Manhunt 2 for PS2, PSP and Wii

By Tom Bramwell Published 6 February, 2007

Due this summer.

Rockstar is working on a follow-up to controversial 2003 stealth-action game Manhunt, where players were tasked with violently murdering gang members to help make underground snuff films.

It's due out on PlayStation 2, PSP and - believe it or not - Wii as soon as this summer, with primary development on the PS2/PSP versions going on at Rockstar's new London studio in conjunction with Rockstar North, while the publisher's Toronto studio has a go at the Wii version.

"With Manhunt 2 we have tried to create a game that stays close to the original concept of chilling suspense and stealth, whilst pushing the game design and storytelling forward," said Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games.

"We are also excited to have our newest development team, Rockstar London, working on the title alongside our two established UK studios, Rockstar North and Leeds."

Manhunt 2 doesn't appear to have been rated yet, in case you're wondering.

The original Manhunt, originally a PlayStation 2 exclusive but also subsequently released on PC and Xbox, attracted a bit of controversy when it was first released - although apart from yards of frothing copy and Daily Mail headlines nothing much ever came from it. The press, eh? We have no real power.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (55) Latest comment 5 years ago

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  • smelly #1 5 years ago

    Wii??!?!

    Flipping heck thats slightly un-expected! Well at least no-one can accuse nintendo for not having more "mature" games this time around!

  • lambtron #2 5 years ago

    haha.

  • rashes #3 5 years ago

    I wish this was coming to next gen.... this was one of my favorite games of the last few years and I'd love a shiny 360 version

  • Blanchy #4 5 years ago

    Surprised it's taken so long to come up with a sequel.

    Shame there's no plans for a 360 version though.

  • bunglebonce #5 5 years ago

    Another PS2 port for the Wii with inconsequential button re-mapping on the horizon? I hope not.

  • oerhoert #6 5 years ago

    <em>I wish this was coming to next gen.... this was one of my favorite games of the last few years and I'd love a shiny 360 version</em>

    Well, it is. It's coming to the Wii, and seeing as Rockstar is using a separate studio to handle its development, I think it's fair to expect vastly better visuals in addition to superior controls.

    At least that is what we <em>should</em> expect.

  • Errol #7 5 years ago

    BAN THIS SICK FILTH !!

  • Royal Fool #8 5 years ago

    This certainly comes out of the blue.

  • Tonka #9 5 years ago

    o_O

    It's also funny how the Wii and PSP/PS2 live in some symbiosis.

  • _Price_ #10 5 years ago

    Not too surprising given the free publicity the first game got.....

    As for the Wii.....well, so long as they don't have kids garrotting each other with with the nun-chuck I don't see too much harm in expanding the console's fanbase a little. Especially if they go on to spend a few lazy days fishing in Twilight Princess.

  • MrFlintBlackman #11 5 years ago

    Most people hated this game, I think it was mainly due to it's toughness and the first few levels were boring, but after that it was very good and damn tense game.

  • smelly #12 5 years ago

    "It's also funny how the Wii and PSP/PS2 live in some symbiosis. "

    Why? It makes perfect sense?

    If you make a game for the ps2, it makes sense to port it up to the wii.

    If you make a game for the wii, then it makes sense to port it back to ps2 (due to the 80 million strong userbase).

    If (big if - but it's doing well so far) the wii gets a huge userbase, then we'll see more games being developed for wii in mind first, then a port down to the ps2 - these games will look better than port ups.

    It makes sense to release games on more than one platform.

  • smelly #13 5 years ago

    >Most people hated this game

    Never played it.. Although it DOES seem good news that the wii is getting much better 3rd party support than the cube got.

  • ZeroAX #14 5 years ago

    sto do I say yey or eh?
    well if this someday leads to GTA on Wii then ok let's have it (though i doupt....no i'm certain i won't buy it)

  • Scimarad #15 5 years ago

    "Well at least no-one can accuse nintendo for not having more "mature" games this time around!"

    It rather depends on your definition of 'mature' , I think...

  • SuperBas #16 5 years ago

    Wii, but not an X360 version? I have a Wii and no 360 myself, but I don't want this game, and I doubt a lot of people that bought their Wii for creative gaming would want this either.

