First Look: Manhunt 2

It's been a while since I played Manhunt and although I got a long way in I never finished it.. It got brutally difficult and of course Rockstar hate checkpoints.

The first thing you notice about Manhunt 2 (apart from the completely useless manual) is that graphically it looks almost exactly the same.. The art style evokes the first game perfectly. The second thing you'll notice is that they've made the characters huge. Which I don't think is the best thing for a stealth based game as it limits your awareness. Combine this with a lack of being able to move the camera and your almost entirely limited to the radar.. It's a lot less instinctive than the first game.

Of course the next thing you're made aware of is the gruesome 'stealth kills'. Again it's similar to the first game, Pick an item such as a piece of broken glass, sneak up on an enemy and then press the 'attack' button for as long as you dare to perfrom a kill. The longer you hold the button the more brutal the attack. Things are complicated on the Wii by then having to perform a series of moves with both the Nunchuck and Wii to do the actual kill (you simply watched an animation in the first game). All well and good but get it wrong and you alert the enemy and your soon over powered. Get it right and the actual kill gets soaked in a blood red filter so you can't really see anyway. It feels more brutal but it's a less rewarding mechanism both gameplay wise and visually. You need to know that the risk of the kill is going to be rewarded by one less guard.. Not a potential restart.

Checkpoints are (so far anyway) frequent but it seems impossible to skip cut scenes.. Annoying when you're trying something for the fifth or sixth time. So far a mixed bag..