Manhunt (2003) review | ColourShed

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Thank you @SquareEyedJak for lending me your copies of Manhunt 1+2! Wouldn't have been able to review them without you mate! You're a legend!
/ @squareeyedjak
Manhunt review
Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC
Release Year: 2003
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Genre: Stealth, Psychological Horror
► Music (in order):
"Manhunt" (Main Theme)
"Mouth of Madness"
"Born Again"
"Kill The Rabbit"
"Credits Part 2"
Manhunt soundtrack composed by Craig Conner
► Gameplay, audio, font and images from:
Bethesda
Capcom
Destructive Creations
id Software
Konami
PlayStation Studios
RKO Pictures
Rockstar Games
Rockstar North
Rockstar San Diego
Sega
Tristar Pictures
Ubisoft
Warner Bros.
► KZbin videos used:
"Building A Sandbox: GTA 3 - Square Eyed Jak" by Square Eyed Jak
• Building A Sandbox: GT...
"Interview with Christian Cantamessa, Director of AIR" by Skybound
• Interview with Christi...
"Rockstar Games President Talks PS3 in 2005" by gtavideos
• Rockstar Games Preside...

[@DustinEdenYT]

Nice review! Manhunt is definitely the kind of game that would never ever be made again nowadays. Even if other games since then are more gory, there's just something unsettling and real about Manhunt's violence. And while I wasn't really fond of the game because of its AI and combat, I still respect Rockstar for the cojones to make something like this. Even despite all the violence controversies they already found themselves in at the time. It's like they looked all the media and politicians in the face and said "Oh, you wanna see what's really violent?". Just out of pure spite. Old Rockstar was something else man.

[@antonakesson]

I don't know man. If games like Hatred and Agony can be made then I think a spiritual successor to Manhunt could also be made though only from indie studios. Major studios however.... Not even close.

[@joshpelillo957]

I believe there is a manhunt like game being developed by the guy who made DUSK. Plus, I think there’s another game being made in the line of condemned by someone else.

[@ziqqerlad]

i remember watching a video essay about manhunt basically saying it toys with the human psyche. are you disgusted with the gore? perfect, you're a sensible human being. you just completed a challenge provided by the game devs.

[@billymercury3897]

Omg It's Eden

[@tSunrise_]

Fancy seeing you here.

[@Ninetails94]

manhunt is technically considered a movie in canada which is a way to bypass the banned from sales and considering how the ps2 was just a dvd player well that explains why it was considered a dvd, its pretty funny how rockstar bypasses each censorship complaint.

[@Ciaran500]

It's not so they could bypass a ban, it was so the government could give it a R classification as they didn't consider the ERSB "M" strong enough. Rating it R gave them powers to fine businesses for any sales to minors while this wouldn't be possible with an ERSB rating.

[@PixelPusher1]

5:09 Loved the voice work from Brian Cox

[@deleon5522]

amazing

[@isaacster5027]

The controversy is so dumb. Manhunt is no worse than a slasher flick. The vibe is super awesome. The music amazing. The gameplay decently challenging. It's extremely unique, I wish we could get another one

[@audiosurfarchive]

NEW MEDIA BAD INTERACTIVITY = EVIL PLAYER = MURDERER

[@DannyStillExists]

I genuinely want Manhunt 3

[@stubbornone1189]

