Rockstar Games has never shied away from violence, and Manhunt is the ultimate example.
Its legacy is rooted in controversy and provocation by continuously pushing the limits of violence in games, but more importantly, the violence is imperative to its vision.
Where others may use extreme violence to stir up controversy as a marketing hack, Rockstar has never faltered in providing a backbone to its depiction of violence. You can feel its intent, and to some extent, commentary, that is intrinsically tied to that violence.
And 18 years later, Manhunt remains a piece of voyeuristic savagery that isn’t the redeemless masturbatory murder simulator that some claimed it was upon the game’s release.
But it is, well, still pretty messed up. We aren’t arguing it isn’t. That would be kind of weird if we were.
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