Rockstar has carved a comfortable niche for itself over the last few years making games that explore the seedier elements of our society. While they are most often singled out for their excessively violent content, both Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City are sharply-executed satires of American culture that offer quite a bit of social commentary. Rockstar has proven themselves quite adept at ensuring that the exploitative elements of their games don't overshadow their artistic potential. With their latest foray into the nether regions of the soul, Rockstar is looking to once again redefine what is possible in interactive entertainment. Their glimpse into the world of snuff filmmaking, ominously entitled Manhunt, is a stealth action thriller that pushes video game violence to an entirely new level, and in the process provides one hell of a satisfying experience.

Manhunt ventures into the gritty realm of film noir with its bleak depiction of human depravity and its unflinching portrayal of brutal violence. The game is set in the fictional world of Carcer City, an American suburb steeped in a death spiral of debauchery and decay. You take on the role of recently executed inmate and all-around tough guy James Earl Cash, who wakes up to find he isn't quite dead. It seems his lethal injection was nothing more than a tranquilizer, and now he finds himself trapped in the middle of a bizarre conspiracy. A voice comes over a loudspeaker belonging to a man named Starkweather, an influential director who runs a snuff film ring in Carcer. Starkweather promises to free Cash if he provides execution scenes for a few of his films. Given a second chance, how can Cash refuse?

Naturally refusal is not an option, as Starkweather has paid off the local gangs, the police force and even the mayor's office in order to turn Carcer City into his own personal movie studio. Cash must play by the director's rules if he hopes to escape this nightmare. Each section of Carcer is ruled by a distinct gang of miscreants and psychopaths, such as the Hoods, a group of unskilled, low-life thugs or the Wardogs, a pack of ex-Marines who hunt with ruthless efficiency. Each gang has its own characteristics and preferred weaponry, though you'll use similar tactics to defeat them all. At regular intervals you'll be dropped off in each gang's home turf; these locales are all unsavory places to spend the night and include slums, a junkyard, a shopping mall, a zoo, a mental hospital, a prison, and a subway station. Liberty City is a paradise compared to Carcer.

Throughout the game Starkweather communicates with Cash via an earpiece and provides gameplay tips, background information, and either encouragement or ridicule depending on how you are faring at the time. If you have a USB headset on hand you can choose to hear Starkweather's commentary in your earpiece, a neat little gimmick that makes the game feel a bit more personal. You can also use the microphone on the headset to make noise, which is both a great idea and a bit of a pain in the ass. (It's no fun to be discovered by hunters because you coughed.) Manhunt draws on a variety of sources for inspiration, with the death-for-entertainment angle revealing an obvious nod to The Running Man. The game also feels a bit like Escape From New York at times, with the legions of psychotic gang members hunting you down. It's one of the year's coolest games, that's for sure.

Stealth is the name of the game, and in this regard Manhunt really shines. Cash is easily overpowered by the majority of the hunters he'll face, so it's wise to stay hidden in the shadows and silently execute them one at a time. A contextual icon in your heads-up display will turn blue to let you know that Cash is safely out of sight. Hunters rarely venture into darkened areas, but they will occasionally do so if it is part of their patrol route. Much of the game consists of luring them near your hiding spot (by banging on a wall, for instance) then executing them once they turn their backs. You can monitor hunter activity with your radar (similar to the one in Metal Gear Solid) that shows their location and how alert they are. Cash's footsteps are inaudible most of the time, though walking across certain surfaces like gravel will cause noise that will blow his cover.

As is typical with stealth games, there is a fair amount of trial and error involved. Learning the patrol routes and search patterns of your foes, as well as when to slip out of the shadows for an execution, is a big factor in how successful you fare. It is a fairly difficult game that will have you looking at the continue screen quite a bit, as getting cornered by a group of armed hunters usually spells death. Of course Manhunt is a lot more forgiving than most games in the genre (I'm thinking specifically of Splinter Cell) in that being discovered by your enemies is not the end of the world. Cash can simply run away and find a hiding spot, then wait for the hunters to end their search. You can run faster than your enemies provided you have enough juice left in your stamina meter. Hunters aren't completely stupid, and they will be able to track you if they see you run into a hiding spot.

Starkweather doesn't just want to see you indiscriminantly killing off these hoodlums. Instead, he wants you to execute them in the most criminally insane way possible, and Cash is more than willing to oblige. Sneaking up behind an unsuspecting hunter will allow you to perform a grisly instant-kill execution maneuver on him. There are three levels of executions, and which one you perform depends on how long you hold down the attack button. Level 3 executions net you the most style points at the end of the level, but they also leave you vulnerable to being spotted. No matter which level you choose, you're treated to a stylish hand-held camera view of your handy work. These constitute the goriest parts of the game, as you'll witness decapitations, eviscerations, stabbings and exploding heads. Each weapon is capable of all three execution levels, so there's no need to worry about getting bored with them. (Like exploding heads could ever be boring!)

Cash can't execute hunters with his bare hands; he'll need to find and use a variety of tools to get the job done. Weapons fall into one of three categories: one-time usage (plastic bag, glass shard, garrote), light (crowbar, hatchet, handguns) and heavy (baseball bat, shotgun, assault rifle). As the name indicates, the one-time usage weapons can only be used for a single execution before they need to be replaced. Much of your time early on will be spent scavenging for this type of weapon. There are a wide variety of melee weapons that fall in the light category, including the blackjack, crowbar, hatchet, scythe and machete. Some of these weapons double as tools that you'll need to proceed past certain obstacles; for instance, the crowbar is used to break open padlocks. There are a handful of heavy weapons as well, with the skull-busting aluminum baseball bat being the most common.

