Are video games art? The argument usually devolves into semantic
bullshit, and worse, it misses the point. Games may or may not have the
cultural weight we expect from the lofty word, but through interaction
games do something important—they provoke.
Just look at the scare-game genre. From Resident Evil on,
newer scare games have used advanced designs to suspend disbelief and
startle players much more than a book or film ever could. Enter
provocateur du jour Manhunt 2. Months ago, the horror game’s
hard-line violence earned a rare “Adults Only” label from games-rating
board ESRB. Store chains scoffed at the board’s version of triple-X,
which is apparently one step too far beyond Grand Theft Auto‘s
“M-for-Mature” hooker-killing universe. So, amid the public
controversy, developer Rockstar Games caved and edited the final
product—but not before the original version was leaked
online.
I rounded up a copy and what I found was a compelling game that
earns its larynx yanks. Manhunt 2‘s fear comes not from ghoulies
or zombies, but from believable psychosis, as your mild-mannered
character is forced to kill his way out of a bizarre research prison,
throwing up and questioning his actions along the way. As if the moral
stance doesn’t create enough tension, the game uses an unstable camera
at maximum zoom, along with lots of waiting, sneaking, and filthy
ambience. Your eyes will bug out of your head as you hide and prepare a
difficult, perfect kill against cussing scumbags lurking around the
corner.
The violence in the unedited Manhunt 2 is brutal and
uncompromising, as murder maneuvers result in lots of stabbing, bashing
and, er, plier-ing. Murder-montage videos from the original version are
on the web, and watching these can be difficult—four minutes of
nonstop digital murder made even my heathen stomach queasy.
But simple queasiness is not how the game’s wired. Manhunt 2 forces players to wait, wonder, and stalk amidst hallucinations and
crafty, amoral foes. And in that context, murder scenes feel justified
in the game’s truly adult universe. While the experience won’t be
ruined by the edits, the copout is a shame. Rockstar should’ve been
proud of creating an uncomfortably engaging experience, and stores
should’ve respected it. Why can’t these people take “Adults Only” as a
compliment? 