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Manhunt
Developer	Rockstar North
Publisher	Rockstar Games
Engine	RenderWare
Released	November 18, 2003 (PS2) April 20, 2004 (Xbox & PC)
Genre	Action, Psychological horror, Stealth
Mode(s)	Single player
Ratings	BBFC: 18 ESRB: M OFLC: MA15+ OFLC: RC (re-rating) OFLC (NZ): Banned USK (GER): Banned
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows
Input methods	Gamepad; optional headset

Manhunt is a controversial third-person video game released by Rockstar Games in November, 2003. Although it was generally well received by critics, the game created a media frenzy on release, was banned in several countries and was implicated by media (but exonerated by police) in a UK murder.^[1] In October 2007 its sequel, Manhunt 2 was also released.

Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Plot 3 Reception 3.1 Reviews 3.2 Controversy 3.2.1 The murder of Stefan Pakeerah 3.2.2 Legal status 4 References to other Rockstar games 5 References 6 External links

The game is, at core, a bloody third-person stealth action game--in some ways, Manhunt is an interactive snuff film. The game consists of twenty levels, and four bonus levels that can be unlocked; the levels are referred to as "Scenes" in the game.

Players survive through the Scenes by silently executing the gangs, armed forces and deviants they face (known as Hunters in the game). During latter Scenes in Manhunt firearms also become available and the game evolves into more of a shooter; however, players are encouraged to stick to the brutal stealth action if they want high ratings. Starkweather encourages the players over the earpiece to make their executions as bloody as possible. The rating at the end of each level is largely affected by this measure apart from the speed of completion of the level. The Carcer City locales are full of 'dark spots' and 'shadows' where Cash can hide while being chased by the Hunters; hiding in these dark areas make Cash literally invisible.

Over the course of the game, Cash uses a wide variety of weapons, ranging from plastic bags, baseball bats, crowbars and all sorts of bladed items to firearms later on in the game. If Cash is running out of health, painkillers can be found at various locations in the Scenes; walking over the painkillers replenishes the health meter substantially. Cash can strike walls or throw items such as bottles, cans, bricks and severed heads to make noise to distract Hunters.

Manhunt also makes use of the Playstation 2's optional USB Microphone and the Xbox Live microphone feature. When such a device is connected, the player can use the sound of his or her own voice to distract in-game enemies. This in turn added a new twist to the stealth elements, as the actual player would have to refrain from unwanted noises such as talking, coughing, etc. or risk creating inadvertent "in-game noise".

Set in Carcer City, the story opens with a female Journalist reporting on the convict James Earl Cash, a criminal on death row who has supposedly been sentenced to execution by lethal injection. Cash however is later awoken by the voice of one Lionel Starkweather, revealing that Cash was only sedated. Cash equips an earpiece and Starkweather, who refers himself as "The Director", promises Cash his freedom before the night is over, but only if Cash follows his instructions. Quickly released in a rough neighbourhood, Cash is directed to slaughter his way through the streets, populated by a gang calling themselves "The Hoods" while Starkweather, watching through security cameras scattered throughout the city repeatedly mentions the need to please the audiences, revealing his occupation as a snuff film director. However despite Starkweather's promise of near freedom, by the end of his run, Cash is beaten and thrown into the back of a van by the Cerberus mercenary group. From here on, Cash is forced to embark on a series of brutal acts and set tasks in order to survive.

After his battle against the Hoods, he is also hunted by other violent gangs in various locations across the city, ordered by Ramirez, an ex-soldier and leader of the Wardogs, a gang of army veterans working for Starkweather himself. First Cash is pitted against a gang of white supremacists known as "The Skinz" in a scrap yard. Later he is put up against the Wardogs themselves in an empty abandoned zoo where Cash has to save kidnapped members of his own family held by the gang. Later he has to fight the more occult group called "The Innnocentz" in a shopping centre and church yard where he is promised to direct his family out, only finding he has been led into a trap and that his family have been already killed by the Innocentz. It is at a run down prison and asylum, where he is hunted by a gang suffering from extreme psychosis called "The Smileys", where Cash proves somewhat difficult for Starkweather as Cash survives a pre-planned finish to the game involving his death. Instead Cash is taken to be finally hunted by the remaining Wardogs and Ramirez himself. Ramirez however is killed by Cash and so escapes from Starkweather's control.

Yet even in the law-abiding sectors of Carcer City, the Carcer City Police Department under Gary Schaeffer are working for Starkweather and are ordered to re-capture or kill Cash. However, the Journalist seen at the start encounters Cash and says she has been on a mission to expose Starkweather and his snuff film industry and police corruption for some time and that Cash is vital for this. Protecting her from the police and SWAT teams Cash manages to save the Journalist but himself is re-captured by the Cerberus. Back at Starkwaether's mansion he is ordered to be killed. however, Piggsy, a mentally retarded chainsaw wielding overweight man confined to Starkweather's attic seen in previous cut scenes, has broke out and slaughters the investigating Cerberus. Cash works his way through the garden and mansion; along the way killing the Cerberus leader finally makes his way to the upper levels where he and Piggsy stalk one another. Cash lures Piggy onto a gate floor, collapsing with Piggsy holding onto the ledge where Cash with the chainsaw, sawing off Piggsy's hands leaving Piggsy to fall to his death. Cash confronts Starkweather and despite his pleas and bribes, is brutally killed with the chainsaw. The Press turns up at the mansion with the Journalist finally exposing Starkweather and the police, causing the arrest of Schaeffer. Despite all that he has done, Cash is nowhere to be found at the crime scene, presumably escaping for the final time.

