The Controversial History of Gaming's Most Violent Franchise

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The never-ending violence in video games discussion has revolved around a select few experiences. Mortal Kombat, Carmeggedon, and Grand Theft Auto count among the most infamous. So, too, does the murder-filled Rockstar Games staple, Manhunt.
Released in 2003 on the PlayStation 2, and then on PC and Xbox in 2004, the first Manhunt captivated players with its premise of a former death row inmate who’s coerced into killing at the behest of a mystifying figure. Obscene violence steeped in dizzying levels of gore made for what some consider a murder simulator. Yet, others, especially in retrospect, perceive a semblance of depth that’s long gone unappreciated.
Everything that intrigued gamers and countless critics about it didn’t go over well in other circles, however. Controversy enveloped Manhunt soon after its arrival, manifested in the outcries of parent-led organizations, the violent video game-banning efforts of many politicians, and the discourse surrounding the psychological effects of such games.
Arguably, the contempt that plagued Manhunt harkened back to that which was leveled at horror films throughout the 1980s. It even became embroiled in rumors and conjecture regarding a murder investigation. Despite the tumultuous drama, which inevitably led to Manhunt being banned in a number of countries, Rockstar managed to secure approval for a sequel. Unsurprisingly, the mere announcement of Manhunt 2 spawned a fair helping of controversy. And, still, both adventures went on to become beloved cult classics.
This is the history of Manhunt.
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[@TraTranc]

AAAH, Leland Yee. He who tried to ban the sales of violent games and was fiercely anti-gun while at the same time trafficking guns illegally behind his constituents' backs.

[@masoclevine836]

Reminder that he was trafficking specifically from a philippine terrorist group called MILF 😂

[@adamlopez5060]

Biggest mouths tend to be the biggest hypocrites. But yeah, eff that guy

[@lightningonlycommentsonce5824]

@@adamlopez5060 It's ok to swear on the internet. Your parents won't find out.

[@perrypougins379]

@@lightningonlycommentsonce5824 be vevy quiet, swearing is forbidden by god

[@TheKillboy1000]

@@perrypougins379 swearing is forbidden by the church. God does not care.

[@saschaberger3212]

The game is rated 18+ "The game teaches our children to kill!" The game is rated 18+ Don't let your children play games that are rated 18+ I know it's way too hard to understand

[@HarryOsborneAS31]

Some places don't care who they sell their products to believe it or not. Especially in those days

[@Johny40Se7en]

Exactamundo! 😅😜

[@plaguedoctorjamespainshe6009]

@@HarryOsborneAS31 maybe the parents should take care of their children then

[@turgor127]

No no no bro politician are genuinely care about the children.🤡

[@TheSlothfulSamurai]

I remember being like 8 years old and Doom 3 came out with a 18 plus logo on it, limited edition so it had the gory looking demon on the front. Cause I had my 70 year old grandparents with me who had no clue what games was like other then maybe Duck Hunt didnt know how graphic games was from the Pac Man age, GAME did not even bother questioning it cause had family permission 😂 It's down to the family cause most stores when I turned 16 asked if I was 18 when purchasing 18plus games when alone.

[@massdestruction112]

I would love a Manhunt 3. Especially with today's technology.

[@kennykij1]

Yup

[@dreamcastdazia4753]

That's concerning

[@nathanthompson742]

Manhunt was such an intense experience for me not just because of the violence but because the stealth and AI were actually really good especially on hard. It felt like a horror game with stealth, a remake would be awesome but it will never happen.

[@ProjectSh4dow]

@@dreamcastdazia4753why?

[@spoopyidk]

@@dreamcastdazia4753 yeah OK CS:GO vids

[@MrBubonicChronic]

As much as it pains me to say it, there's no way in hell the current Rockstar would ever greenlight Manhunt 3.

[@dvaldez33]

I agree with you, yet I have hope. I heard in recent news that The Callisto Protocol has been banned in Japan due to it being excessive in gore and violent. There may be hope lol

[@Diego35HD]

There's no way it's worth the risk, the closest thing we have though, I'd say, it's Max Payne 3.

[@redhammer92]

Society in general wouldn't greenlight Manhunt anymore.

[@plain_simple_garak]

It's not just Rockstar. ESG is going to create a sterile, boring world of inoffensive corporate pablum. Nothing dangerous or controversial like this will be forthcoming for a long time, because it will be punished by the financial system.

[@doogerw2675]

That's because all rockstar cares about now is monetizing tf out of GTA. They're not the same beloved company they were back in to early 2000's. Just look at the piss poor handling of the GTA trilogy they lazily shat out

[@HuffinStufff]

During this era of games there were some great dark, violent, and/or horrorish games. What a time to be alive.

