Manhunt 2 - First Real Murder Simulator?
I've praised Manhunt 2 coming to the Wii because of the fact that Nintendo needs more Mature content under its console belt, but yesterday I read an IGN preview that left me apprehensive to say the least. More details have been revealed about the game, and my predictions were true. Manhunt 2 will indeed have interactive, motion controlled kills. I'm talking full-on use your wiimote like a hacksaw while your on-screen character mimics your movements.
In the PS2 version of the game, you merely hit a button to trigger the whole animation, which is far less engaging. On Wii, you act out the execution with a series of gestures timed to on-screen cues. If you're cutting into a man's skull with a saw, which you sometimes do, you might have to make a forward/backward motion with the Wii remote, hit the B trigger to a visual cue, and then gesture quickly upward with both controllers to put the finishing touches on the attack. It's much more immersive both because motion-based controls are inherently so and also because you're stringing together these attacks in the Wii build, while they are canned animation sequences in the PS2 one. - IGN
Like I said, I had a feeling this would have interactive kills, and I think that is awesome from a gaming standpoint, but I am worried that this game may be the catalyst that gives fear mongering, over protective, intrusive politicians the "smoking gun" they need to finally step in and regulate videogames or drastically change the videogame scene.
This game may also finally prove videogame hater, Jack Thompson, right as far as his claim that games are "murder simulators". I mean you use the wiimote just like you would use a weapon in real life to kill people. Isn't that a murder simulator?
I know I'm being a bit of a devil's advocate. I don't want to see anything negative come from this game, but at the same time you'd be a fool not to be nervous about what might happen. Manhunt 2 is not only more gruesome, but you get to interactively kill your enemies. That is bound to stir things up.
Still, videogames are protected speech and no politician has the right to regulate them. If this game does bring on a serious fight I hope it is one that will finally get politicians off our back and maybe onto more important things like shutting down the big oil companies that are gouging the crap out of us poor folk at the pumps.
