dubq 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2003 Sounds interesting... PS2.IGN.COM - September 29, 2003 - Known for its flagship series, Grand Theft Auto, the Scottish development team Rockstar North (formerly DMA) is using its technical know-how, deeply ingrained game design talent and penchant for troublesome, adult themes to create something else. Something other than GTA. That's right, it's hard to get over the idea that Rockstar North would develop anything other than the most popular game on PlayStation 2, but it's true. A team within the team has created Manhunt, a delirious take on the media voyeurism and de-personalization of the modern world. And if that's too much belly-button searching for you, Manhunt is a hybrid stealth-action game delivering dark themes and glorious death scenes using unusual weapons. Today we'll take an in-depth look at the game's backstory, the principal characters involved and reveal new information to fuel your demented fire. Written by James Worrall (who also co-wrote Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), Alan Davidson and Christian Cantamessa of Rockstar North, Manhunt takes players down a seedy, broken side of life. James Earl Cash, scheduled to death for committing heinous crimes, is strapped into a gurney and prepared for lethal injection. He is in fact injected but he does not die. Instead, he regains consciousness with an earplug in his ear telling him to hide and follow some simple directions. Cash has landed in a sick and dark nightmare, a scenario in which he is hunted for the thrill of the kill and all of his actions are videotaped for the pleasure of one "Director." The whole Running Man-like game takes place in a broken down industrial town named Carcer City. In it, empty casinos are crammed next to boarded up diners and pathetic public housing. It's a real city, but run by corrupt politicians and officials -- and a man with money to burn -- it's far from the happy, surreal generic feeling of planned suburbs. Instead, it's populated by a squalid underclass, desperate for the opportunity to leave. The man who has "saved" your life is known only as The Director. Otherwise known as Lionel Starkweather, this rich, powerful and twisted individual has spared you for his own personal voyeuristic pleasure. Backed by his personally financed defense force, the Cerberus, and with the paid support of local cops, he's taken whole areas of Carcer City and rigged them for the creation of his extreme reality TV, of which you're the major player. How is the game's story presented? How does it unfold? "The cutscenes in our 200-page script tell the story, but a significant chunk is told though the ever-present comments of Starkweather as Cash makes his way from scene to scene," explains Worrall. The city is controlled with remote-controlled gates, magnetically locked, and Cerberus guards patrol the perimeter. Everything is scripted to the Director's liking, everything is controlled by him, and your life -- or death -- is decided by his utter whim. As players learn to control Cash and earn rewards (the most risky and grotesque deaths the better), they'll grow more powerful -- with new weapons to be precise -- in addition to learning more about Carcer City's ins and outs, tricks and traps. They encounter more dangerous gangs too. "We wanted to create a f&*%ed-up game using AI controlled gangs hunting the player and it all snowballed from there," said Alan Davidson, the lead character designer. If you haven't seen the new pictures of Cash, his look has recently been altered. But there's more than pure evil whim flowing through the streets of Carcer City. There's another element. Besides the hood-wearing thugs, there are legitimate residents who won't or can't turn a blind eye to the atrocities perpetrated after night fall. A local journalist has uncovered a small sample of Starkweather's plans. She attended his execution and watched him die in the chamber (his death logged into state record). And she knows he's alive. If she can get video footage -- and testimony -- from Cash, she may be able to expose the snuff film ring -- and launch her career. The game's themes of voyeurism, overt violence and limitless control are well documented by Websites and magazines at this point in time, and they represent some of the more mature and potentially troublesome concepts in games today. It's not that these ideas haven't been presented before -- videogame creators have long aimed injected similar themes into video gams -- rather, it's the game's presentation and tone that will burn into players' memory cells. "[We want to create a game that delivers] a scathing social commentary on media voyeurism, the peddling of violence as entertainment and the inbred inaccuracy of the American penal system," explained Christian Cantamessa, lead level designer on Manhunt. That's no small order. Much like in GTA, which pokes fun at American society by various means, Rockstar North looks to puncture a bigger hole in society's veneer with Manhunt. Will it succeed? The premise is convincing, the story involving, and the gameplay more than inviting. But this is really just a taste of the game, which we'll continue to unveil feature by feature in tne near future. We'll have more on Manhunt soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Satanico Report post Posted September 30, 2003 Holy fuck...I must play this. It's quite unfortunate that I suck at games, but that won't stop me from playing something this deliciously demented. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damaramu 0 Report post Posted October 1, 2003 Man...it may be kind of dark. As long as there's some humor to it. That's what keeps me sane...a game can't be all dark and gloomy or it gets old fast. Gotta throw SOMETHING funny in there. That's what made GTA so fun. Amongst the mindless violence there was plenty of comedy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Satanico Report post Posted October 1, 2003 Yeah, I suppose that would be a problem for some people. I'm one of those people who wants some stuff completely dark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DangerousDamon 0 Report post Posted October 1, 2003 is he strangling that guy with a plastic bag i must play this game now...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Satanico Report post Posted October 1, 2003 Yes...it would appear so Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mecha Mummy 0 Report post Posted October 1, 2003 I was going to make a John Cena joke here, but screw that. This just looks awesome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DangerousDamon 0 Report post Posted October 2, 2003 Yes...it would appear so if you paid attention to my post, i implied that i wanted to play the game because you can strangle people with plastic bags. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Decadent Slacker Report post Posted October 7, 2003 The fuck? This is fucking twisted, sick & disturbing. I wish I'd thought of it first. Any new info on the date? I've never been so intrigued by a game...unless you count writing a script for a Tetris movie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conspiracy_Victim 0 Report post Posted October 7, 2003 The fuck? This is fucking twisted, sick & disturbing. I wish I'd thought of it first. Any new info on the date? I've never been so intrigued by a game...unless you count writing a script for a Tetris movie. Actually has a release date of Nov. 18 according to Gamespot. Here's hoping it sticks to the deadline, although I don't have any damn money to buy it anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