[@TheDragonHouse]

Still a time to be even more than alive we can play it on emulators now

[@ThatsTheWun]

Yes!! Such as the suffering

[@SuperCrazyPsycho731]

Yeah back then all the way up to Dead Space 2. You would really find yourself jumping and feeling anxiety or adrenaline just like you might in a similar situation in real life. Then you'd have those dreams where you're playing the game or in the game. You know you've had them. I used to have reoccurring dream about the Silent Hill fog 😆 game so scary they were giving us PTSD low key 🤣

[@figliodihades]

@@ThatsTheWun I came here to say this

[@brianm7109]

@@ThatsTheWun oh yaaaa i forgot about that game that was a sick one

[@Tremonster261]

The first Manhunt game was brilliant and had a level of innovation we just don’t really see anymore. If you played with a headset on, it felt like the director was actually talking to you. You could even make noise through the mic which would be picked up by the game and could be used to distract the enemies hunting you. This totally added to the tension as well though as you almost held your breath while stalking an enemy. This coupled with the sheer brutality and relentlessness of the gangs hunting you made for a real tense experience. The film grain VHS effects also added to the whole ‘snuff movie’ concept. Just an all round sublime game. Unfortunately we’ll never get a remaster or a Manhunt 3, I just don’t feel like we’ll ever get a game like this again.

[@user-jn3bt3ep3d]

A remaster would be cool. You can still buy the original on PS store

[@Tremonster261]

@@user-jn3bt3ep3d It would be amazing, but with all the manufactured controversy surrounding the first game and all the crap they had to go through just to get the second one rated and released, I just don’t think it’s a series that Rockstar will touch again, I could be proved wrong though.

[@jaredweiman2987]

Relax, dude. It was a good game, but it's just a stealth game lol

[@kman9884]

@@jaredweiman2987 Idk. The enemies in Splinter Cell don’t call me a “limp dicked faggot” when I hide in the shadows. Assassin’s Creed also doesn’t let me stab someone and hear them breathe raspily until his death. Manhunt had a tension other stealth games didn’t.

[@imembridibuddha]

The only game that came close to the first Manhunt experience was Kane & Lynch 2.

[@tomweather8887]

I feel like the sound design is what really made it so shockingly violent. I still remember those blood gurgling screams from the machete kills.

[@NR-gp2il]

Good sound is always essential for a good horror experience

[@justindatkins1234]

I remember playing the first one when I came out. I was very young… freaked me out… but even as a kid like 99% of others I understood the different between violence in the real world and violence in entertainment

[@StrewthSeeker]

Everything freaked me out as a kid lol. Decades before this game it was horror films. You’ll never remove violence from the human condition

[@justindatkins1234]

@@StrewthSeeker i remember being little and mom letting in watch stuff like hellraiser 😳… but violence is part of many stories. Stephen king said he doesn’t understand why people are upset with the kid “love” in his IT novel but not that violence… one is crafting a exciting story they other is you being a pervert Steve!!!

[@vyrkwid837]

ill never get the hate for violent games, metal music, violent art etc. when its ok to literally act out violent actions in horror movies.

[@josflorida5346]

Personally I'm not a fan of gratuitous violence in games however I do play some pretty violent games myself if the story is good enough and validates what is going on. Still makes me uncomfortable sometimes but the thing is no one forced me to play them. If people don't like it don't play it. With what you said about horror movies I think people are concerned about the interactive nature of video games. I've played enough violent video games to prove that they don't make you violent tho. The people who are inspired by violence in games and movies were likely already on that path in my opinion

[@vyrkwid837]

@@josflorida5346 it is most definitely a psychological thing when it comes to these things. these games could either inspire one looking to harm other people, or it can be an escape for those who don't want to harm. nevertheless a game does not make you exclude all your morals. but what you said about people who are inspired by violet things, I get to an extent. I'm somebody who likes horror and the darker side of life but it doesn't inspire me to hurt anyone. instead it inspires me to be creative whether it's making art or music.

[@josflorida5346]

@@vyrkwid837 I agree with ya entirely. I'm a horror movie junkie. Again super gratuitous torture stuff bothers me (not like it's a threat to society) as I get older cuz it just makes me uncomfortable as I said earlier. But that's what it's supposed to do. The people inspired by games and movies were very likely to do something harmful regardless. I remember the grand theft auto scare in the early 2000s and the news tried to scare parents. Ultimately if you raise your kids to have values they won't be so easily manipulated by games and movies. No one ever wants to talk about the real issue with that part. They just want something to blame. I'm also a metal junkie and as you probably know metal is stigmatized to be hateful. But like you said about games and horror it's an escape. People should really have more self accountability with their actions. It started with fear mongering about games, music, and movies, and now it's things like speech causing violence. Slippery slope if you ask me

[@vyrkwid837]

@@josflorida5346 very well put in that regards

[@necrodan2]

nevermind that its ok to drink alcohol, smoke, and other addictions that are legal and do cause harm as opposed to videogames or art

[@lucasterable]

Manhunt and Manhunt 2 were well made, engrossing video games. No controversy can take this fact away..

[@bvrbs0373]

Manhunt 2 is a blatantly incomplete game . . . Jfc

[@satnav1980]

@@bvrbs0373 Definitely something wrong with it. 🤣😂🤣

[@domasbaliulis23]

@@satnav1980 as with you people.

[@kingpettytv]

Manhunt was awesome but then manhunt 2 was watered down.

