The Faith of the Manhunt 3 Franchise Remains Elusive

Rockstar has upped the bar for open world games again with the release of Red Dead Redemption 2.

After 8 years of hard work the studio may begin the development of a new title soon. Some hope that Rockstar will release another Manhunt game, part of a franchise that has raised a loyal fan base throughout the years.

The first Manhunt game was released to critical acclaim back in 2003. Featuring an innovative (at that point) survival horror setting and loads of unfiltered violence the title quickly gathered a cult following.

While the content and events depicted in the game were controversial from the start Rockstar faced serious trouble when the game was linked to a murder committed by a teenager in the UK in 2004.

Manhunt 2 was released in 2007 but the game was much tamer in comparison to the first incarnation. The particularly violent bits were intentionally blurred and the plot establishes a different background that partly justifies the violent acts inflicted by the player character. While the first game presented an interesting plot where the protagonist is an unwilling participant in a snuff movie directed by a shadowy enterprise in Manhunt 2 you escaped a pretty cliché asylum where unethical experiments were taking place.

In 2016 Rockstar parent company Take-Two renewed the trademark, giving fans hope that a new game may be in development.  According to a popular trademark listing site the renewal was granted for a period of 10 years so there is more than enough time in order to develop a worthy title.

The chances for a sequel are quite slim. Even when the first game was being developed some members of the team thought that the game will only bring troubles and bad publicity.

Given the current political climate the game would also reignite controversies even more so due to the fact that ultra-violent games have faded from the market in the last decade.

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