Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Evryware
Year: 1988
Platform: DOS; Amiga; Apple II
Score: 4
The most original idea Sierra picked up, Manhunter unfortunately fails to capitalize on its premise.
Aliens landed in New York, circa 2002. It took them less than three days to destroy the city, and less than a year to end the human resistance. Or so they thought. You have been assigned by the alien “orbs” to be a manhunter. The tracking devices they implanted in every human were not entirely compatible with human physiology, so you (along with many others) need to help them. You have no choice. You must investigate humans who are not obedient and report them to the aliens.
You are given a tracking device that lets you watch the perpetrator commit the crime. You can then tag them and continue to watch where they go until the signal is lost (usually when they go underground or die). You can also manually tag other humans near the perpetrator and watch where they go, as they may be linked with the crime. You can then travel where they went and do some research.
Of course, you must help the resistance while you are supposedly helping the aliens. Since the resistance must operate in relative secrecy, you must pick up clues and look for symbolism that will reveal what you need to do.
Most of the game is heading to specific locations (such as the Empire State Building or Bellevue Hospital), picking up items around crime scenes, and manipulating them (which is fairly easy). There are also several arcade sequences. Some are easy, some are asinine, but none of them are really exciting. The designers needed to find some way to make the game difficult, but the arcade sequences were not the solution. Also, several mazes permeate the adventure. One maze in a game is tolerable; any more than that is maddening.
There is almost no typing in the game, and there is no mouse support. Instead, you use the arrow keys to move the cursor until you land on something important. What makes this game worth your while is the keen sense of logic you must have to catch all of the symbolism and apply it to the situation at hand, or one further down the road. Definitely not a game for those who like to rush.
The music is creepy enough and the graphics are well done. The visuals are a little gory, and often unsettling. Despite its faults, I’d recommend playing this game if you are looking for something original. Also, if you ever plan on playing ManHunter: San Francisco, you must play this game first. Otherwise, SF won’t make any sense.