[@swagit4174]

How is blatantly incomplete? These 2 games have different theme to it

[@someguythatwasmorbed8251]

It is an ideal time for a Manhunt 3; a plot involving dark web livestream where the main character is forced to murder his way out in order to stay alive, possibly orchestrated by very rich shadowy figure(s) behind the scenes. Depending on how brutal the kill is, there could be a "chat" going haywire during executions and the score system could be presented by "donations" (which would be given to the player after every kill) at the end of each level based on player's performance. They could add additional "highlight" system where the player is tasked by the chat to perform a specific execution or with a specific weapon for extra "donations" to add to the overall score.

[@divyanshchandel1956]

Basic Squid game

[@LeMicronaut]

That is very cheesy, but I like it XD! Though the donations wouldn't go to the player, it'd go to the business, but the director would be incentivized to tip the scales in your favor to prolong the carnage. You could simply make it a currency system like unlock points or go even further and do things like adding environmental interactions and intel on traps, or unleashing another "leading man" who WILL distract and hunt patrols, but you need to consequently also kill him (a more elusive target) before leaving.

[@leviathan2647]

sounds like average jerma stream

[@zackelliott8597]

Your ideas good but has a fatal flaw. The esrb didn't like the idea of a score system where you are awarded points or "donations" for kills.

[@zackelliott8597]

When the kills are this gruesome and explicit of course

[@KillaGandhi]

The best part about Manhunt is it paved the way for Red Dead Redemption 2's revolutionary gore mechanics.

[@RobsRemixes]

“In which male genitalia were gruesomely mutilated… This too landed on the cutting room floor” 🤣🤣🤣

[@ThisBirdHasFlown]

lmao

[@danimadrid5454]

get therapists people

[@itpugil]

yeap I'm one of those people who take things too literally.

[@joshklaver47]

That's what happens to thousands of baby boys every day in the US. There's no shortage of horrific things being done in real life, if we're willing to open our eyes and see it.

[@wybuchowyukomendant]

>calling video games 'immortal' after you literally raised a killer under your roof kek, people will deepthroat any kind of scapegoat just so they won't have to acknowledge their own responsibility.

[@LeMicronaut]

Given that it was the victim who had the copy of the game, It was DEFINITELY just a cashgrab trying to sue and receive a settlement out of court.

[@AxisChurchDevotee]

It might also be because parents don't want to accept their child could willing be evil and there had to have been a outside reason for it.

[@yarpen26]

Violent video games were the "voices in my head made me do it" in '90s courtrooms.

[@kman9884]

@@yarpen26 They still are, too. The conservative old heads of world governments don’t understand games. Or art, in general.

[@rowan7929]

I remember how my local stores in Australia were promoting the game, but got quickly removed since Australia at that time had no R18 rating, and therefor was not allowed to be sold. Even when we finally got an 18 rating, none of the games are being sold here, or available on Steam.

[@fatbastard51]

true i remember left for dead 2, i asked my dad to buy for it for me in England to bring back totally worth it

[@fidelio9301]

Australia sucks. Why does it even exist?

[@TraTranc]

Access the Steam store with a VPN lol.

[@OfficialDJSoru]

@@TraTranc You clearly don't know Valve snoops for VPN accesses to Steam. They started doing that when they realized people were changing their regions to Russia or South America to score cheap games to add to the library before turning off the VPN to play on their actual region. Now, I don't know if they will look the other way for Aussies trying to access US or EU region VPN points to circumvent the bans, but they surely won't tell us to avoid issues with the authorities.

[@organicketchup5171]

I have a copy on PS2 that I bought second hand at a charity shop or something. It worked on my Australian PS2, so I guess it could only have come from another PAL region country. I just figured that possibly only the sequel had been banned.

[@weirdautumn]

Tbh the original Manhunt aged surprisingly well. I replayed it recently and it still looks somewhat decent and it's hardcore af. Grainy vhs filter really adds to a snuff movie theme they were going for. This aestetics is memorable and unique, and it still feels fresh even to this day. The ai of the enemies, the insane OST, clever stealth mechanics and sheer difficulty of melee combat really amplify the terror and feeling of being hunted. Enemies pursue you relentlessly and even 1 or 2 of them can f* you up real bad., so face to face combat is always undesirable. You have to hide in the shadows and wait patiently for the perfect moment to strike or do hit and run. It's a very brutal survival horror they just don't make anymore and I can't recommend it highly enough. Too bad the sequel is a buggy lackluster mess.

[@gregoryjoslin3173]

I loved the game when it released but it's biggest downfall were the guns. I did all I could not to use them because it killed the vibe you described.

[@OnlyTheGlo]

I still have my PS2 copy of manhunt 💎

[@RiC3R69]

I have never experienced bug or glitch in MANHUNT 2

[@shawklan27]

The sequel is definitely as disturbing as the original but in a more try hard, edgy "I can't believe they've actually done it" type of way while the original has this grundy cheap 80s slasher vibe to it.

[@YB_.]