  • Tonka #17 5 years ago

    @smelly RE:funny symbiosis

    I meant it's funny how Nintendo and Sony seems to have a symbosis going. Two competitors actually benefiting from each other.

    I used funny in the sense as it being a bit starnge and amusing rather than the Nelson "Haha" way.

  • Steroyd #18 5 years ago

    Jack Thompson must be going apeshit and will probably ban the wii-now-turned-killing-simulators from every kids home. o_O

    It's quite funny how the PS2 and Wii are helping each other rather than competing and the PSP gets in on the action to.

  • Jambii #19 5 years ago

    This must be one of Rockstar's first Nintendo games?

  • smelly #20 5 years ago

    I like the idea of swinging the wiimote to decapitate someone with an axe..

  • bobbydavro #21 5 years ago

    Cool

  • CitizenGeek #22 5 years ago

    But Nintendo children won;t be allowed play games like this!

  • Royal Fool #23 5 years ago

    "This must be one of Rockstar's first Nintendo games?"

    Almost, they did do Smuggler's Run for the GC. Not much else than that, however, unless I'm forgetting something.

  • bobbydavro #24 5 years ago

    Manhunt on the wii? What next? Another nail in the coffin! RIP !

  • JediMasterMalik #25 5 years ago

    That N64 kid should be about the right age to play this now... right?

    IT'S A MURDERER KILLING WITH A PLASTIC BAG AND A SPIKY STICK!!! OH MY GOOOOOODD

  • smelly #26 5 years ago

    >Another nail in the coffin! RIP !

    Erm, you are being ironic i presume?

    *cough*

    [link url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=22595
    ]    http://ww w.gamesindustry.biz/content_pag...[/link]

    *cough*


    Yes! Doomed it is!

  • CaptainBen! #27 5 years ago

    This game has the potential to be so much fun on the Wii, given the right tilt.

  • MisterFalseName #28 5 years ago

    "This must be one of Rockstar's first Nintendo games?"

    Almost, they did do Smuggler's Run for the GC. Not much else than that, however, unless I'm forgetting something.

    And the GBA top down version of Grand Theft Auto, presumably?

    I quite enjoyed Manhunt on PC. It's nice the big developers like Rockstar aren't shying away from the Wii.

  • thefilthandthefury #29 5 years ago

    "And the GBA top down version of Grand Theft Auto, presumably? "

    And the Gameboy Colour version of Grand Theft Auto, which I still own.

  • Tomo #30 5 years ago

    I actually completed the first game. On the whole, it was a decent romp if slightly repetitive due to being too long. The story was fairly good tho, in a sort of Running Man style.

    A better designed sequel would certainly be welcome. Good stuff.

  • romelpotter #31 5 years ago

    oh yes, i loved the first manhunt game. it took me 6 months to get through the first half of hte game, then a saturday night thru to sunday evening with nothing more than coffee and closed curtains to complete the game.

    i will never forget it as an gaming experience hahaha

    it would be good though to have a completeley developed next gen manhunt game! i cant see there being much milage in a ps2/psp vsn, best guess is that they are mainly developing for the psp and bringing it as a secondry thorght to the ps2 ala gta stories!! still you got to love it dont ya!!
    Edited by 1 at 06/02/07 @ 22:02

  • huxathon #32 5 years ago

    I fancy the idea of virtually 'garotting' someone from behind with the cable between the nunchuk and the remote, it's what the Wii was made for surely.

  • smelly #33 5 years ago

    "I wouldn't get too excited over this. it's more "shovelware" moved from PS2 to Wii.'


    And you know that HOW?

    How do you know it's not a wii game being ported to ps2? And even if it isnt, how do you know it'll be "shovelware". If that's the case, then using your logic, nearly every ps3 game is "shovelware" (Being mainly 360 games converted to ps3)

  • bicky316 #34 5 years ago

    Yeah I thought Manhunt was a bit dull as well (tbh I probably only played it because of all the headlines it created). Would give it another go thou

    Oh wait, myPS2 = sold

    Maybe next time...

  • smelly #35 5 years ago

    Depends how you read that...

    Well rockstar torronto is an established studio, whereas rockstar london is new.

