Manhunt

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A death row inmate, a voice in his ear, and a city of masked hunters.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Mostly Positive on Steam (71% of 9,688 reviews); Metacritic 75 on PC; 4.67 of 5 from 5,893 ratings on the PlayStation Store
Players: 1
Controls: Gamepad or keyboard and mouse
Made by: Rockstar North
Released: 2003

Get it on Steam PlayStation Store (PS4, PS2 version)Xbox (original Xbox version, backward compatible)

What frightens Death row inmate James Earl Cash wakes after a faked execution to a voice in his earpiece: he is the star of a snuff film, and gangs in masks hunt him through the ruins of Carcer City with machetes, axes and later guns. He must hide in the shadows and kill them one by one in executions the camera lingers on, each more brutal the longer he holds back the blow.
Content: extreme violence, gore, strong language.

Manhunt is a third-person stealth horror game by Rockstar North, first released in 2003. As James Earl Cash, a death row inmate forced into a snuff film, you sneak through the dark of a rotting city and kill the masked gangs sent to hunt you while a director watches through his cameras.

About Manhunt

Manhunt was made by Rockstar North, the studio behind Grand Theft Auto, and came out on PlayStation 2 in 2003 before reaching Windows and the original Xbox in 2004. It is sold today on Steam, on PS4 as a PS2 classic with trophies and 1080p up-rendering, and on Xbox One and Series X|S through backward compatibility.

Carcer City is a run-down rust-belt town where, as the store puts it, nothing matters anymore and all that is left are cheap thrills. James Earl Cash was meant to die by lethal injection. Instead he wakes up with an earpiece and a voice promising his freedom if he keeps the cameras happy: he is the sport, and the gangs of the city are paid to hunt him. You awake to the sound of your own panicked breath, and you must run, hide and fight to stay alive.

The game is built on hiding. The shadows hide Cash as long as no hunter sees him step into them, so you tap a wall or throw something to draw one close, wait for him to pass and take him from behind with a plastic bag, a shard of glass or a baseball bat. Hold the button longer and the kill becomes slower and bloodier, and the director rewards it. Hunters wear masks and gang colours, call to each other and search in groups, and being spotted in the open can bring several at once.

The fear here is grim and human rather than supernatural: a camera that wants violence, men in skull and smiley masks searching an alley with torches, and a voice in your ear enjoying all of it. It was banned or refused classification in several countries on release. It suits players who can stomach heavy violence and want stealth horror with an early 2000s feel.

How to play Manhunt

Keep to the dark areas; hunters cannot see you in the shadows unless they watch you walk into them.
Use the radar and listen for hunters calling to each other to know where they are.
Make a noise, such as tapping a wall, to draw a single hunter toward your hiding place.
Creep up behind him and execute him; holding the button longer makes the kill more brutal and scores better.
Pick up weapons as you go, and follow the director's instructions to reach the end of each scene.

Screenshots

Manhunt screenshot: Cash crouches in a foggy street at night as a hunter with a scarf over his face walks past carrying a machete

Manhunt screenshot: Cash aims a pistol at a shirtless masked gang member with KILL tattooed across his chest, standing at a barred gate

Manhunt screenshot: a hunter in a red hood and skull mask holds an axe outside a church at night while Cash stands behind him

Tips

Draw hunters out one at a time; groups that see you are far harder to deal with than lone ones.
Wait for a hunter to turn his back before you leave the shadows.
Sprinting drains stamina and makes noise, so walk when you can.
Quick executions are safer when other hunters are near; save the long ones for when you are alone.

Questions

Is Manhunt a horror game?

It is a stealth game with a horror premise: you are hunted through a dark city by masked gangs for a snuff film, and the violence is shown up close. There are no monsters or ghosts.

Can I play Manhunt on PS4, PS5 or Xbox?

Yes. The PS2 version is sold on the PlayStation Store for PS4 (and runs on PS5), and the original Xbox version is sold on the Xbox store and plays on Xbox One and Series X|S.

Is Manhunt very violent?

Yes. Its executions are graphic and the game was banned in several countries when it came out. It is rated Mature for blood and gore, intense violence and strong language.