@@shawklan27 Original has that recognizable Rockstar humor and social commentary, albeit with a dark twist. It walks a thin line between dark comedy and horror. Only part of Manhunt 2 that feels Rockstar is the "betrayal" (if we can even call it that), everything else about it feels like a straight-up horror game without pretense. If you showed me the Danny/Leo interview tapes without prior knowledge of Manhunt 2 I could never guess that it was Rockstar game material.

[@doogerw2675]

Since my comment seems to be gone for some reason I'll put the info here again. The AO version of this game was released on one site for sale back in 2009. So they did end up getting an uncensored version out there. It's no longer up on that site but with a little Google searching you can still find it

[@Harbinger28567]

The original Manhunt is one of my favorite games of all time. I've played through it countless times. The sequel just didn't have the same feel and intrigue as the first. I stopped playing part way through.

[@blrolz3544]

I never finished the 2nd one either. I couldn't stand the main character and the weird effects during executions made it feel like a cheap rip off title.

[@RockstarMazy]

I would love to play a modernized version of manhunt

[@jonnyh5858]

You can find them online for psp or wii emulators eaisly

[@Hatsworthful]

@@jonnyh5858 if thats the case for 2 i'd say avoid the wii version like the plauge, its super damn messy.

[@joebristol8510]

A modern version would suck in my opinion. Everything about entertainment in today's day and age is completely sanitized; by committee designed and aimed at every demographic. There's no such thing as a genre defining or boundary pushing videogame anymore.

[@coreymckee4844]

"Modernized". No. Just stop. I dont need another woke "modernized" take.

[@KryptKicker5]

@@joebristol8510 I could not have written my thoughts about modern entertainment any better. Kudos, sir!

[@hgrunt7429]

Two awesome games. I remember when I introduced my friends to the series by describing the executions. Good times

[@moshymosh]

With games such as Outlast, Mortal Kombat, Doom, Resident Evil, Dead Space and Callisto Protocol on the market and taking the limelight without any backlash, I say it is completely unfair that Manhunt got the short end of the stick. Fans deserve a Manhunt III.

[@nephilim115-yg]

This was something we needed from GVMERS.

[@briantidwell651]

I miss these two games... can you even IMAGINE how a new one on current consoles would look 👀😱

[@lolcat]

to be fair we have games like mk11 now

[@franksblends2516]

“It would look like tlou parts 1 and 2

[@briantidwell651]

@@lolcat those quick cuts of gore in MK are indeed graphic but these games are an entirely different animal... in the MK games, it IS just quick cut kinda stuff, in Manhunt, it's a slow dive into all that stuff... you can REALLY take your time with that stuff, do WHATEVER you want, as slowly as you want (ya don't just trigger a quick graphic thing).

[@briantidwell651]

@@franksblends2516 maybe if you're trying to bite someone with a smart@ss comment, check your spelling before hitting submit 🤣 ...there's even a SINGLE quotation mark in there, bro 🤣

[@franksblends2516]

@@briantidwell651 “.

[@Brugar18]

If video games, television, literature or whatever inspires a child to commit something heinous, means that there is a problem with parrenting

[@chickensnatch]

Bro you are what you consume lets stop pretending lol I know all about guns before even touching one thanks to video games lmao a tool is tool

[@Brugar18]

@@chickensnatch ofc you do..

[@HarryOsborneAS31]

There's plenty of evidence to suggest that when people who do terrible things, parenting sometimes, has little to do with it. Sometimes its how someone is born,, sometimes its how someone was raised and sometimes their a product of their environment

[@Brugar18]

@@HarryOsborneAS31 it is most of the times that comes from parrenting and yes environment can also make an impact. not much evidence about "how they are born" though

[@ms.pirate]

@@HarryOsborneAS31 what he means is parents should've stepped in and teached the kids too not act out what they seen in video games and movies, and take the rating system as a warning, that they're child is too young too play or watch these things until their older. No hitting or spanking should be involved, but instead, talking to them or take away their games for whatever period of time

[@berkharth847]

I've been waiting for you to make a video on manhunt, I'm so happy. Thank you!

[@ARIXANDRE]

How I'd hope to get a Manhunt with modern Mortal Kombat details of gore and stealth gameplay.

[@dragonkamran]

Mortal Kombat’s gore isn’t impressive at all. Especially in MK11.

[@danieladamczyk4024]

Are somesort of psycho??!?!?

[@abyss9316]

A updated and revitalized Manhunt 3 in Rockstar's latest rage engine in a similar vein to Red Dead Redemption 2 with graphics and dismemberment the game would be utterly breathtaking to be in a large world overtaken by violence maybe something post-apocalyptic would be a revolutionary game

[@Fosi94]

I remember this, can't belive how old is now. Love your videos, never stop please. This channel is something else ❤️

[@KenOwens78]

The episode I've been waiting for. Thank y'all

[@thanos43infinity]

Manhunt is still to this day a Masterpiece! The way it captured the Grindhouse style of the classic video nasties of the 70-80s was pure genius.

[@diogopinto6039]

Awesome as always! I love the dynamics of your videos, informative and entertaining!

