs, story, missions, character, etc. that bad?

Sidepocket @ Oct 31st 2007 12:17AM

Wow. I have played this game pre-retail and the IGN one is the most right.

I love how people just blindly follow reviews instead of renting it for them selfs to see.

Man, if that was true, then Okami must have sold really well. I mean it got rave reviews and even one Game of the Year awards! It must have sold more than Halo 3!

...

Oh wait.

jman @ Oct 31st 2007 1:46AM

such bad reviews??

comon now GAMESPOT gave it a 7...which is saying something considering they seem to rate games the harshest....and 1up gives horrible reviews for wii games most of the time...arent they the ones who said mario soccer wasnt fun because it wasnt close enough to real soccer???

from what ive seen and read this is still a buy for me...especially at 40 bucks...i mean u really cant got to terribly wrong there..