I wrote a concept for Manhunt 3 which takes place immediately after Manhunt 1. Starkweather's mansion is being combed-through by police, and you play as a detective assigned to examine some of the 'evidence'. You receive a box of VHS tapes from Starkweather's collection and have to write up a report on them. Each tape is a game level, and they can be played and replayed in any order you choose. Sometimes you play as a 'runner' and get killed in a cutscene when you reach the end location of that level, other times you play as one of the 'hunters'. As you clear levels and finish side missions in the levels, your police report for that tape becomes more and more complete, eventually allowing you to organize the tapes by which hunter gang appears, and doing so basically levels up the various members of that gang until you have stronger hunter characters to play as, with special abilities and weapons or equipment. When the detective (the player), runs out of tapes, he must go to the police station and get another box of tapes, unlocking more game levels. Eventually, unable to get more of the tapes assigned to him, the detective secretly meets with another detective who is also assigned to review some of the tapes, and convinces him to let the player copy the tapes to watch them himself, unlocking the next set of levels. When those tapes are all viewed, the detective tries to convince yet another detective to share his tapes, but when he refuses, the detective must find a way to get them from him, ultimately resorting to murdering him and taking the tapes. As the detective falls deeper into the rabbit hole of Mr. Nasty's world of 'entertainment', he must take more and more drastic measures to cover up his actions as he seeks more tapes to study. It is becoming an obsession. As levels are replayed and enough side objectives are completed, hidden scenes that act as bonus levels are unlocked. Some of the hidden scenes involve the legendary Piggsy, and the detective becomes determined to find the often referenced 'Piggsy tapes'. When the detective finds the Valiant Video catalog and attempts to order videos through the listed contact, he attracts the attention of Mr. Nasty, and finds himself dragged into the world he was so curious about. Now, our detective is being hunted by the very gangs the player just worked so hard to build up. The fun upgrades we enjoyed as we played as the hunter gangs suddenly become nightmarish elements of gameplay as the player realizes they have engineered their own downfall. As his fellow police detectives discover him to be a killer, our detective is hunted simultaneously by the law he once upheld, and the psychopaths he has been studying with a sick fascination. Is there any way out for him?

[@JeremyyArt]

FINALLY, THANK YOU COLOURSHEDPRODUCTIONS.❤️ Manhunt is not just a game, it's also visual perspective of humanity's darkest side of mortals. With this sense of eerie, exasperating & depressing atmosphere, back when I played the game on the PS2, I was only 8 & I was blown away by the presentation of this game.

[@emceemattyg5363]

Still got my big box pc copy that looks like a VHS tape

[@jonbourgoin182]

Never heard of that version, it sounds like it might be worth a pretty penny these days. Have you looked into its value? It's crazy how the cardboard box that a game was originally released in can often be worth more than the game itself.

[@RIPBroHogan]

@@jonbourgoin182 Nah fr listen to this guy, you might be holding onto a bag worth a small fortune. Anything officially manhunt licensed goes for quite a penny these days, I've seen the manhunt 2 EB Games bag go for 80 alone.

[@drewskiee9254]

This game in a way set a template for The Last of Us

[@b1xst3r65]

It seems that the moment the game got popular (quite possibly due to the modding community that made the game alive), many are making reviews of this game recently. Now it is even more alive! Deserved more praise like Bully, The Warriors and Red Dead Revolver, it was unique.

[@peopleperson]

bro i just found this game in my garage like a few hours ago and now u upload this

[@jakd.rabbit]

Funny you should mention motion capture like that, because that actually is how they did a lot of the character animation for the game. Even more interesting than that, the actor who would go on to portray Shane in AMC's The Walking Dead and The Punisher in Marvel and Netflix's Punisher series actually got his first acting gig in this game as a motion capture actor doing nothing helping to capture execution animations and generally doing the mocap for Cash due to his similar height and build at the time. Note, he didn't voice anyone in the game, he was just the guy they referenced for animation data.

[@MrJans3n]

I love the Manhunt series. Like not even so much as games to play, but just on their vibes and aesthetic alone.

[@JinWBO]

Nice review! I've been hoping to see you cover this someday and it was worth it! Also, very nice job with the editing and details to match Manhunt's aesthetics and style, like the Patreon screen.

[@the135joker3]

Got into your channel last week and finished Manhunt yesterday. This was a perfectly timed video.

[@mr.kitsune1531]

Dunno 'bout console, but playing on PC felt alright for a game this old. All the problems regarding the controls are inexistent, or not so bad that they'd stick to mind. I really wish this kinda game would be more popular. Not because of the violence, but the _feel_

[@MuseBySecrecy]

It plays very well on console - the only thing people complain about is the shooting controls. I think it gives the game a “Hotline Miami”, run & gun, brute force your way through sort of vibe.