[@patrickd0403]

Another excellent video. Really one of my favorite Channels. Keep up the great work!

[@jonbecker1657]

This game really is one of a kind

[@TerraWare]

Our favorite hobby has always been under fire by those who don't understand it or seek to pass blame. You'd think we'd be past this now that gaming has become so mainstream and studies have been done but it is still used as a scapegoat for tragedies and mishaps because it's such an easy target.

[@nv7583]

Hey GVMERS, I’m commenting before watching but I’m hoping you guys mentioned the magazine advertisement for this game back in the day, with a hollowed out body! Scared tf out of me as a kid!

[@bookipzee]

Spoiler, they didn't...

[@TheXelum]

Always great Informative Documentations. Thank u for that.

[@andreworders7305]

15:47 how the hell did she of all people not read the police statement? It was about her own son! Why was she still getting the facts wrong?

[@evandaymon8303]

Because grief is strong and she clearly blaming the wrong thing. She could also want the money as well as clout. It was pretty dumb of her to blame a company that had done nothing to her and her own son own the game not the pyscho killer

[@jondoe5937]

Because she had already made up her mind the moment she was told a violent video game was involved. Maybe she thinks her son lent the game to his psychotic friend. She was probably being manipulated by the investigators and politicians who wanted a specific outcome and used her grief to cloud her judgement. Ironically more disgusting than this video game will ever be.

[@AstralBelt]

dunno but she probably deserved to have been killed in her son's place

[@DanOh098]

I'm glad you guys made a video on this game. It's my only favourite horror game. I hope you guys make a history of Hitman series.

[@MaksMikhnevych]

they have one on the channel.

[@DanOh098]

@@MaksMikhnevych I can't find it. For the Hitman game series

[@szybilski]

@@DanOh098 Same. Was just looking and nothing.

[@WiddlyScuds2909]

Began watching this channel so long ago, how in the fuck do they only have 500k subscribers? This is an objectively solid game documentary channel and the dudes voice is so solid. Thank you GVMERS for all your videos.

[@Kane.JimLahey.]

Been waiting for this one! Now all we need is for Manhunt 3 to finally cease development and release!

[@PNWAffliction]

another very welldone vid! there was a quote that I'll never forget about violent videogames. I can't find, or remember it 100%, but. it's like violent games cause about as much aggression as a golf game makes anyone good at golf.

[@grahamkelly8662]

I’ve only watched the first 2mins exactly and it gave me Chills. I’d forgotten how incredible and extremely Violent, this game was. I remember being blown away and so immersed, in this world, after playing it, all those years ago. Such a beast of a game.

[@lucasnooker]

I'm from Leicester, England where the Manhunt murder took place. it was big news at the time... but really, it was about drug money as far as I recall...

[@Sarazoul]

And bad/lack of parenting. I'm pretty sure the mother used the game as a way to shift the blame away from her own responsibilities as a parent.

[@tyler8289]

Just was sitting down for lunch and a new Gvmers video drops. What a great day.

[@redsky5440]

bruh you watched this shit while eating?

[@DTMACK10]

This game definitely needs a remaster

[@asmbeats5369]

God yes, I'd wish they remade the first manhunt, just imagine the attention to detail Rockstar would put into it.

[@krisellison6650]

The game doesn't need a remake or remaster.

[@slopeboix2589]

I just love the title and the way he says it in the video…. Manhunt.💀

[@damienlu7318]

For what?

[@Shaunography]

Still my favourite stealth game. Such an immersive experience

[@XDesolationxOfxEdenX]

This has to be one the best gaming channels ever! I've been watching for a while but whenever I have the time to sit down and watch a full video, I'm fully reminded of why I started watching in the first place.

[@Yurei83]

I love your videos @Gvmers 👏👍 What it that cool song at the end when you talk about your patreons?

[@colinhession40]

It's important to keep in mind the actual intentions of those who tried to ban these games

[@SniperJoker915]

I have my PS2 copy. I remember back then I would use my Socom mic to make sounds to distract/lure the enemies. Fun game. With how times are now, I don't think we will ever see a remake or Manhunt 3 as gruesome as the first.

[@MrPolicekarim]

No way it would get made in today's woke world!

[@swallowedinthesea11]

@@MrPolicekarim It should; show the Karens a big F you!

[@jasonshouseoffunandvideoga7169]

Bravo! What an awesome retrospective into a very controversial but great franchise. I'd love to see a 3rd installment involving cash but I'm not sure if they possible unfortunately. 💪🙌🔥

[@demarcomendes]

Great content bro!!

[@100gecsrbetterthangod5]

Sorry for the off topic comment but I LOVE THIS CHANNEL. Such high quality videos imo. Thanks for the amazing and informative content!

[@jaaykaay]

That was a really interesting watch. Makes me wanna go play the games

[@LegendSpecialist]

Great video. Your voice is amazing👌

[@guilherme5094]

Great video👍!!

[@kakazi2170]

I played Manhunt 2 when I was 9. Borrowed it from Blockbuster, what a time.

