Games Gift Guide

Manhunt 2

Rockstar Games
$39.99

This game generated a lot of controversy when it initially received an "adults only" rating due to the game's graphic and brutal violence. An "edited" version is now available for the Nintendo Wii, and while still extremely violent – even compared to its ultraviolent peers – it's also very mediocre and completely forgettable.

Our protagonist is a mentally disturbed man in search of his past and willing to murder anyone in his path. The player spends most of the time stalking enemies from the shadows. If you catch them unaware, you're rewarded with an extended sequence in which you swing the Wii controller to smash, crush, and stab the victim. Greater skill is rewarded with even longer, more violent executions.

The graphics and sound are out-of-date, the gameplay is unimaginative, and the thin plotline hinges on a "twist" that is woefully obvious. Left alone, Manhunt 2 would be ignored by gamers, but the media attention surrounding the game will likely sell copies to the holiday season's morbidly curious. The rest of us are better off ignoring it.