[@mr.kitsune1531]

@@MuseBySecrecy i could see that from the video On PC, shooting felt pretty accurate. Though instead of the gritty atmosphere, it had a pretty tactical feel.

[@radicalcentrist4990]

When it comes to "the feel", besides the obvious GTA 3, there is also Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Max Payne 1 and 2, The Suffering. These games kinda have that same feel to me.

[@ShootingStar1313]

You know what would rock? A REMAKE for this game. The announcement alone would break the internet! 🙈🙉🙊

[@LITTLE1994]

I still play this game to this day in spite if how notorious it is even compared to GTA and other famous Rockstar games.

[@RedzaMalaysianCrossover]

Back when Rockstar had balls to make a most brutal game and also the most controversial game ever made.

[@Stangrex]

Great video, but do know that you won't have the best experience currently possible with the PS2 copy that you have with Manhunt 2 unlike the first game. The best experience is with a modded PC version and this game had a very rough development line so don't be surprised if it feels less complete than the first because it literally is incomplete.

[@LuminalSpoon]

Brian Cox was great in this game.

[@DocSportello838]

There's a tutorial in the beginning showing you the white yellow and red kills mechanic bro, Idk how you missed it.

[@RastaGamesful]

I'm a fan of the Rockstar games, but Manhunt has always been a "thing from another world" for me and not one I want to spend a lot of time playing. Probably because I'm not really a fan of stealth games. In this regard, the first parts of Assassin's Creed or Splinter Cell are easier to understand. This is an attempt at a game with stealth and horror mechanics, which was a kind of experiment from the studio, because I think few people expected this from them. I can’t say that I like this game or love it, but it’s definitely worth giving respect to Rockstar for the fact that they went for such an experiment even knowing that they would be condemned a lot because this game is an ideal example for people, politicians who believe that games promote murder and violence against children and people in general. This is quite a big risk and it is not surprising that this game has caused so much noise, debate and scandals, even more than GTA.

[@Looneyboy]

One of the best KZbinrs out there! Will always love your gta 4 playthrough and gta reviews era

[@MrHAZZA821]

Living in Australia I was always curious, and had looked it up to try and find more recently, and yeah, very expensive. I did go on a trip to the UK last year and managed to find it for under $10aud

[@ADukesJustice]

Square Eyed Jak is dope, nice shout out

[@LimeGuy101]

I remember this game on the shelves as a kid growing up in Adelaide..Might have been censored, not sure. Was definitely in stores though.

[@itsbreadbin]

Love this channel. Also Square Eyed Jack is extremely underrated

[@musicaleuphoria8699]

9:56 Bet that critic loves to use a golf club.

[@stubbornone1189]

I wrote a concept for Manhunt 3 which takes place immediately after Manhunt 1. Starkweather's mansion is being combed-through by police, and you play as a detective assigned to examine some of the 'evidence'. You receive a box of VHS tapes from Starkweather's collection and have to write up a report on them. Each tape is a game level, and they can be played and replayed in any order you choose. Sometimes you play as a 'runner' and get killed in a cutscene when you reach the end location of that level, other times you play as one of the 'hunters'. As you clear levels and finish side missions in the levels, your police report for that tape becomes more and more complete, eventually allowing you to organize the tapes by which hunter gang appears, and doing so basically levels up the various members of that gang until you have stronger hunter characters to play as, with special abilities and weapons or equipment. When the detective (the player), runs out of tapes, he must go to the police station and get another box of tapes, unlocking more game levels. Eventually, unable to get more of the tapes assigned to him, the detective secretly meets with another detective who is also assigned to review some of the tapes, and convinces him to let the player copy the tapes to watch them himself, unlocking the next set of levels. When those tapes are all viewed, the detective tries to convince yet another detective to share his tapes, but when he refuses, the detective must find a way to get them from him, ultimately resorting to murdering him and taking the tapes. As the detective falls deeper into the rabbit hole of Mr. Nasty's world of 'entertainment', he must take more and more drastic measures to cover up his actions as he seeks more tapes to study. It is becoming an obsession. As levels are replayed and enough side objectives are completed, hidden scenes that act as bonus levels are unlocked. Some of the hidden scenes involve the legendary Piggsy, and the detective becomes determined to find the often referenced 'Piggsy tapes'. When the detective finds the Valiant Video catalog and attempts to order videos through the listed contact, he attracts the attention of Mr. Nasty, and finds himself dragged into the world he was so curious about. Now, our detective is being hunted by the very gangs the player just worked so hard to build up. The fun upgrades we enjoyed as we played as the hunter gangs suddenly become nightmarish elements of gameplay as the player realizes they have engineered their own downfall. As his fellow police detectives discover him to be a killer, our detective is hunted simultaneously by the law he once upheld, and the psychopaths he has been studying with a sick fascination. Is there any way out for him?