[@manuelacosta9463]

It sure is a taboo series, but that's what makes it so noteworthy. The stealth gameplay is intense especially with the ruthless enemies and their banter that's both terrifying along with hilarious. The fact that there was a near mutiny among the developers means they were delivering a product that did it's job, perhaps little too well. Either way glad I still have both on the old PS2 even if the sequel was not that great.

[@Aspru]

awesome documentary!

[@Chris-yc3mm]

Missed this back in the day. Will need to grab a copy

[@Gruntvc]

The censorship placed on both Manhunt 2 and The Punisher are hilarious in retrospect. We've got games today with way worse with more "realistic" graphics that only get M ratings now.

[@bounceycake1]

I bought Manhunt on Steam for like dirt cheap, you can still play the first game just fine, but you'll have to find a used copy of Manhunt 2, I'm not sure if they're allowed to sell that online due to the controversy

[@LeMicronaut]

They definitely could if they wanted to. 90% of games banned due to violence during the 90s and 00s could have just been banned for 4 years and by the time it released society and graphical fidelty would've moved so much that the rating would almost defacto drop to M (17+). It sounded like Manhunt 2 was pushing the envelope a little more, but Planet Terror got an r-rated theatrical release about a year earlier (recall, children can watch if accompanied by a guardian) and you literally see one guy's testical fly off and hit the ground and another's scrotum drip down like burnt fondue. Opponents never really got the interactivity part of games. The visuals and sounds are simulated, the acts really aren't, so the threat of ideation is DEFINITELY akin to movies which get nowhere near as much heat. The most "visceral" playing a game could be was rumble feedback. I think one of the godfather game's tried to time vibrations to the heartbeat of strangled npcs, for example (if that wasn't just media hysteria).

[@tvsavery666]

Sail the high seas brothers. Arrr!

[@riccardomallardo7779]

As for manhunt 2 You can just pirate it

[@hubflower5433]

I just bought it and the game shit itself 1st second. Broke my heart truly

[@LeMicronaut]

@@hubflower5433 Well, think of it this way. If it would've taken 6 seconds, it would've been a lot worse...

[@pwgdeathhawk8146]

Love your videos, have you thought of the Batman Arkham series in tribute to Kevin Conroy?

[@Hollowdude15]

Cool video and I like your content so much :]

[@holy9781]

Anyone else get nostalgic when they saw the video stores,im only 30 but I remember going to rent games at blockbuster lol

[@manraiderofficial]

The good old times! 😆 I remember getting dead to rights when I was under the age of 18!

[@HipHopHeadZeb]

Back when games weren't full of micro-transactions and the devs/ publishers weren't afraid to create games without labelling them "for modern audiences" and just made enjoyable games 🙄 imagine if this came out today.. the articles Kotaku would put out about it 😂

[@zerocool5395]

Kotaku would call it "Far-right cis gender white male fantasy"

[@gzuskreist1021]

@@hooimansen this screams im brainwashed, the type of white liberal Malcolm X warned about!

[@zebius4157]

​​@@zerocool5395 don't you kill white supremacists in both manhunt games?

[@RandomMadnessChannel]

Yessss, I was waiting for this one. Would you guys ever consider looking into the Red Faction series?

[@Adulf666]

As usual great video - thank you! As for manhunt I remember the days when we had a talk at school about brutality in video games, guess which game was in the spotlight ;) Attempt # 16 how about the rise and fall of Mechwarrior? :)

[@SuburbanProperty]

You really need to do a rise and fall of Legacy of Kain. Perfect for this series

[@kinghoodofmousekind2906]

I find it funny that a guy with a surname such as Cantamessa (which means "mass singer", probably an Italian surname linked to persons involved with choir directing roles) was among those realising the vision for what it is an "experimental snuff videogame".

[@kinghoodofmousekind2906]

...

[@Hamburgaga]

Great vid

[@Red-wc1br]

Oo been waiting for this one

[@waltersullivan5042]

Amazing games. Fun, challenging , enticing and intriguing story, dark atmosphere, good fitting soundtracks and unique overall. Would love a Manhunt 3! The series needs to be continued

[@Superschemer34]

Rockstar is scared. They won’t

[@rongreen9218]

Leland Yee pleaded guilty to racketeering related to weapons trafficking and did 5 years and yet hated violent video games

[@Cenot4ph]

Similarly to Soldiers of Fortune 1 and 2, lot of controversy because of the modular character models allowing you to blow off parts of someone's head

[@cDayz]

As much as I still want a Manhunt 3 I'll settle for a Remastered package of Manhunt & an uncut Manhunt 2. Great video.

[@igodreamer7096]

Great game, I hope we could see a third installment soon enough!

[@googlesucks2449]

We won't.

[@Superschemer34]

Rockstar is scared. And they don’t care about any other franchise now that gta making billions

[@nickgodfrey1148]

Manhunt 3 with Cash trying to find out who Mr Nasty is. I doubt Rockstar would do it, but I reckon it would be a hell of a game.