Reviews

Publication	Score
GameSpot	8.4/10[2]
Game Informer	9.25/10[3]
IGN	8.5/10[4]
GameSpy	4/5
1UP	8/10[5]
Eurogamer	8.5/10
Edge Magazine	8/10

Upon its release, Manhunt was generally favorable with critics, with an average review score of 77%, according to Game Rankings.^[6]

The most noted aspect of the game was its dark style and extreme violence. Gamespot concluded that "Like it or not, the game pushes the envelope of video game violence and shows you countless scenes of wholly uncensored, heavily stylized carnage."^[2] Game Informer has very enthusiastic over the game's style, stating that "It’s a frightening premise that places gamers in a psychological impasse. The crimes that you commit are unspeakable, yet the gameplay that leads to these horrendous acts is so polished and fierce that it’s thrilling."^[3] IGN complimented the game's overall challenge calling it a "solid, deep experience for seasoned gamers pining for some hardcore, challenging games."^[4]

Certain game mechanics, such as the use of guns was called by Eurogamer as "frustrating" where " more than half the time the targeting reticule refuses to acknowledge an oncoming enemy until they're virtually in front of you". Gamespot concurred, further noting that the "AI is much worse in the more action-oriented levels". 1UP.com was less postive overall, that the critic quickly became "tired of its violence ... AI quirks ... [and] repetitive level design."^[5]

Aside from the sensitive subject matter of Manhunt (snuff films), the controversy surrounding the game stems from the extremely graphic manner in which the player kills enemies. The game has three 'levels' of executions: hasty, violent, and gruesome. Hasty kills are quick and the least bloody of the three, while violent kills are considerably more gory, and gruesome kills are over-the-top executions. Furthermore, the game encourages players to execute enemies as brutally as possible, and awards players who do so with higher scores. Cash's violent killings in the game are also extremely graphic, both visually and audibly (e.g. a victim will gag when he's being choked, muffle and vomit blood while he's being suffocated etc., in a lifelike manner). Some examples of Cash's executions include decapitation, suffocation with a plastic bag, and jamming a crowbar into a victim's head.^[5][7][8]

In the UK, the game was linked to the murder of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, by his friend Warren Leblanc, 17, on the 27th of February, 2004. Giselle Pakeerah, the victim's mother, claimed^[9] that Leblanc had been 'obsessed' with the game after the former pleaded guilty in court. During the subsequent media circus, the game was removed from sale by some vendors, such as the UK and international branches of GAME and Dixons, leading to "significantly increased" demand^[10] both from retailers and on Internet auction sites. The police denied any such link between the game and the murder, citing drug-related robbery as the motive. The presiding judge also placed sole responsibility with Leblanc in his summing up after sentencing him to life. It should be noted that the victim, not the killer was found to have been the one in possession of the game.

• New Zealand: The game was declared objectionable on December 11, 2003.^[5][11] Possession is an offence.^[12]
• Canada: Following a meeting in Toronto on December 22, 2003 between Bill Hastings, the Chief Censor of New Zealand, and officials from the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services, Manhunt became the first computer game in Ontario to be classified as a film and was restricted to adults on February 3, 2004.
• Australia: It was refused classification (and effectively banned) on September 28, 2004 by the Classification Review Board after having earlier received a classification allowing it to be purchased by those aged 15 years or older.^[13]
• United Kingdom: The game received a BBFC 18 certificate, legally prohibiting its sale to anyone under that age.
• Germany: On 2004-07-19, the Amtsgericht Munich confiscated all versions of Manhunt for violation of § 131 StGB (representation of violence). The game, the court said, portrays the killing of humans as fun, and the more fun, the more violent the killing is. They also sensed a glorification of vigilantism, which they considered harmful per se.^[14]

However, apart from Ontario, it is interesting to note that Manhunt had little or no controversy elsewhere in North America. The British Columbia Film Classification Office reviewed the game after the controversy in Ontario and believed it to be appropriately rated Mature by the ESRB and comparable to an 18A film rather than an R rated one.^[15]

Rockstar, the developers of Manhunt, have included a number of references to their previous games in Manhunt:

• The setting of the game, Carcer City, was supposed to be a neighboring city in Grand Theft Auto III.
• The Maibatsu Monstrosity, a motorcycle in Manhunt, was advertised in Grand Theft Auto III as a very fuel-inefficient SUV.
• Also mentioned on the radio in Grand Theft Auto III are police reports regarding Gary Schaeffer, the corrupt Police Chief (who is apparently found not guilty of his charges, following the disappearances of key witnesses).
• The shop Ryton Aide, which appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, appears as an abandoned shop in Manhunt.
• "Sprunk", the fictional soft drink advertised on the radio and sold in the soda machines all over San Andreas and Vice City in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, is on the soda machines in Manhunt. An advertisement for "Sprunk" can also be seen in the trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV.
• Manhunt action figures can be seen in Zero's RC shop in San Fierro in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
• Shopping bags for 'The Gash' (a play on "The Gap"), a clothing shop in GTA games can be seen a few times in the game.
• A number of vehicles from the Grand Theft Auto (series) appear during scenes in Manhunt, including a burnt-out Stallion and images of a Virgo in Starkweather's mansion. The Stallion vehicle continues a prominent place in Rockstar North's work since Grand Theft Auto III's release; appearing in every Grand Theft Auto game since, as well as appearing in the "Shop Class" cutscene in Rockstar's Bully.

• Official Manhunt website
• Valiant Video Enterprises - Manhunt tie-in website
• NTSC-uk dissects Manhunt
• Full report of decision to ban Manhunt, New Zealand
• Manhunt at MobyGames