The Differences Between the AO and M Versions of Manhunt 2

Via Kotaku, IGN had the chance to play both the AO- and M-rated versions of Manhunt 2, and they now have a piece up pointing out the differences in the re-rated game. If you've been curious about what is in that warez copy floating around online, they'll piece it together for you. Be forewarned: the stuff that got cut out is pretty gross. "The content may be too much for some to stomach, but the presentation is well done regardless. Manhunt 2's storyline is made more believable with realistic voice acting, atmospheric camera angles and pans, and moody transitional effects. There's even some comedy thrown in for good measure. Take, for example, a scene in which Danny decapitates a hunter and then uses his severed head to gain entry through a security door. A guard on the other side opens a peephole and sees the decapitated head staring back at him. 'Georgie Boy!' he exclaims. 'Come on in.'"

Screw this

[Floritard]

In the M-rated version, Rockstar has added both an extreme blur effect and in most cases darkened the graphics so that it is nearly impossible to make any sense of what is going on. Players will be able to see character movement, blood splatters, and sometimes they may catch a glimpse of an identifiable action (for example, Danny jamming nails into the legs of a chair-bound opponent), but mostly it's guesswork - a garbled, motiony mess that's far less satisfying.

Well fuck it then. I mean really. Personally I've always hated stealth games. They're boring. As Sam Fischer or Solid Snake you're just a wanker in tight pants girl-palming your way through each snore-inducing level. In Manhunt, at least you have actual climaxes. In Manhunt you are a maniac. It's the Quake 3 Arena of stealth games. It's gritty, it's ugly. It has great weapon progression (finally getting a gun actually feels empowering). It has superb sound design. It has atmosphere. It has Brian Cox! And yea it's brutal as hell. It was the only game I ever played that made people leave the room, creeped out by the sounds victims made as they died. That is something special.

I've been psyched about the sequel, and was hopeful things would work out. Now I read that you once had the ability to rip a guy's nuts off with a pair of plyers. Well I wish I never knew that! What milk-toast ESRB namby-pamby shook his limp-wristed finger at that and demanded, with effeminate indignation, that it be excised? I hope they take that weapon completely out of the game, otherwise I'm going to be thinking the whole time of just how much I wish I could neuter my victims with it. That just ain't right.

If the game doesn't interest you then good for you. Don't like these types of games? Vote with your wallet then. Don't think this sort of entertainment should be available at all? Where's your campaign to shutdown Fangoria magazine? Some people like gore. Didn't like the original Manhunt? Fine then. I did. I loved it and I've really been looking forward to the sequel. It was one of the reasons I bought a Wii. Look I'll play Mario Galaxy or Little Big Planet. I like cute too! But pardon me if I just want a little unabashed violence, a little balls in a game every once and a while. Mean, malicious and sweaty! While you're all out playing space marine in fluorescent green armor shooting each other in the fanny with guns like the Needler (oooh scandal!), ignoring the homoerotic undertones of the whole gay pageant you've for months been pining away for, I'll be wondering what might have been.

Yea go ahead. Take my karma!