Manhunt 2 Environmental Executions
Zoraida
Environmental Executions are special executions that can be triggered by the player, however they are only in Manhunt 2. The name implies that the player uses the environment or the surroundings around him to execute a hunter when it is near to him. They are marked as white skulls and it is used to execute a hunter by using a component of the environment (i.e its hook or the fuse). To perform an environmental execution, one must lure a hunter near by tapping it or throwing something near it, and then target a hunter when the hunter is near to it and the reticle will turn red and flicker. Other environmental executions are self-made like the gasoline puddle or activating a meat grinder. Also, the meat grinder is the only environmental execution that can kill the player.
A new feature to Manhunt 2 is the ability to perform environmental executions. Potential execution points are marked around the map by a small white skull, in these instances Daniel must sneak up on an enemy as normal but instead of having three levels of execution you are faced with one as indicated by flashing triangles that circle the hunters head. In some instances it is required to lure a hunter into position to execute them.
This level introduces us to some of the new gameplay built into Manhunt 2. The big new thing is called 'environmental execution' - strategically using set objects in the environment as part of your kill. The first one in this level us the use of a public payphone to smash and strangle the brothel's front desk guy. These specially created executions are all individually thought out and animated, and this phone manoeuvre is just the first of many. Environment execution hotspots are marked on the radar with a white cross. The next one signals an execution hotspot with a humming fuse box on the wall... you can imagine what happens next. A QTE-like combination of correct random button presses either ensures or ruins the opportunity and then BANG."The most brutal execution we saw was with a wire cutter... Danny gets down and reaches through between this guy's legs..."
It's not just shadows in the game that can protect you from getting caught. An interesting take on 'sound cover' in this level is when Danny passes a room in which a couple are up to what you may expect in a brothel (yes, you do catch a glimpse), and each time they make, shall we say, outbursts of noise, it's a potential opportunity for you to smash a window to avoid drawing the attention of the security guard, allowing you to proceed undetected. If timed right, when the security guard's icon turns blue, you're clear to make the smash undetected.
Moving on, and once we steal a shotgun, the pace of the game increases substantially, because Danny's confidence is up, though a sprinkling of caution is still required to get through the level alive, of course. There's auto-aim with the gun, but you can also manually aim by pressing up on the d-pad when aiming. Of course, guns can be used a little more brutally as well. "Lots of fans of the original Manhunt wanted to see executions with guns", explains PJ. "This time it has higher production values, a proper storyline and a more complex moral backdrop that suggests greater depth."
The guys eventually catch up with Judy and a cut-scene ensues, but we'll keep the rest a secret for now. There are auto saves that are placed pretty well, so that when you die it's not too frustrating, but there are no manual saves which is a good thing in a game that's all about tension and build-up. Rockstar doesn't have a number of levels for us, but says it will be "substantial".
It's still a game that's all about violence for entertainment at its core, but this time it has higher production values, a proper storyline and a more complex moral backdrop that suggests Manhunt 2 could offer greater depth than the original, while remaining just as gruesome. To me, whether the sort of violence paraded here is in an extreme horror flick, a TV drama torture scene, or in a game like Manhunt 2, it's entertaining and often quite amusing, harmless fun.
Manhunt 2 will be released in the summer for PS2, PSP, as well as for Wii - essentially the same game and the same story, being developed at Rockstar Toronto who is reconfiguring for Wii based on the developments in the London studio.
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As you work your way through the tragic story of amnesiac scientist-turned-mental patient Dr. Daniel Lamb, you'll lurk through seedy, mostly linear environments that include a decrepit porn theater, a burnt-out (and possibly haunted) house, an underground sex club that's actually a front for something far more sinister and -perhaps most surprisingly - a relatively peaceful suburban neighborhood patrolled by assloads of cops. Your survival depends on sticking to shadowy patches that keep you hidden from the maniacal hunters hired to murder you. In order to make the way safe, you'll frequently have to murder them back, and the best way to do this is to hide somewhere dark, make some noise to lure them over (either by tapping on the wall or throwing an object), sneak up behind them and execute them with whatever makeshift weapons you can find.
