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[Flabagast]

I am on kind of a Rockstar streak these days and recently acquired Manhunt on the PSN store.

However first impressions are not very good with controls feeling very outdated, and the game has back compat issues on PS5 with flickering lights and textures (but I guess you could say it can support the videotape aesthetic of the title).

What do you think GAF ? Should I trudge through ?

 

[nightmare-slain]

It's a shit game not worth your time. It's only "popular" because it's Rockstar and of course how violent it is.

 

[AV]

I thought it played just fine when I replayed on PC a few years back. Maybe PS5 BC feels worse.

If the aesthetic doesn't do anything for you then probably move on to better stealth games. It'll always have a fond place in my heart but I love the VHS snuff movie vibe, so that'll skew my perception of it.

 

[The Infectious Paradox]

It's kinda clunky but the violence is cool even to this day. I can just tell it's one of those games I wish I had been old enough to play to enjoy. I played the first little bit to see what I was missing but it didn't keep my attention

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I dont remember playing it at all. I rented it back in the day. But I do remember watching kill montages on YT. Wow. lol

To me, it's hard to go back and play old console games unless it's a 16-bit game.

 

[Dick Jones]

I remember playing it back in the day on PS2. I had the headset on and sneaking behind some lad to kill him. My brother's roar set off the mic and the fucker turned back and killed me off. Bastard

 

[Punished Miku]

I played through it recently on Xbox. Still fun.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Wasnt back then when it released but those were different times. It was certainly...unique so we just kind of played. It did not age well, at all.

 

[HL3.exe]

Actually replayed it on PC recently -with mods fixing stuff- because of the Something Rotten podcast (Dissecting nihilism in games).

It's an ugly ugly game, but I really like it. Not because of its edginess, but because of its:

• confident style and tone,
• simple/clean gameplay style,
• funny/reactive NPC barks,
• Brain Cox's stellar performance,
• John Carpenter dark soundtrack and vibe.
• Brutal difficult, which mixes great with the harsh vibe.

The ugly snuff VHS look rather specific to that era, and studios like rockstar or any AAA will probably never try such an out there idea ever again. It's clunky, overly drawn out and repetitive, but as 'a mood piece in video game form' it's rather unique and interesting.

 

[MiguelItUp]

I think it was definitely a game of the times, and even then it wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Definitely had some jank, and was very rough around the edges. But growing up through the 80s and 90s, I was attracted to the premise and horror aesthetic of it all. So, as a result, I actually appreciated it for what it was, but it wasn't a game I adored or anything. Never even bothered with the second game, though I had hoped it'd be even better, I always heard complete opposite.

 

[AV]

I'll say this, no other video game has seen a villain quite like Piggsy. A naked, obese mentally deranged cannibal with with IQ of a child wearing a decapitated pig's head and wielding a chainsaw. Rockstar must have had so much fun designing him.

 

[Matt_Fox]

I'll say this, no other video game has seen a villain quite like Piggsy.

Give a like if you get this reference.... (I'm not expecting anyone else to... I'm old!)

 

[SJRB]

Just watch the kill animation compilation on youtube.





Some of these still are insanely brutal. Amazing audio work, the voice acting is insane.

 

[skyfall]

Game freaked me out as a kid. The one game I probably shouldn't of been allowed to play

 

[01011001]

I am on kind of a Rockstar streak these days and recently acquired Manhunt on the PSN store.

However first impressions are not very good with controls feeling very outdated, and the game has back compat issues on PS5 with flickering lights and textures (but I guess you could say it can support the videotape aesthetic of the title).

What do you think GAF ? Should I trudge through ?

play the Xbox version (it's backwards compatible). better controls, better graphics.

the PS2 version is hard to recommend unless you have no issue getting used to pre dual stick controls.

took Rockstar a long time to actually adopt dual stick controls. thankfully they added them in the Xbox version.

 

[Rival]

I have a really hard time going back to ps1-ps2 era games usually. I never thought manhunt was very good upon release and I would imagine it aged poorly.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

Game freaked me out as a kid. The one game I probably shouldn't of been allowed to play

Manhunt 1 and 2 was Rockstar at its most edgiest. This game is the only mainstream game I've played where I believe an Adult rating could of been warranted. It is some real Charlie Manson type shit. No way in hell could they make this game with updated graphics today. It would instantly get an adult rating

 

[GymWolf]

Just watch the kill animation compilation on youtube.





Some of these still are insanely brutal. Amazing audio work, the voice acting is insane.

Yeah, this one did gargles of death way before tlou2.

 

[GhostNDaBashShell]

It's a shit game not worth your time. It's only "popular" because it's Rockstar and of course how violent it is.

It's a great game, the two shooting levels aren't the greatest but they're a short experience on the whole but I loved the game. THere's a certain grit in the games that even stuff like TLOU PT 2 don't have

 

[AndrewRyan]

Kind of how you'll always remember your first love Manhunt was my first stealth and ended up loving the genre so it's always special to me. I remember walking through a parking lot and wanting to duck behind cars to remain stealthy. Also, the mic works in that game and its fun to startle them just before killing.

