| Manhunter: New York | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer | Evryware |
| Publisher | Sierra On-Line |
| Director(s) | Barry Murry and Dave Murry |
| Producer(s) | Ken Williams |
| Designer(s) | Barry Murry and Dave Murry |
| Writer(s) | Barry Murry and Dave Murry |
| Lead Programmer(s) | Barry Murry and Dave Murry |
| Lead Artist(s) | Barry Murry and Dee Dee Murry |
| Composer(s) | Barry Murry |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple II, Apple IIgs, Atari ST, Macintosh |
| Release(s) | September 1988: MS-DOS November 1988: Apple IIgs 1988: Apple II January 1989: Atari ST April 1989: Amiga September 1989: Macintosh |
| Genre(s) | First-person, Point-and-click adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Manhunter: New York is a post-apocalyptic adventure game designed by Barry Murry, Dave Murry, and Dee Dee Murry of Evryware and published on September 1988 by Sierra On-Line for MS-DOS. The game was ported onto the Apple IIgs on November 1988, with the Apple II version coming out sometime that same year, On January 1989, the game was released on the Atari ST, follow by the Amiga in April and then the Macintosh in September.
A sequel, Manhunter 2: San Francisco, was released the next year in 1989.
Plot[]
It is set in the (then) futuristic year of 2004, when Earth has been enslaved by a race of aliens known as the Orbs. The Orbs, who look like giant floating eyeballs, have implanted all humans with global tracking devices, forced them to wear nondescript robes and forbid them from speaking or communicating. Taking place in New York, the protagonist has been assigned by the Orbs to track down fellow humans who are believed to be forming an underground resistance. Over the course of the game, the player discovers that the Orbs are not the benevolent rulers they claim to be; they are actually harvesting humans as a food source. The player then "switches sides" and works to overthrow the Orbs.
Gameplay[]
Manhunter: New York used Sierra's Adventure Game Interpreter (AGI) development tool. It was very different from other AGI games in that it did not use a text parser, incorporated a first-person rather than third-person perspective, and featured a rudimentary point-and-click interface. The gritty, sometimes gory visuals, unique interface, and use of real-life locations in New York City all helped set the game apart from Sierra's other titles, which were typically more family oriented.
Credits[]
- Lead Design / Programming / Writing: Barry Murry and Dave Murry
- Producer: Ken Williams
- Graphics / Artwork: Barry Murry and Dee Dee Murry
- Music: Barry Murry
- Interpreter / Development System: Robert Eric Heitman, Chris Iden, and Jeff Stephenson
- Research: Gary Stonedahl, and Julie Stonedahl
- Apple II Version: Doug Oldfield
- Macintosh Version: Mark Langbehn and Sam Shary of Fairfield Software
- Documentation: Jerry Albright, and Dave Murry
- Package Design: John T. Shaw
Reception[]
Computer Gaming World wrote in their December 1988 review of Manhunter: New York that, "In spite of the arcade sequences, this is a clever game that requires you to really look at the screen and remember what you see." The review also states that note taking is helpful for remembering locations, what events took place, and make mental connections.
March 1989's Computer and Video Games gave the Atari ST version an 88% on, while admittedly feeling bored and a bit frustrated by it at first. Keith Campbell wrote, "Having persevered with it, I am currently impressed and intrigued by its puzzles, and even becoming a bit nonchalant as I breeze through the occasional arcade section. In fact, I am so taken with it that I am determined to see it through to the end. The Games Machine (UK) rated the game a 67%, praising it for its atmosphere of a run down metropolis while criticizing the graphics.
Australian Commodore and Amiga Review had a similar mixed reaction to the Amiga version, concluding that, "Like all Sierra products, this one is brilliantly packaged and documented. It's a game with real depth - it's just a shame about the graphics."