Cash will primarily rely on melee weapons to pull off executions early on, but later in the game he'll gain access to a plethora of powerful firearms. These weapons are loud and will almost always draw attention to you, and you will be unable to perform any stealth executions while using them. Firearms do have much greater stopping power however, and are vital when taking on the large groups of armed foes that you will routinely face in the latter half of the game. A number of handguns are classified as light weaponry, such as the revolver, handgun and uzi. These weapons are effective from a distance, but getting up close will allow you to score an instant-kill head shot. Heavier weapons, like the shotgun and assault rifle, are guaranteed to take down anyone with only one or two shots. Plus, you just can't beat the sight of multiple heads exploding from a single shotgun shell.

Cash needs to travel light, so you can only carry one weapon of each type with you. Planning which to take becomes a major strategy later on in the game. Do you keep that crowbar and opt for silent kills, or use the handgun to help out in a firefight? You can switch between weapons when you find a new one, as there will often be a few lying around in each level, as well as the ones that are dropped by your defeated adversaries. In addition to weaponry, Cash can carry a lure item that he can use to cause a diversion. You can throw a tin can or even the severed head of an enemy to cause a noisy disturbance, luring guards off of their patrol routes. A brick can be used in the same manner, but you can also use it to stun an adversary (by smashing it over his noggin) or to break a window. The latter action is especially useful, as it will create a glass shard for you to use in the process.

Cash is no pussy and can fight bare-handed if need be. Manhunt uses a very basic combat system that lets you throw strong and weak punches, grapple with your foes and defend yourself from their blows. You can beat a single unarmed hunter with little difficulty, but against an armed opponent or multiple hunters these basic moves just don't cut it. When you are discovered and faced with more than one adversary, it's best to simply run away and find a hiding spot. Cash can strafe along a wall and peek around corners, though he cannot crouch or lie prone on the ground. When stationed at a corner, you can jump out to deliver a surprise attack and then quickly retreat, a technique that becomes vital in the many firefights that unfold later in the game. The core play mechanics, while perhaps not as refined as they could be, are nonetheless quite solid and should be workable for most players.

Backing up the excellent level construction is a gritty aesthetic that makes Carcer City look like the last place you'd ever want to visit. Character models, structures and textures are all middle of the road from a technology standpoint, but the art direction and attention to detail really make the game shine. Texture artwork is generally pretty good, as everything from floors to walls to enemy characters are decked out in appropriately creepy attire. The motion-capture executions are all fun to watch (if you're into this kind of thing) thanks to the hand-held camera perspective that shows you an up-close and personal view of things. There are plenty of cool little touches to see in the game, including skull fragments from exploded heads and the "haze" that fills the screen when Cash gets nailed by a tranquilizer dart. Rockstar has even implemented a film grain filter, similar to the one in the Silent Hill games, that gives the game an even dirtier feel.

Even more vital to the experience is the excellent audio package that Rockstar has put together for Manhunt. An endemic background track maintains a constant level of apprehension even when nothing is happening. The soundtrack quickly changes when a hunter becomes suspicious and again when you have been spotted. It's hard to describe, but it works to great effect. These musical interludes change throughout the course of the game, ensuring that you're not listening to the same "alert" music over and over again. The acting is fantastic as well (Brian Cox is great as Starkweather), though it is the enormous amount of gang chatter that really puts the game over the top. There are literally hundreds of lines that your enemies can utter, most of which are dirty, humorous and laced with profanities. Manhunt sounds even better with Dolby Pro Logic II support that enables some basic surround sound effects for that extra feeling of immersion. Great stuff.

Manhunt is a compelling adventure that offers plenty of tense action in a genuinely creepy atmosphere. It offers a near-perfect blend of stealthy killing and balls-to-the-wall gunplay with rivers of the red stuff to keep things lively. Although I find myself dying quite frequently, the game is addictive enough to keep me playing past any frustrating segments. Complaints are minor at best; for starters, the storyline shows some early promise but quickly becomes predictable and mainly serves to keep you interested in killing (which it does well). The enemy AI is believable most of the time, though it is a little silly to be hiding in a shadow mere inches from a hunter only to have him walk away without spotting you. The game is quite lengthy (clocking in at about 15 hours for a first playthrough) and it seems like some of the levels could have been trimmed without seriously affecting the game. Again, these are minor quibbles with what is an otherwise excellent title.

Rockstar has once again delivered a gripping crime simulator that stands as one of the years' most pleasant surprises. Its minimalist presentation and stark visuals perfectly underscore the games' underground flavor, while the subtle audio cues and outstanding gang chatter provide a rich, immersive experience. The gameplay could use a bit of fine-tuning, but overall the controls enable you to rack up the body count without too much trial and error. Manhunt will probably be most remembered for its gory execution scenes, which are both viscerally thrilling and nauseatingly vile. I'm delighted to report that Rockstar didn't pull any punches with the games' controversial content (both the executions and the profanity-laced dialogue), resulting in a game that truly earns its M rating. This is one of the best games I've played this year, and I highly recommend it for game players looking for something with a harder edge. Manhunt delivers.