Manhunt (series)
| Manhunt | |
|---|---|
Series logo
|
|
| Genres | Stealth, survival horror |
| Developers |
Rockstar North Rockstar Vienna Rockstar London Rockstar Leeds (PSP) Rockstar Toronto (Wii) |
| Publishers | Rockstar Games |
| Creators | James Worrall Christian Cantamessa Sam Houser |
| First release |
Manhunt November 2003 |
| Latest release |
Manhunt 2 October 2007 |
Manhunt is a stealth-based survival horror video game series developed by Rockstar North, as well as several other Rockstar studios, and published by Rockstar Games. The series began in 2003 with the release of Manhunt, and continued in 2007 with Manhunt 2. The name of the series and its games are derived from the term "manhunt" as used in law enforcement, where it refers to an intensive search for a dangerous fugitive. As of 26 March 2008, the Manhunt franchise has sold 1.7 million copies worldwide.
The gameplay consists of a mixture of stealth and psychological horror elements played from a third-person perspective, and has gained controversy for its graphic violence. The games are in a form of an anthology series like many other Rockstar games, and so the plots of the two games are unrelated. Both games focus on protagonists with dark pasts, who must attempt to escape from a particularly dangerous and perverse situation. The antagonist in each game is a character who has betrayed the protagonist, but over whom they exert a great degree of control and trust.
The cultural impact of Manhunt has been compared by the Chicago Tribune to that of A Clockwork Orange in the video game industry.
The individual stages of each Manhunt installment are typically referred to in a way that relates to the game's plot. In the first game, stages are called "scenes," which relates to the snuff film in which the protagonist is forced to participate. In the second game, stages are called "episodes," relating to the mental state and experiences of the protagonist, an escaped mental patient. In this vein, the gameplay itself in Manhunt 2 is referred to as "treatment" (for example, instead of a "Load Game" option from the main menu, the option is "Continue Treatment"). Players survive the stages by dispatching enemies occasionally with firearms, but primarily by stealthly executing them, often in bloody over-the-top ways. In order to carry out executions, the player must approach an enemy from behind, undetected. To facilitate this, each stage in both games are full of "dark spots" (shadows where the player can hide). Enemies cannot see into the shadows (unless they see the player actually entering the area). A standard technique in both games is to hide in the shadows and tap a wall to attract the attention of a nearby enemy. When he has examined the area and is moving away, the player can emerge from the shadows behind him, and execute him.
...
Wikipedia