 

[mrmustard]

It's unnessesarily violent so yes!

 

[Northeastmonk]

Since you don’t have to buy it. It wouldn’t hurt to play it. I liked Manhunt 2 a lot more. You could buy The Warriors. Speaking of Rockstar games, Bully has really held up too. I was playing Bully on my smart phone the other day. I had Bully back on PS2, but I forgot a lot of its charm.

 

[Evil Calvin]

I am on kind of a Rockstar streak these days and recently acquired Manhunt on the PSN store.

However first impressions are not very good with controls feeling very outdated, and the game has back compat issues on PS5 with flickering lights and textures (but I guess you could say it can support the videotape aesthetic of the title).

What do you think GAF ? Should I trudge through ?

Warriors also has issues on PS5 (flickering) .....I have to play it on PS4

BC not nearly as good as Xbox

 

[Flabagast]

Warriors also has issues on PS5 (flickering) .....I have to play it on PS4

BC not nearly as good as Xbox

Yes and by the way you cannot buy these games from a PS5. I had to go to the PSN on mobile for purchasing Manhunt, and you get a notification by starting the game that it has issues on PS5.

Let's hope these small problems are resolved in the future

 

[AlteredForms]

It's a shit game not worth your time. It's only "popular" because it's Rockstar and of course how violent it is.

Somebody couldn't handle the stealthy-steathly and wanted more shooty-shooty? Manhunt is an excellent game in the stealth genre and has some cool executions and terrifying enemies. The graphics are most certainly dated, but don't let that put you off, in fact it works into the gritty artstyle. Manhunt 2 on the other hand is torture porn and pretty mediocre from my understanding.

Actually replayed it on PC recently -with mods fixing stuff- because of the Something Rotten podcast (Dissecting nihilism in games).

It's an ugly ugly game, but I really like it. Not because of its edginess, but because of its:

• confident style and tone,
• simple/clean gameplay style,
• funny/reactive NPC barks,
• Brain Cox's stellar performance,
• John Carpenter dark soundtrack and vibe.
• Brutal difficult, which mixes great with the harsh vibe.

The ugly snuff VHS look rather specific to that era, and studios like rockstar or any AAA will probably never try such an out there idea ever again. It's clunky, overly drawn out and repetitive, but as 'a mood piece in video game form' it's rather unique and interesting.

You failed to bring attention to the star of the entire game and that's Carcer City itself. With the rundown apartment buildings and gloomy shadows and bluish lighting, it's something that definitely sticks with you.

 

[TastyPastry]

hell yes, gameplay might be outdated but it's an amazing horror game. there is nothing else like it on the market tone wise

 

[HL3.exe]

Somebody couldn't handle the stealthy-steathly and wanted more shooty-shooty? Manhunt is an excellent game in the stealth genre and has some cool executions and terrifying enemies. The graphics are most certainly dated, but don't let that put you off, in fact it works into the gritty artstyle. Manhunt 2 on the other hand is torture porn and pretty mediocre from my understanding.

You failed to bring attention to the star of the entire game and that's Carcer City itself. With the rundown apartment buildings and gloomy shadows and blueish lighting, it's something that's a definitely sticks with you.

True, and don't get me wrong with 'ugly' I didn't mean visually. More ugly in what it's telling and the unredeemable actions of the characters. I kinda miss these tone pieces that where more prevalent in the 00's, with Condemned and stuff. Not that they are my all time favorites, but that grimey, unsettling, off kilter tone I kinda mess in AAA. TLOU2 comes closest in recent memory.

And true, skip Manhunt 2. it's a uninspired mess, and missing all the nuances on critiquing violence like the first one did.

 

[AV]

Thread inspired me to finally play Manhunt 2, because the first is close to my heart and I've always put it off after most people shit on it.

WAY too much shooting. What were they thinking? Who played Manhunt 1 and thought "I know what this game needs, far more average TPS combat". What a shame. Some of the kills are fantastic but everything else feels super rushed. You get a great couple of opening levels and then it rapidly falls apart. Will still finish since it seems incredibly short, I just did 8/14 in like 2 hours. Probably a lot to do with playing on PC and it totally not feeling designed for it much like the GTA PS2 trilogy.

Edit: finished it today. Still recommend 1. Do not recommend 2 at all, but the kills were cool.

 

[Moses85]

Give me Part 3

 

[PnCIa]

It is worth it, even if you just play it for an hour or two...soak in the stellar atmosphere and realize that the game wants to make you feel bad inside. It's a clever horror game not because of the visible gore on the surface, but because you as the player have the biggest part to play in all of it. The game makes me feel uneasy to this day.

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

Atmosphere was insane back then.

Problem is that Rockstar hasn't the balls anymore to release a game like Manhunt.

 

[-tetsuo-]

nope

 

[peronmls]

It's a shit game not worth your time. It's only "popular" because it's Rockstar and of course how violent it is.

It’s called “manhunt” for a reason you nerd.