[@lucasart328]

gamer spawn i remmember you did the video on the battlefiled 3 analysis haha

[@mandu6665]

This game is a fucking classic. It has such a grimey and unsettling atmosphere. Brian Cox turned in arguably the greatest VA performance ever. I wish I could mod in his character yelling, "BOAR ON THE FLOOR CASH. BOAR ON THE FLOOR!!!"

[@Johny40Se7en]

It's amazing to see that an under appreciated and sometimes misunderstood gem is still quite the focal point. And as always, your videos do proper justice to the games featured. It would be brilliant if Rockstar did indeed make another Manhunt, more in tune with the first games' incredibly gritty atmosphere. Craig Connor should definitely be the one to reprise the music role too, because the music in the first game is absolutely incredible, it's aged very well. Don't get your hopes up for a 3rd game though, because I doubt Rockstar want the hassle with the media. I mean, could you imagine if a modern manhunt game came out, with the photo realism of todays' games... it would make the recent Mortal Kombat games look almost like a kids' game 😕 Then again, if Rockstar was to stylise it and maybe censor it in a thoughtful way, I'm sure they'd make it work. Because let's be honest, in the original game, it was more to do with the sounds, than the visuals, which were absolutely horrendous, and most of them are enough to make a person gag, you know...

[@Based_Stuhlinger]

You should do a video on the Red Faction games. Loved the first game.

[@shane3674]

People always wanna use some kind of scapegoat as to why people do the things they do. But there were no video games during World War I, World War II or the Civil War.

[@emulation2369]

They played hide and seek.... 😐

[@Robocop_1987]

I'm gonna enjoy this one , thanks guys .

[@heeeydevon8262]

Just replayed manhunt 1 and 2. It's a shame the games had so much controversy

[@markw.loughton6786]

Fantastic Documentary.

[@deputyuwu]

Among my favorites games. I would have friends over and have run the first of MH and how they played it determined our friendship lol

[@OfficialDJSoru]

I did that with Postal 2... I was borderline pacifist, only shooting when shot at. Some of my friends would optionally set fire to NPCs and try to piss out the flames before they burn to a crisp... My ex though... was more fucked up than all my friends. She would not only decapitate random NPCs with the shovel, she would make the Dude piss on their corpses. 10/10, would date again lmao

[@JERSEYBOYPLAY2HARD]

Playing this at night definitely was tense. Thanks Dad for renting this from blockbuster

[@FisherTPS]

Games are still fun, I'm 36 years old and I'll die with a keyboard and mouse in my hands

[@MarkusFFFF]

It's like watching movies, reading books or listening to music: You don't automatically stop doing this because you get older. In Germany the average age of gamers is nearly 40 years nowadays. I am older than you and love gaming as much as i did back in the days of Commodore and Amiga.

[@CoercedJab]

@@MarkusFFFF life sucking tech keeping us all asleep. The toy that never grows old. Now enter the meta verse lol

[@krisellison6650]

I'm 33 and games are more fun when you were in school.

[@VinnyLam]

You can never be too old for gaming.

[@dragonmaster3030]

@@VinnyLam unless it's a connect or Wii game

[@codedniche3263]

I was legit scared of this game as a kid, could barely watch my uncle play it smh lol

[@Salamander676]

It’s really not that scary? It looks like a horror game but doesn’t really feel like a horror game. Pigsy is the only terrifying character and that’s at the end of the game.

[@ThisBirdHasFlown]

@@Salamander676 "As a kid". Imagination and lack of desensitisation plays a huge part in many things being scary as a kid. By adult standards, no, Manhunt isn't scary at all. Your uncle failed you if he let you watch this game.

[@Salamander676]

@@ThisBirdHasFlown you replied to the wrong person bru

[@eddierivers3250]

@@Salamander676as a kid it didn’t scared me it was most definitely a horror game maybe not to the degree obviously of something as a resident evil but it was scary especially for a kid

[@Salamander676]

@@eddierivers3250 idk I find stealth games in general kinda scary but not in a horror sense. It’s just nerve wracking being caught by enemies This game made me feel more disturbed than anything at the time when I was a kid. I was worried I was going to go crazy or become evil if I played it 🤣 especially cause in the beginning of the game it’s best recommended that you play the game in the dark lol like wtf were they thinking?? They really wanted peoples imaginations to get sparked and go to a dark place while playing it but it’s honestly a tame game to me thank god. Doom 3 and RE 4 on the other hand, scared the shit outta me back in the day

[@MaksMikhnevych]

I just hope the video is sponsored by R* to warm up the public before the Manhunt 3 announcement ☺

[@backwoodsonthabeat7783]

manhunt 3 is probably never gonna happen ☹

[@MaksMikhnevych]

@@backwoodsonthabeat7783 Yep, so they told about Manhunt 2 back in a days..

[@elijahhill6602]

@@backwoodsonthabeat7783 You gotta admit, it has been rumored for years.

[@backwoodsonthabeat7783]

@@elijahhill6602 yea but the way rockstar is going I don’t see them going for that, even if they wanted to take two probably wouldn’t let them waste resources on a controversial game that won’t make them gta online money

[@offlinegamer6756]

this is the game that need a Remake the most ......imagine it running on the last Euphoria/Rage engine on a 4K screen with realistic physics and guts particles and gore, Raytracing and realistic face animations of gangsters in pain , man ! i would be cathartic !