There's an excellent variety of these, ranging from pens and chunks of broken glass to axes, crowbars and M-16s. You'll also be able to use environmental hazards in your executions, such as open manholes, industrial machinery and puddles of gasoline you poured yourself; just lure a hunter next to one, attack when the targeting cursor turns red and you'll have a disfigured corpse to contend with instead of a live hunter.
The longer you can sneak behind your intended victim, the more brutal the execution; a quick kill might entail just a few stabs, while a more elaborate one involves you straddling an enemy while jamming a syringe into his eye socket. Just be careful not to wait so long that they turn around and see you while you charge up your brutality, or you'll have to clumsily fight them and whatever other hunters are nearby.
When the game begins, this might seem a little too simple, and you'll quickly fall into a pattern of hiding in the dark, banging on the wall and ambushing the first hunter dumb enough to turn his back on the big patch of shadow he knows you're hiding in. (Hunters almost never enter shadowy areas, although they will occasionally peer into them - at which point a quick mini-game will determine whether or not they see you.) Things get a lot more complicated when hunters start roaming in packs, however; making noise will frequently lure them all over at once, and killing one without being seen by the others isn't easy. You'll also be frustrated by nasty surprises like automatic security lights (triggered by any movement faster than a slow crawl) and hard-to-see gravel surfaces that can give away your position in a second.
Manhunt 2 is a 2007 stealth game by Rockstar Games. It was developed by Rockstar London for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2, Rockstar Leeds for the PlayStation Portable, and Rockstar Toronto for the Wii. It is the sequel to 2003's Manhunt and was released in North America on 29 October 2007, and in the UK on 31 October 2008.[1] The game follows Daniel Lamb, a mental patient suffering from amnesia as he tries to uncover his identity, and Leo Kasper, a sociopathic assassin who guides Daniel in his journey.
Originally scheduled for a North American and European release in July 2007, the game was suspended by Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive when it was refused classification in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and given an Adults Only (AO) rating in the United States.[2] As Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony Computer Entertainment do not allow licensed releases of AO titles on their consoles, this would have severely limited their potential customer base in the US as well.[3] In response to these ratings problems, Rockstar censored the game, blurring the screen during the game's executions and removing the scoring system, which rewarded players for particularly brutal killings.[4] This edited version was rated M in the US by the ESRB and was released on 29 October.[5] However, the BBFC still refused to classify the edited version for its UK release. Rockstar appealed their decision, and ultimately, the Video Appeals Committee voted that the game could be released with an 18 certificate.[6]
Manhunt 2 received mixed reviews from critics: the improved gameplay, game engine, plot twists, darker storyline, and use of extreme violence was praised, but its voice acting and outdated graphics drew mixed response. The title garnered controversy before and after its release, getting the attention of Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, anti-video game activist Jack Thompson, and various US senators. It was nominated for GameSpy's 2007 Game of the Year Award for the PS2.
Players primarily assume the role of Daniel Lamb in a third-person perspective, with Leo Kasper also playable in certain missions. Although different in appearance and personality, both have similar controls. As with the original game, the primary gameplay mechanic is stealth execution, whereby the player character must approach an enemy from behind, undetected, and kill them.[7] There are three 'levels' of execution, with each level progressively more violent and graphic than the last; Level 1 (Hasty) executions are quick and not very gory, Level 2 (Violent) are considerably more gory, and Level 3 (Gruesome) are over-the-top. The player is in control of which level they use; once the player has locked onto an enemy, the lock-on reticule changes color over time to indicate the level; white (level 1), yellow (level 2), and red (level 3). When playing on PC or Wii while doing the executions, there is a quick time event which lists down certain moves that either the mouse or Wii Controller must move or by pressing a certain button at a specific time in order to finish the execution. If it does not finish in the specific time, it will stop the execution and skip the execution completely, although the player still kills the person.
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