Basics

Manhunt 2 is styled after the original title in, basically, every single way. While the storyline is completely different, as are the reasons for brutally killing everyone around you, the gameplay is identical. If you're unfamiliar with the first title, therefore, it would be a good idea to browse this section of the guide to learn all of the fundamentals before actually playing the game.

The game is brutal. The killing is extremely violent, and the gameplay is not for children. With that said, of-age gamers will likely be playing the game to murder their enemies in the most heinous ways possible, with everything from Baseball Bats and Crowbars to Circular Saws and Scythes. The possibilities are endless here, but murdering everyone in gory, outrageous ways isn't all there is to do in the game. You can actually get through a vast majority of the game by killing people normally (fist fighting, using your weapons more conventionally), but the real fun in Manhunt 2 is simple - the brutality present in the game.

As Daniel Lamb, who fell victim to an organization known initially as The Project, your task is simple. Escape the mental institution you're being held in and figure out what's going on. We won't ruin the story for you, but the storyline adds great depth to the game. Not only should you pay attention to all in-game cutscenes and dialogue, but you should also check out the amazingly detailed and artsy instruction manual Rockstar put together for the game.

And with all of that said - here are some of the fundamentals.

You'll get to play as Daniel, the main character, and sometimes his friend Leo as well. They both control the same way (identically to the way James Earl Cash controlled in the original title). The idea of the game is to get through your given mission, equipping yourself with items and weapons you find along the way. Stealth is of the utmost importance in the game, especially in the more difficult latter missions, though stealth isn't the only way to get through the game.

There are various types of weapons available, as well as items that don't serve as weapons at all. For instance, if you have a Shard of Glass, a Syringe, or a Plastic Bag, you can only use those weapons once (if you're stealth killing), while more resilient choices, like the Baseball Bat or Crowbar, will last significantly longer. There are also plenty of firearms available (such as Rifles, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles and Uzis), and items like Beer Cans, Beer Bottles and Bricks that act less like effective weapons and more like items meant to distract others.

As mentioned earlier, stealth is a key aspect to Manhunt 2. It's not always very believable -- Daniel and Leo will be able to hide in any shadowy area, even if they're right in front of their pursuer. You'll know if you're hiding effectively because your health bar will turn blue in color (as opposed to its normal white shade), but if enemies get too close, you may have to follow some on-screen cues to ensure they won't see you. You also can't just hide in shadows when enemies are already pursuing you... but we'll explain more on that below.

Let's face it. Politically correct or not, the idea of Manhunt 2 is to murder those around you in order to guarantee your own survival and get to the bottom of The Project's secrets. Knowing how to kill in the game is an integral step to not only its ultimate completion, but also to your overall enjoyment of the gaming experience.

The first thing you must understand about "killing" in the game is how to read your radar. Enemies in your vicinity will appear as triangular images on your radar. The three colors present are of the utmost importance, since they will tell you what the enemy is thinking and doing.

Now that you've assessed what the radar is telling you, what should you do next? Your options are endless. You can conventionally kill your enemy with any weapon in your arsenal, though they will fight back if you do this (unless you're using a high-powered weapon that can deliver kills quickly, like a Shotgun). Or, if they're orange or especially yellow on your radar, you can do a specialized Manhunt-style stealth kill.

Stealth kills come in three types, and are contingent on how far you're willing to push your luck. If you walk behind an enemy (even if he is walking himself), Daniel or Leo will begin to raise their hand slowly when they're "in range" of an enemy. When this happens, you can execute your enemy using the weapon you have on you. Each weapon has at least two, and sometimes three different levels of killing. The longer you wait until you press the button to execute the command (pardon the pun), the more gory, brutal and ridiculous the murder will be.

When you're targeting an enemy in this way, the game will give you an on-screen indicator of how brutal the kill will be. It's all based on how long you've been stalking the enemy and how close you are to him. White arrows around the enemy's head will indicate the "lightest" stealth kill, yellow indicates the "medium" stealth kill, and red indicates the most violent. Pushing your luck by walking behind an enemy or stalking him for too long can backfire on you, but Manhunt 2 has a sort of unintentional safety net. If an enemy begins to turn around and sees you, you still have a split-second to execute him regardless. It's as if he never saw you in the first place!