[2][3] Set within the fictional Carcer City, players control a death row inmate who is forced to participate in a series of snuff films by killing criminal gang members sent to hunt him on camera.

When such a device is connected, players can use the sound of their own voice to distract in-game enemies and hear director's command through the Headset directly.

This adds an extra element to the stealth aspect and immersion of the game, as players must refrain from making noises such as coughing as these sounds too can attract the attention of any nearby hunters.

[11] In 2003 in Carcer City, a journalist (Kate Miller[1]) reports about James Earl Cash (Stephen Wilfong[1]), a death row inmate who has been recently executed by lethal injection.

The Director promises Cash his freedom, but only if he kills "Hunters" – gang members sent to hunt him – in special areas around Carcer City filmed by CCTV.

Cash is first pitted against the Hoods, a gang of dangerous criminals and corrupt police officers patrolling an abandoned area of the city.

The remaining Wardogs, led by the Director's right-hand man Ramirez (Chris McKinney[1]), are sent to re-capture Cash, and they manage to trap him in a game of cat and mouse.

Meanwhile, Starkweather blackmails corrupt police chief Gary Schaffer into sending his men to kill Cash and the journalist, but the two manage to avoid them.

The Cerberus are distracted when Piggsy (Hunter Platin[1]), a chainsaw-wielding maniac (who Starkweather has kept chained up in the attic of the mansion), breaks free.

Rockstar North began development of Manhunt in the mid-early nineties, building the game with the RenderWare engine that had been used for the Grand Theft Auto titles.

It creates a barren, harsh, violent experience and then punctures it with something trippy and darkly comic..."[13] In a retrospective piece, a former Rockstar employee admitted that the game almost caused a mutiny in the company, saying that the team had "already weathered plenty of controversy over GTA III and Vice City—we were no strangers to it—but Manhunt felt different.

[22][23][24] Rockstar released exclusive merchandise, limited editions and pre-order bonuses such as official soundtracks, a Piggsy figure, and a handheld voice changer.

[5] Game Informer praised the PS2 version's audacity and competent technical capabilities, stating "it's a frightening premise that places gamers in a psychological impasse.

Within its linear structure there is a lot of freedom within which to act, much more so than both Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid 2, the titles which Manhunt most closely resembles.

"[62] Toronto Star writer Ben Rayner, praised the relevance of the game, defending its violence and graphic nature as very much a product of its time, and condemning calls to have it banned; As entertainment and cultural artefact, Manhunt is totally disturbing.

But so is the evening news, the "I'll eat anything for money" lunacy of Fear Factor and the unfettered, misanthropic gunplay of Bad Boys II, so I will defend until my last breath Rockstar's right to sell this stuff to me and anyone else who wants it.

The American military obviously thinks there's something there: The troubling new TV ad campaign for the U.S. reserves lures potential young soldiers with tales of adventure accompanied by blatant, video-game-styled animation.

And, curiously, no one has complained about or tried to ban SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs, in which stealth and killing figure even more heavily than in Manhunt.

But Manhunt also is the Clockwork Orange of video games, holding your eyes open so as to not miss a single splatter – asking you, is this really what you enjoy watching?

Manhunt is solid as a game; it's engaging to use stealth as you creep through the streets of this wicked city, using your smarts to avoid death, while dishing out much of your own.

Certain gameplay elements, such as the shooting mechanics, were called "frustrating" by Eurogamer, who claimed that "more than half the time the targeting reticule refuses to acknowledge an oncoming enemy until they're virtually in front of you.

Giselle and Patrick Pakeerah, the victim's parents, claimed that the game had influenced LeBlanc and played a role in the murder.

[68][69][70] The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers' Association (ELSPA) offered sympathy to the Pakeerah family but rejected any connection between the game and the murder.

[75] On August 2, 2004, it was reported that the Pakeerahs had hired Thompson to represent them in a £50 million wrongful death claim against Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and Rockstar Games.

[81] Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive issued a statement that "the Judge, defense, prosecution and Leicester police" in the case had refuted any connection to the game.

[82] Jack Thompson unsuccessfully attempted to have Manhunt 2 banned,[83] claiming that Take-Two had lied about the incident and that police were incorrect in asserting the game had belonged to Pakeerah.

[87] Bill Hastings, the Chief Censor, stated "it's a game where the only thing you do is kill everybody you see ... You have to at least acquiesce in these murders and possibly tolerate, or even move towards enjoying them, which is injurious to the public good.

The British Columbia Film Classification Office reviewed the game after the controversy in Ontario and deemed the Mature rating by the ESRB to be appropriate.

[92] In Germany, the Amtsgericht in Munich confiscated the PlayStation 2 version of Manhunt on July 19, 2004, for violation of § 131 StGB ("representation of violence").

Prior to 2023, the crack protection mechanisms, such as gates and doors not working properly blocking progress through the game, were interpreted as issues with compatibility on newer operating systems.