Manhunt 2, Rockstar's bastard stepchild, continues to draw criticism from anti-violence crusaders the world over. Banned in the United Kingdom and subsequently bashed in the U.S. after receiving an Adults Only (AO) rating, it was put on hold indefinitely so Rockstar could tone it down. Doing so, however, prevents gamers from experiencing the game in its purest form, an adventure that uses the motion sensitive Wii remote in order to murder people in the most gruesome of fashions.

This time around, gamers step into the psychotic life of Dr. Daniel Lamb, a scientist who falls victim to an underground experiment known as the Pickman Project. After losing his funding, Dr. Pickman continues his masterpiece with the belief that he's only a few steps short from cashing in. When Daniel agrees to be a guinea pig, the process goes insane. Committed to Dixmore Asylum (where Pickman dumps experimental rejects), Lamb sits in a cell for six years, growing crazier but still having moments of clarity that show valuable memory nuggets from his past, including co-workers and his loving family. At the same time, he befriends a weirdo named Leo, a fellow inmate that talks of escape. These conversations become a reality when lightning strikes the asylum, zapping the electricity and opening all the doors. With Leo's encouragement, Daniel sets out to locate everyone responsible for making him bonkers, thus embarking upon a murderous rampage.

Much like in the original game, Manhunt 2 forces players into the shadows with the hope of sneaking past enemies undetected. At the same time, they'll use various weapons to execute their foes. Most weapons highlight three types of executions, designated by color and displayed by arrows that appear behind the victim. A Hasty execution (white arrows) occurs almost immediately, a Violent one (yellow arrows) happens after a few seconds and a Gruesome execution (red arrows) plays out after waiting several seconds. The longer a player waits, the better the chances are of viewing the Gruesome execution. On the flip side, waiting too long may prove fatal, as the non-player character may turn around and attack.

Initially, gamers come across a syringe, presumably filled with some life ending substance. Executions include a simple jab to the neck (the Hasty execution) and the shocking Gruesome one, which entails jabbing the needle into someone's face. Later on, Daniel comes in contact with other toys, including a shotgun, axe, sledgehammer, baseball bat and a makeshift club. The glass shard proves especially devious, as he (in the Gruesome execution) stabs his victim in an eyeball and then slits their throat.

Manhunt 2 takes no liberties with the gore, so expect to see brains splattering against walls; eyeballs erupt with blood and gaping throats spewing crimson. In addition, the game includes several environmental executions, moments in the story where Daniel has the option of offing characters using some object in the environment. In one scene, he bashes a telephone over a scumbag's head, chokes him with the cord (while dragging him around the room) and then breaks his neck. In another, he pushes a thug into an electrical box head first, which causes the guy's melon to explode into chunks of meat.

Evangelists despise the game, not just for its content, but also for what it asks players to do. Armed with the remote and nunchuk, they execute people by physically mimicking the motions. For example, to saw someone's skull, they move the remote back and forth in a sawing motion. In addition, they'll use the controllers to rip off a poor guy's testicles or yank out someone's spinal chord. Furthermore, the Wii version packs three exclusive weapons (mace, razor, broken bottle), which will probably be used in some gruesome form. To cut someone, perhaps gamers will raise the remote and slash the air.

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