    So if i was to presume anything, i'd guess they were either 2 different games or the wii version was leading (why give a trusted franchise to a new studio?).

    But I have nothing to back this up. Seems strange they are developing them so far apart - so i'd guess they're different.

  • crazyhorse174 #36 5 years ago

    Do you see people getting bludgeoned to death and bummed in the gob in this one...?

    :D

  • smelly #37 5 years ago

    how can you be bummed in the gob?

  • mkreku #38 5 years ago

    I was thoroughly unimpressed by Manhunt. It feels like a huge waste of talent for Rockstar to work on a game whose entire thing revolves around the shock factor of gratuitous violence..

    Another Bully, please! One with a little more to do, this time around. It was a great game, just a bit short.

  • spongebob #39 5 years ago

    Manhunt was a stupid game. What's even more stupid is not have the sequel on PS3 and X360.

  • space_ace #40 5 years ago

    every time r* wants to stick it to the world, it releases a manhunt

  • TonyCocaCola #41 5 years ago

    I played the first man hunt for about 20 minutes, got bored then probably went and played on some swings or something.

    Although its interesting having it on the Wii, I wonder if there will be a litte plastic crowbar attachement for the wimote?

  • Darren #42 5 years ago

    Manhunt for me was one of those games that was brilliant for two hours - great atmosphere, gritty dirty visuals that suited the game and initially interesting gameplay - but then it quickly lost its appeal. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the gameplay as such, it just didn't have enough variety to keep me playing it. I'm really not interested in the sequel.

  • monkey-ken-wizard #43 5 years ago

    >Errol: BAN THIS SICK FILTH !!

    SHUT UP!

  • Blerk #44 5 years ago

    Most unexpected sequel ever! :-o

  • ~magicool~ #45 5 years ago

    Xbox owner here, who owns and loves the first game. not very happy tbh. im not paying more money for a last gen machine, im saving for the 360. and when i say last gen i do mean PS2 and wiicube.
    Edited by 2 at 07/02/07 @ 09:38

  • Nova5lag #46 5 years ago

    wooo! Ill be getting that even if EG give it a 2 out of 10. I can feel the media hype already working its magic.

  • samk #47 5 years ago

    Using the wiimote to perform finishing moves with garrotting wire, plastic bags over the head, sticking glass shards in people, whacking people in the backs of their heads with a blackjack, hacking up people with machetes and meat cleaver, etc - I'm sold, but wait until the Daily Mail and Jack Thompson gets hold of this!

  • MoGamer2006 #48 5 years ago

    So, let's get this straight...

    If the Wii doesn't get more multi-format games then it's the N64/Gamecube all over again and it's doomed...

    ...But if it does get more multi-format games then it's becoming a dumping ground for cheap shovelware and it's doomed.

    Riiiiiight....

  • raven_blade2002 #49 5 years ago

    Cant wait to see how this turns out on Wii. There is a lot of potential here for a unique gaming experience.

  • crazyhorse174 #50 5 years ago

    "how can you be bummed in the gob?"

    @smelly

    If I have to explain the joke mate, then you probably won't get it!

    Go and watch Consolevania online and you'll find out what I'm talking about...

  • GiarcYekrub #51 5 years ago

    I think this would be great on Wii, I was playing Warriors made by Torronto the other day and it had these spray painting tags that looked like it was made for Wii.

    I can see this being really fun depending on how they do it ... Imagine stabbing some1 in the back with a stabbing action... baseball batting some1 head... slitting sum1's throat with a cut

  • jmctavish #52 5 years ago

    They'll never get away with full gesture controls on the Wii. The media will be all over it. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo demand they scale down the Wii-mote usage.

  • CaptainBen! #53 5 years ago

    I reckon they might just use the Wii-mote as a glorified 'context-sensitive' F button to do stuff. So maybe a case of timing a jab of the Wii-mote rather than properly turning the controller into a virtual hatchet. Which would kind of ruin the point.

  • smelly #54 5 years ago

    >and when i say last gen i do mean PS2 and wiicube.


    Your loss then :-)

  • Aria #55 5 years ago

    As long as they don't use 'Mii's as characters on the Wii version...