[cheebacheeba]

Manhunt (xbox)
So if you've kept up to date with the "what are you playing" thread you'll know I went in pretty apprehensive about this title - there was a thing I didn't like about the control system which I was able to change (to double stick movement), and I swear to god, that "fps view" thing that was originally mapped to the right analogue stick? when I took it off there it go mapped to the "up" button on the D-PAD. Throughout this game, I NEVER once used that feature.
Then there was the fact that it was a stealth game, which I just don't get into.
However, I gritted my teeth and started playing through it.
Now, one thing I noticed was that the hiding/noisemaking in the first level didn't work out so well for you. Now I don't know if this was because I'd just started the game and not being a stealth player fucked it up, but it seemed to get a fair bit easier in the later levels...actually, by the latter part of the second overall level, a junkyard as I recall, I had it down.

I loved the storyline, it was like the running man meets saw meets far cry, well, there were elements of them all in there. The storyline and how this game was set up was never an issue...it was cool.

The gameplay, was generally hard I found.
I died probably about 20-30 times throughout the damn thing, and there were about 3 levels that almost pissed me off just that little bit more would've resulted in play termination. (the train station/lot and the courtyard with maze towards the end) This game could be a real motherfucker.
I have to say though I was quite pleased with how the game evolved throughout the levels...sneak and kill creeping up in levels until it became an almost all out shooter towards the end...of course, the game really punishes you for being impatient. The setting too, I never expected to escape the gameshow with the reporter chick, I really enjoyed that they threw that variety in there.
The pig thing at the end was interesting - and quite a scary 'ol level there, but I have to say it didn't represent all that much of a challenge, well, there was a couple of times he cut me, and some running away in parts, but he didn't manage to kill me. It was a nice formulaic boss fight though.
Insane characters, and pretty good AI. The gore/kills, well yeah they were brutal but in all honesty not really a selling point for the game IMO.
I only got 52/100 as a final score, which probably represents how I just scraped through and got seen a whole bunch, but yknow...for my first "stealth" type game, I feel pretty accomplished actually completing it.

I might take a look at #2 (what platform is that?) but I think after that I'll be right off the stealth games again.