[@killbotjames22]

I have it on my one X & it’s the only game I can’t stream. Playing it with headphones puts you in its world even more. The heartbeating, footsteps, & the range of A.I vocals to locate where they are is impeccable for a stealth game. A lot of rockstars past works are the greatest of they’re creations. Unfortunately despair exists & people feel the need to wrong others just because they want someone else has, when they could get it themselves as well. The way of the coward.

[@theguyinthere]

ya know a while back john carpenter said he wanted to get into making games and i think he should do manhunt 3

[@gfdggdfgdgf]

Escape from new York game obviously! They did start working on this years ago but the project never completed.

[@theguyinthere]

@@gfdggdfgdgf Really? i didn't know that but what do you think? would you like a manhunt 3?

[@vermilionrose9560]

Exactly

[@johnlawful2272]

@@gfdggdfgdgf would the first manhunt and batman Arkham city count as escape from New York games

[@JERSEYBOYPLAY2HARD]

@@gfdggdfgdgf f that let us all play as Michael Myers in haddonfield

[@The7Reaper]

Love this series, people get too wrapped up in the violence of it to appreciate how fun of a stealth/psychological thriller game it is.

[@williamsullivan4614]

I never got a chance to play this game but I now see where the game "The Suffering" got some of it's start from.

[@Pete-vz5uj]

The background music reminds me of Ichi the Killer

[@fidelio9301]

Now that’s a violent film ahha

[@RickyPrickles]

The first Manhunt is one of my favorite games of all time. I wish Rockstar would put out a compilation with an uncensored 2 to gauge interest in a third installment.

[@johnny5805]

Isn't there a mod that removes the censorship ?

[@emulation2369]

The second one is uncensored on pc, and tbh it looks more stylish with filter during executions than without it

[@MadderR3d]

My 20 years old self was blown away after seeing this being discussed by a tv show in my country germany. This led to an unwilling and rather impressive boost in public awareness for a game that was denied a release , ban on advertising, and the only way to legally buy it was to import it from neighboring countries like austria or the netherlands. Needless to say, after it arrived i was hooked and played through the game in one go. And loved it ever since, a shame that we wont get something similiar ever again.

[@Boarder4892]

There’s a video I have saved on my titled, favorite videos list and it’s someone that gave a retrospective about both, but I only have his retrospective on the first one saved, and no matter how often I watch or listen to these videos either at home or while driving, I still enjoy them. He mentions in the video for the first game of it being touted as a murder simulator, but he thinks that art being told in video game form is way more difficult than in movie form so to speak, and that one of the most efficient ways of clearing out the bad guys so to speak are the executions. A while back either earlier this year, or last year, I ended up buying a PlayStation gift card and then putting the code in to where there were up to four or five different original PlayStation and PlayStation two games that I purchased again for the first time in years and one of which I had never owned and played myself, through the PlayStation store and started playing some of them again on my PlayStation 3. One of them which was Manhunt. He feels that horror and strategy kind of go hand-in-hand with each other, and for anyone that watches this video that plays Dead By Daylight as well, it’s supposed to be a horror type game but there is elements of strategy obviously, and strategy is the way from running from the bad guys to hiding in the shadows to time in your kill, is what makes it prevalent. I won’t deny that I myself did enjoy trying to get the most gruesome execution/kill possible, just to see what the options were that the game creators came up with, but even I personally would never think about doing those in real life. I like having the so-called freedom of my life that I do without being incarcerated for committing a crime which I morally no would be wrong on murdering someone. Funny enough as it is, I’m fairly certain I played the second game and owned it at one time as well, because when the video mentions the underground sex dungeon or whatever, I recall playing through that level because I thought it was so insanely and hysterically weird to be in the game, but the first one I remember playing more out of both of them. If a violent themed video game causes a regular person so to speak, to act violent or do a violent crime, maybe there’s more about their mental state or lack of moral institution in their mind, than anything else, because I would think the right minded people that have fun playing video games that have a violent theme to them, don’t actually do that stuff in real life but they enjoy the degree of being able to get away with it and do it in a video game made to be able to do that. And what’s funny about the video is that, I don’t recall exactly what it was but there was a snippet or quick shot of I think a Mortal Kombat character, I could be mistaken, but just the luck of that Mortal Kombat character and it was one of the scorpion or subzero masked types of fighters, I literally thought to myself and said literally out loud, as of this current moment in time, the blood and gore and violence associated with the fighting and fatalities of the current Mortal Kombat installments, way outdoors what was thought to be observed in Manhunt. 😂 It’s like, you thought the gruesome kills and executions in this game were bad, check out the consistent level of sustainability for blood, gore, violence, and fatalities in the last handful of Mortal Kombat at least from number 9 and up. with how much smoother and nicer and cleaner and nowadays updated generation the graphics in the Mortal Kombat games are, those fighting movements, that blood, that gore, those fatalities put manhunt, the original, to shame. 😄