[@Robocop_1987]

Worth the wait , great work buddy .

[@Sammael66685]

@13:30 ...or you can move the right stick up while having an auto-locked enemy making a hitting shot more prone to be a headshot because that's where auto-lock it'll focus in. (May be mistaken, has been lot of years without playing it)

[@ColourShedProductions]

Yeah, that’s what I meant by being close enough, to aim up on the analogue stick to get that headshot. You can’t do it from a distance

[@jaysgamesroom4853]

That was a long time coming, nice one man.-

[@tobinmonroe3045]

I had my first experience with this game this year such a badass game.

[@playerunkown8699]

Square is a great youtuber I love his tony hawk reviews

[@Migo_H96]

Finally I been waiting for him to do a review on manhunt 😎

[@OnlyKronix]

The best reviews on youtube strikes again❤ Colourshed + SEJ colab 👀

[@jonbourgoin182]

I'm fairly certain they already have done a collab, I forget for which game though. I might be wrong on an actual collab but I'm positive one featured the other in a video here or there.

[@vadimdude]

As always, thank you for your work.

[@itsbreadbin]

Excellent review; I'm curious as to why you didn't play the PC version though? There's a patch that fixes a game breaking bug with the gate at the start of the game, that's pretty easy to install and get working

[@Reacher_2215]

One of my top favorite games of all time

[@TheMightyJRB]

OMFG, I’m commenting before even effing viewing, you are my new favorite reviewer, one of only a couple of reasons I click on KZbin.

[@felisasininus1784]

This is hands down my favorite snuff film game.

[@jason96]

I love the atmosphere and music in Manhunt

[@hwogrillo]

Watching the whole gaming world come together against the people who wanted video games like Manhunt censored was a beautiful thing. It's such a shame that the people seeking to censor games have now been welcomed into all the big gaming companies.

[@ACatCalledSnow]

This was a great review, Spencer, thank you. The game kind of reminds me of Thrill Kill, did you ever play that? Would you ever consider reviewing the Shenmue series?

[@DanKurtt]

Just what I needed!❤

[@greed42o]

these games had motion capture i love manhunt so much there is a youtube behind the scenes.

[@DEDSEC.]

Let’s go one of the best games that has been ever released.

[@unchartedrocks1]

A Manhunt 3 with modern graphics & gore would be super disturbing. It would even make Mortal Kombat look rated E

[@rickyrosay33977]

I got in trouble for playing this game my mom threw this game away but for some reason she never threw any of my gta games away

[@jonbourgoin182]

She probably read the back of the box and made her mind up based on that

[@lockout5731]

the kills the brutal one really blow my mind and its just amazing jack Thomson would never be banned its sequel oh my its banned everywhere not kidding

[@user-qr5mr4gr2k]

This game gets atmosphere and setting spot on and its brutality is its selling point it got severe mixed reviews at the time but I think it's a great game.

[@Scoobysnacks240]

Loved manhunt when it came out what a good game

[@theguyinthere]

I was introduced to this game in 2007 when a buddy stole it from a K-mart and for the next few days he was playing it and we was okig thruh te manua and it was a lot o ault things all at once.

