Dark and gritty mystery
The original Manhunter - New York was an interesting if not entirely successful attempt at a paranoid sci-fi alien invasion adventure and which featured a strong atmosphere and intriguing storyline but which was let down by some poor implementation. This sequel maintains the brooding feel and dark mood but manages to improve on most of its predecessor's shortcomings to create an original and compelling game that should be played by fans of old-school graphic adventures. The plot picks up directly after the original's resolution, so it's worth playing that game first as otherwise this won't make a lot of sense to you. The action is now shifted to San Francisco and sees the player once again working for both the alien invaders and the human resistance as he continues to track down a mysterious serial killer. It's the plot and setting that provide much of the game's appeal, which are gritty and grim, well realised and complex, and the world ranks as one of the most interesting video game environments to explore. The game itself is a fairly standard point-and-click graphic adventure, like Broken Sword, which sees players exploring the numerous locations as they follow the trail of the killer, carrying out investigations and solving puzzles. However, there are also a few arcade-style sequences thrown into the mix as well as first-person investigations to provide some variety. Man Hunter is an excellent sequel that improves on the original in most ways, with a gripping new storyline and fixing gameplay issues and refining them to the point where it stands as a fine example of the genre. If you have any interest in such adventures, this needs to be played, but make sure you check out the first one to get the most out of it.
