Manhunt 2 (Rockstar Games)

Rockstar is no stranger to controversy. In fact, you could argue that the company even welcomes it; no one is better at taking negative press and turning it into PR gold.

But the company's secret has always been that, despite what critics say, their games are usually nothing short of brilliant. It's too bad then that their controversial Manhunt 2 doesn't live up to the bar they've set.

Hands on approach

As with most titles on the Wii the controls are what make or break the game, and this is the case with Manhunt 2. You spend the first several minutes in the game getting acclimated to the Wii Remote and Nunchuk movements needed to control the main character, Daniel Lamb. The controls are passable but ultimately, they feel clunky and stiff, and that's just for mundane tasks like walking down hallways. When we finally got to the much-discussed killing sequences, we often found ourselves confused by the motion-sensing controls and unable to pull off the necessary moves.

Ironically, the one thing that saves the game are the many different executions. Creep up close enough to an enemy and you can activate a gruesome mutilation that requires you to swing the Wii Remote and Nunchuks around. As we mentioned above, the controls do get a little confusing but it does provide a nice visceral edge that most games can't even begin to touch.

The truth is brutal

The rest of the game boils down to a stealth adventure, manoeuvring through shadows with bits of exploration and some mundane puzzles thrown in for variety. Visually the game does nothing that impressive; though there are a few nice touches such as blood splatters, and the game does a good job of setting up an oppressive and soul-sucking atmosphere.

Still, Manhunt 2 is only mildly amusing and the violence and gore gets tired after a while. If you're into movies like Eli Roth's Hostel then this game's right up your alley. But, if you're looking for a thriller with a little more substance, you might want to look elsewhere.