The narrative, supported by the under-belly goodness of the levels, is complimented by some nice visual filters, giving you the sense you're watching a beat-up VHS tape. Some levels even put you in control of Danny's can-he-be-trusted cohort Leo. The game's chapters interestingly jump around from present to past events, slowly revealing secrets behind Danny's amnesia-stricken situation. The story isn't particularly original, and you've likely witnessed something similar in films or other games, but it was an unexpected treat in a title I thought would offer little more than violence for the sake of shock value. Manhunt 2's story deepens this immersion further by leading you down a twist-filled path of mental illness, deception, revenge, and human medical experimentation.
#Manhunt 2 review movie
There's a super-creepy sex/torture type dungeon right out of the Hostel film franchise and a dilapidated adult movie theater-complete with soft-porn playing on its screen-that really provide the feeling you've entered a truly degenerate, morally ambiguous world. The 15-chapter story has its share of rehashed videogame locales-abandoned warehouses, confined corridors-but it's more interesting areas make up for these. Mature-rated executions aside, the game serves up an eerie, cinematic vibe that had me recalling David Fincher films such as Seven and Fight Club. But what really kept me following Manhunt 2's bloody killing spree was its engaging story and evocative levels. Some area-specific kills offer variety like crushing someone in a dumpster or taking a sewer cover to their skull, so the game does deliver some kill-crazy variety throughout. The kill cuts are actually a bit too long, and once you've seen most of them-each weapon has three different animations depending how long you hold down the execution button-there's really no need to watch them every time. The thing is, after performing several of these kills and taking in the guilty-pleasure visuals, you'll probably spend much of the game button-pressing past these animations in favor of moving the story along. Bone-breaking, breath-gasping, and flesh-tearing audio cues also ensure you needn't leave much to the imagination Still, there's no mistaking what's going on, and you'll discover plenty of gore-soaked goodness if that's what you're looking for. A typical animation might play out with Danny driving a shard of glass into the jugular of a bad guy, but the screen's reddish glare and distortion effects disguise the most brutal details. These scenes and all there groin-kicking, throat-slashing, skull-crushing grittiness remain intact, albeit with heavy blur filters disguising their most graphic moments. Lets get the gore factor out of the way first: The ESRB's primary issue with Manhunt 2's content was its execution cut-scenes these visceral vignettes, lasting several seconds, showcased the brutal and bloody kills of the game's mental patient protagonist Daniel Lamb.
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Thankfully, after a few chapters-and several execution animations-the rubber-necking novelty wore off, and Manhunt 2 proved it had more to offer than attention-getting shock value. I couldn't help but want to dive in, focused intently on the controversy-brewing blood, gore and potentially "Adults Only"-garnering content.
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Reviewing Manhunt 2 without any pre-conceived ideas fueled by its controversial pre-release buzz, nearly posed a more difficult task than taking on its creepy parade of menacing madmen, sexual deviants, and corrupt cops.