Manhunt 2 Metareview for Wii, PS2

S

Strubes

Things aren't looking good for this installment of the Manhunt series.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/metareview-manhunt-2-wii-ps2/

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. "
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So basically what they're saying is, once you turn down the grotesque violence and ridiculous amounts of gore, you're left with shoddy gameplay and sub-par graphics.

Big surprise.
 
Yeah, Manhunt 2 was built for grotesque violence and ridiculous amounts of gore...toning it down really did kill it.
 
Strubes said:
Yeah, Manhunt 2 was built for grotesque violence and ridiculous amounts of gore...toning it down really did kill it.
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They placed their priorities for the game in the wrong place. It should have been built so that it was good no matter what rating it ended up with. I think they lost focus by trying to make it so insane that it almost got an AO rating.
 
although i didnt really see this game coming out to be a good one, i did notice that the developer put quite a bit of effort into it, so you gotta give em credit for that :-\
 
really, what kind of kill could be so bad that it got an AO rating?
 
Boom$ickle said:
really, what kind of kill could be so bad that it got an AO rating?
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i was actually wondering that myself...as in the SAW movies, im sorry to keep bringing them up, but seriously. what could be SO MUCH GORIER than a girl having her ribs ripped off and her entrails falling out to deserve a AO/NC-17 rating??
 
Fr0dus Maximus said:
Almost? They did but then it got shelved and then they took out some code so its wasnt AO. And really what can you expect from Rockstar?
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Yeah that's what I meant.

I guess what I mean is that I think instead of going for shock value, Rockstar should actually make good games. If the games are good, they won't need publicity. The games will speak for themselves. Obviously, Manhunt 2 was never going to be that great to begin with, so they had to do something to draw attention to it.
 
Boom$ickle said:
really, what kind of kill could be so bad that it got an AO rating?
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How about ripping off some guys ******* (huh, didn't know that would be filtered...)? I'm pretty sure that was originally planned to be in the game. Who knows, maybe its still in there. :sick
 
More bad news for this game.

Target refuses to stock Manhunt 2

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board may have given Take-Two Interactive a thumbs-up over their corrective actions with the content of Manhunt 2, but retail giant Target isn't taking any chances, apparently. A mysterious memo posted in the comments section of gaming blog at Mercury News said they "identified [Manhunt 2] as having graphic nature and we [Target] have decided not to carry this title."
GameSpot didn't verify the memo, but contacted Target directly, whose statement confirmed pretty much everything in the memo. "Target strives to provide merchandise that will appeal to a wide variety of guests. We also want guests to be comfortable with the purchasing decisions they make at Target. All video games and computer software sold at Target currently carry ratings by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)--from early childhood through mature audiences. While Manhunt 2 was given a Mature rating by the ERSB, we received additional information that players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code. As a result, we have decided not to carry the game," read Target's statement.

Considering all the backlash from the last time a Take-Two product had adult content unlocked by users, Target's move isn't surprising. On the other hand, a retailer has decided to create a singular exception in store policy, essentially negating the ruling from the ESRB. That, my friends, is a dangerous precedent.
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Thank god, Bad games need to stop having sequels! Actually I heard the first one was good.

Personally, I cannot stand Rockstar Games. It's not so much the violence that bugs me, it's the sex, drugs, and swearing that's needed in each of their games almost. It's like watching George Carlin over 4 times a day...it gets old quick...

I don't need that, if I want to kill a person in a game, fine! Yet do you have to say "MF" every freakin' sentence when you hit someone or someone hits you?

Video games in general, sometimes need to push the boundaries. Yet when you see the vast majority of consumers, a large chunk are children and teenagers. I don't know, but if TV can provide this already, why would games need it? I mean if you're playing a video game, it's already on the TV screen...so it defeats the purpose....in a way...

Nudity in video games, this is not needed, we have other methods of it. I don't want to think about THAT while I'm playing a game. It's distracting and tasteless.

Okay if I was to make GTA. I would make it violent, but more along the lines of "Crazy Taxi" meets "Scarface" without all the cussing. It would be like The Godfather, if you want somone to cough up cash they owe you for a job you didn't deliver, you beat them senseless, but you get your cash back. Not so much chop them up with a weapon, like in Scarface.

I love storyline and I'm used to a one way track. Giving people freedom to roam around and do whatever is boring to me. Make it like an MMORPG (Sans the online stuff)....sure you get quest...but if you proceed further than you're suppose to...those enemies will kick your butt, forcing you to stay put until you level up properly. Giving the gamer more replay value and to get used to your surroundings before going into the next city.

The hookers and strippers? That's not needed...that's just the cravings of a stupid male programmer who is a dirty perv. Again, sex in games only distracts you from the point of the game imho.

Sure this sounds harsh or stupid, but I'm tired of hearing about GTA, Manhunt, Scarface etc. Heck the Godfather game had the right direction I'd say.

Wasn't Manhunt 1 considered racist by some? That's another thing, games like CRACKDOWN, only fuel racism against hispanics.

Why so much hatred in games these days? I hate games that are based on reality...when I play a game, it's to GET AWAY from everyday problems and real life fears.

We don't need consistant reminders of how bad things are, that's what the 5 o clock news is for! Thank you Television media!

It needs to stop, that's all I'm saying. I'd rather watch crazed football players go nuts, then to see another innocent lady on the street get shot in a game like Manhunt.

If I'm going to kill something in a game, it rather be an alien, soldier, zombie, monster, robot, etc. etc. and NOT real people that was doing nothing but walking down the street.
 
MegaDrive20XX said:
Video games in general, sometimes need to push the boundaries.
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I think there are better ways to push the boundaries, but most developers just go for the easy way; ie nudity or violence.

Why aren't they pushing boundaries in other areas? Story-telling, or character development, for example. Gender roles, maybe. There still isn't a really great, well-known female lead character in an action game besides Lara Croft. Ubisoft tried pretty hard with Jade from Beyond Good & Evil...too bad the game wasn't a big hit.

To me it seems that Rockstar really isn't pushing any boundaries at all, because the violence/nudity angle is already overdone as it is.
 
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