[@OneDayOfPiece]

Manhunt 2 was a lot more crazy as well, I'm just surprised rockstar made a second one

[@noobsaibot7006]

I do wish the lost gang and scarecrow were in the game. Scarecrow should have been a boss enemy who lurks around carcer city. Lost Gang would have been better than the usual white supremacist gangs. But overall manhunt 1 enemies were pretty varied and not repetitve from hoodlums, serial killers, cannibal pig with a chainsaw, lunatics, satanists, pedophiles, latino gangs, mercernaries and trophy hunting gun fanatics. Nearly every scumbag was out in the city trying to hunt you down.

[@cooltravis6945]

On ps2, the camera controls are work like other third person shooters except in reverse kind of. Only goes first person when standing still

[@user-vb1bs8le3g]

Keep it up

[@TurboPro9952]

BRO THE MANHUNT FONT IS THE SAME ONE AS DRIVER PARALELL LINES NEW YORK 2006 FONT! Also the music is unsetelling.

[@RussianZOmBieATTACK]

Why not pc steam version? It is admittedly broken, but it's not hard of a fix

[@Jonathanest90s]

Well, I’ll try not to be shock throughout the review. lol

[@FEARYOYOYO]

The game of my childhood ❤

[@MatWilson2612]

As a fellow Australian - I do not see the issue with pirating this - a game that was released 20+ years ago, that's no longer for sale and wasn't ever really for sale in Australia - we don't need censorship and I'd happily pay for this if I could for a reasonable price but I can't..

[@ColourShedProductions]

The ban in hindsight just feels like a product of how much panic there was over violence in video games during the 2000s. It would easily pass if was resubmitted today.

[@Zolega89]

SEJ and Colourshed collab should happen

[@dannystavs2003]

Why did you play the PS2 version via PCSX2 rather than the Windows version?

[@EmperorXaozx]

Where can I find a copy for console, digital or physical?

[@wyattheaththeneko7207]

Speaking of Mad World, you have plans review it?

[@ColourShedProductions]

Already have 👍. One of the first ever reviews on my channel, from 2015, haha

[@dextera808]

Colourshed finally play cult classic of R* Games!

[@steffenv.9969]

Here in Germany, Manhunt and its successor, Manhunt 2, are subject to a distribution ban. Indexed in Germany (List B) and confiscated nationwide since 2004.

[@Alexzw92]

Wait so you played this with a real disc on an emulator? Why not use the disc on original hardware? Or just download the rom? Idk

[@talentoveranything2838]

Awesome

[@eddieru]

0:01 i immediately starting singing the song guilt trip by kanye west

[@UnionJackGaming1994]

You can give the camera issue by just changing the controls in the settings. You can do this at any time. I'm sorry you played the game in the default way without realising this 😂😂😂

[@LukeyyPooleyy]

Dude you need review rumble racing by ea its such a fun game!

[@PS2GAMER100]

Played that game yesterday on my phone and your right it is fun

[@vapno92]

3:00 of course we don’t talk about piracy here but... Sometimes it’s the only way, and You don’t have to feel gulity pirating a game which technically is old enough to drink in US... :D

[@natethegreatreviews]

Gonna do manhunt 2?

[@cheekyphuzz_thegod8558]

This game needs another sequel so badly

[@nocomment1469]

They did and it's shit

[@cheekyphuzz_thegod8558]

@@nocomment1469 I was referring to a potential third entry in the series. I agree with you that the second game sucked ass

[@CyanRooper]

I think if they ever made a third game it would be a VR game because this is the one Rockstar game that would benefit the most from being in VR. Like think about it, used VR headsets are getting cheaper and VR as a whole started becoming more widespread because of Apple making their own headset and Apple has plans to release a cheap-ish version eventually. It's entirely possible that modern day snuff film directors would try to make VR snuff films for the exceptionally deranged. A VR version of Manhunt 1 would feel even more disturbing and uncomfortable to play than any other horror game.

