Fails to be as good as the original, but still worth the money.
You play as Daniel Lamb, a prisoner at Dixmor Hospital, a place for the mentally insane. An unwilling participant in the hospital's Pickman Project, Daniel has his memory erased so he can't remember anything about the experiments that went on. Daniel escapes with his friend Leo in an attempt to get his memory back. The hospital sends out hunters to kill Daniel and Leo in order to keep the experiments secret. As the game goes on you learn more about Daniel's past and about the hospital and all. It's really good and keeps you wanting more.
Gameplay: 9/10
Manhunt 2 is your basic stealth action game, but with gore. You go through each level while staying in the shadows and avoiding your enemies. The one thing, other than gore, that separates Manhunt from games like MGS and SC is that the main goal is to eliminate each enemy rather than avoiding them. You also have objectives such as finding an item or unlocking a door.
The enemies you'll face are called hunters. They are sent to kill you by the hospital. There are different types of hunters based on which level you are at. The different types of hunters have different weapons, voices, clothes, etc.. Either way they are all pretty dumb. You'll see hunters getting stuck on stairs or walking in circles for what seems like an hour. While the stupidity can be helpful, it does hurt the gameplay.
In order to successfully eliminate your target you need to keep quiet and in the shadows. This is a bit too easy though. The game provides you with plenty of shadows to hide in and the hunter's AI isn't all that good.
If the enemy spots you, you can either fight them or run away. In any case it's smart to run away and execute them stealthily later on. If you fight you're more than likely to take some hefty damage. Another reason you should run is that hunters call out to other hunters to help them in the fight. Any more than two at a time and you have a 0% chance of surviving. This works, though, as this is a stealth game after all.
The one thing that would have really been interesting is Leo. While he is there during cut-scenes, I haven't seem him during actual gameplay. It would have been cool to go through the levels with his help.
Changes
Not a lot has changed since the first Manhunt. I mean, there have been a few changes here and there, but it's all basically the same formula.
The main change is the executions. Unlike the first game, the executions in Manhunt 2 are censored. The censors are basically a screen filter that blurs the screen and alters the color, making it rather hard to actually see what's going on. Don't worry though, the filter only pops up during the more gruesome parts and even then you know what's happening just by the sounds. Also, along with normal weapon executions, you now have environmental and gun executions. These work in the same way as weapon executions except they are automatically at the "gruesome" level.
In case you haven't played the first Manhunt, I will explain how executions work. You sneak up behind an enemy with your weapon ready. You then target them and hold the attack button. The longer the button is held, the higher level the execution.
The camera has changed too. Instead of a fully controllable camera, it's more like an over-the-shoulder camera. Sort of like in Resident Evil 4. The new camera works good, but can be problematic in a hunter-infested area.
Manhunt 2 also has a creepy feel to it, unlike the first one. As you play and uncover Daniel's past, you learn about how twisted it is and other chilling stuff.
You can also climb over and on to obstacles in this one. This can be really helpful for getting away from hunters and even sneaking around. While I found no major use for climbing it's still nice to have in case of emergency. That's about all there is for the changes.
Graphics: 7/10
Nowadays the PS2 is really showing its age. Fortunately, that is not the case for Manhunt. While the graphics don't necessarily stack up to next-gen games, they are really impressive.
The character models are all done well and mostly look unique. You will see some of the same characters here-and-there, but not too repetitive. The only problem I had were some jaggies, but, it is a PS2 game after all.
The different environments are also good. They never got repetitive. Nothing ever seemed out of place. I don't know how to explain it, but it all fit together well from level-to-level.
The camera filter also adds a creepy, chilling feel to the game. The filter is grainy and makes you get a sense of intensity. The objects also sort of twitch to let you know where they are.
Sound: 10/10
Amazing. Everything about the sound is amazing. The voice acting is nigh perfect and the characters mouth movements match their voices. You can also hear the anger or fear in their voices.
The sound effects are also great. Now, of course the main focus is how the executions sound. Well, they sound realistic. Too realistic at times, but overall they're done good. You'll hear the weapon hitting the hunters and the blood squirting. I mean, they are about as good as if it were a movie.
You'll also hear the different hunters talking to themselves or shouting out for you. Most of the time the hunter's dialogue is quite funny. They'll say things like, "I can't believe someone's wearing the same exact thing as me". It's quite amusing to see these freaks worrying about different little things.
Closing Statement
Manhunt 2 is a really fun game. You should definitely buy it. Look at it like this: You can go get an awesome game on the Xbox 360 or PS3 for $60. Or you can pick up a game with the same awesomeness for $30. The only flaw this game really has is graphics, which aren't that bad really. If you want to play it safe go rent it. But I guarantee you'll end up buying either way.