'Manhunt' Might Be Making A Comeback, Nearly Two Decades Later

Manhunt, one of the most controversial games for the PlayStation 2, might be returning to modern consoles according to an industry insider. 

Manhunt starts its story with an inmate who is due to be executed through lethal injection, however, he survives and awakens to a voice in an earpiece telling him to kill criminals across the city to earn his freedom. The player is rated on the level of their execution — “hasty”, “violent” and “gruesome” — and they are able to use a range of weapons from crowbars, to sickles, to plastic bags and others. 

While they may depict violence, video games do not trigger violence in their players - here's our explainer on the perceived connection between the two.



Stealth is an important part as the enemies cannot see the character if they are stood in shadows, and the original release offered a feature to use the microphones on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox to use the sound of their own voice to distract hunters. Manhunt was praised for the depths of its darkness and the psychological themes of its narrative and mechanics yet even Rockstar Games was on the fence about the intensity of the violence shown in its game. 

Germany and Australia mandated a recall of all copies of Manhunt owing to the disturbing storyline and the player’s participation in it, and it is an offence to own Manhunt in New Zealand. So, the news that the game might be on its way to Xbox once again is interesting. 

This tidbit comes from Xbox Era’s Bruno Costa who had noticed that Manhunt, Dead or Alive 1, 2, and 3, Max Payne 1 and 2, Red Dead Revolver, Oddworld: Munch's Odyssee and more have been added to the original Xbox marketplace. What’s more is that almost every single one of these new entries has been priced. On top of this, another user was even able to find the games on the Xbox 360 store and they might be downloadable. 

It’s possible, therefore, that we’ll see Manhunt on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S through backwards compatibility. Honestly, I’m not totally sure how Microsoft could prevent sales of the game from accounts from Germany, Australia and New Zealand if the legislation still stands in those areas. Plus, as neither Microsoft nor Rockstar Games has made any mention of the arrival of Manhunt on modern consoles, we should hold our horses for now.

Featured Image Credit: Rockstar Games

Topics: Rockstar Games, Xbox, Microsoft