[@coco_w]

Does this game remind anybody else of Klonoa?!

[@gro-tesqba4220]

No. Why would it?

[@mattwolf7698]

What?

[@vhsqueen]

🤡

[@brokenT.v.]

Amazing game

[@gregoryberrycone]

Shame you had to review it on an emulator as I feel it sort of taints your experience with the game but otherwise stoked to see you review this one

[@user-vb1bs8le3g]

violent video games are for adults not kids theres a reason every rockstar title is rated m 18 plus or teen same with violent cartoons we the adults are teh real gamers/players XD

[@jonisalia15]

Yeeeees

[@Yungbeck]

Sick that you borrowed the copy from SQUARE EYED JAK

[@DeanH92]

13:13 even the automatic weapons? Where do you get this incorrect information?

[@rofalmatt]

Well done squre eyed jack gg

[@charmingpeasant9834]

Today's R* staff are probably clutching their pearls about Manhunt's existence.

[@harrisonosirrah]

Yeah seems like the place is filled with about 600 corporate pussies now. I never expected I would be as unenthused as I am about a new GTA game.

[@goat0451]

Based Jak coming through once again ❤

[@nocomment1469]

Throwing decapitated heads Rockstar games had a crazy few years of insane games.

[@IMeanMachine101]

cool

[@dominicvega9267]

I’m pretty sure you already did one

[@stauros360]

It's hilarious how people can buy guns in Walmart, Florida crazy peds do all sorts of crazy shit, wars going on all the time and people are mad for a snuff video game 🤣

[@theguyinthere]

Square eyed jak's video can be way to long sometimes

[@jonbourgoin182]

Many of us prefer long form videos

[@RacerC45]

Why am I still banned from your Discord server?

[@JZStudiosonline]

Now compare this to the almost infinitely more excessively detailed violence and gore in the "tasteful" Last of Us 2. Despite what ND might say about it, it's not tasteful and seems to revel in it's brutality. Mortal Kombat always made the claim the fatalities were so over the top they were basically cartoons, despite the gore. TLOU2 is just gore and violence and nihilism for the sake of it.

[@Noah-Lach]

As (presumably) a Manhunt fan, aren't you happy that a modern game has picked up the gauntlet? It's probably the closest thing we'll ever get to a Manhunt on a next-gen platform. And frankly, it's pretty clear from the in-game context and the developer's messaging that TLOU 2 *isn't* meant to be tasteful. The violence is SUPPOSED to be wickedly realistic and revolous in nature, as you the player are meant to be in Ellie's shoes while she carves her righteous warpath. In fact, making the gore so ridiculously satisfying is the key to the entire plot.

[@JZStudiosonline]

@@Noah-Lach No. Nihilism for the sake of nihilism isn't something to be proud of. But "Tasteful" was a marketing term they used and it's actually completely counter to the plot. Everyone was done with it before they finished the game.

[@Noah-Lach]

@@JZStudiosonline I never used the word “proud” and I don’t believe the word “tasteful” was ever used in the game’s marketing.

[@JZStudiosonline]

@@Noah-Lach Never said you did and they claimed the butt stuff scene was tasteful. Google it.

[@Armstrong84]

I got this on release back in the day and iv gotta be honest I thought it was really boring. I rented the second one and felt the same.

[@whizkybent]

Video games did ruin society

[@nattila7713]

cheap looking emulation, awful stretched image, runs terrible... never imagined you have such low standards, I loved most of your reviews so far. this is definitely not how I would watch a video about this cult classic... :( (closed it around the middle)

[@EddyTheDevil1]

I'll never understand why ColourShed insists on playing every game on console. Especially when the game in question looks and runs better on the PC than on console. I just don't get it.

[@nattila7713]

@@EddyTheDevil1 console is fine especially when most people played the console versions.... but BAD emulation???

[@nocomment1469]

Throwing decapitated heads Rockstar games had a crazy few years of insane games.