Rockstar North’s Manhunt is the studio’s 2003 stealth action title for the PS2. Rockstar North would release Manhunt between its work on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Accordingly, the game utilizes similar graphical assets and takes place in the same fictional universe of the Grand Theft Auto series. While the title was originally a PS2 exclusive, it would receive ports to both PC and Xbox a year later, with a Steam port arriving in 2008 and an official PlayStation 4 release in 2016.
Manhunt was subject to a fair amount of controversy both leading up to and after its release, thanks to its reputation as an “execution simulator” and its dark and violent subject matter. Notably, the game has an unfortunate link to a real-world crime perpetrated in the UK, with a copy of the game found in the room of the 17-year-old perpetrator and linked to his violent actions by the victim’s parents. Though Rockstar would prove to be successful in refuting these claims, they would end up doing severe damage to Manhunt‘s reputation and ability to be sold in countries with strict media censorship.
Despite it being banned in several countries, Manhunt would end up being a successful title for Rockstar North, eventually gaining status as a cult classic and earning plenty of praise as one of the best games for the PS2.
Manhunt Premise

©Manhunt gameplay screenshot – Original
The story of Manhunt takes place in the same fictional universe as Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto games, centering on the corrupt and dilapidated midwest town of Carcer City. A once-thriving metropolis now in decline, the law enforcement of Carcer City is incredibly corrupt, leading to them being in the pocket of several unsavory characters, including Manhunt‘s antagonist — The Director. We play as Carcer City Corrections Facility inmate James Earl Cash, whose execution is a ruse in order for him to be hunted for sport at The Director’s whims.
In terms of its gameplay, Manhunt is a semi-open-world stealth action game. Unlike other Rockstar North games of the era (such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and many other noteworthy titles), Manhunt is not an open-world game. Instead, Manhunt‘s structure is level-based, with each level (called “Scenes”) representing a different portion of The Director’s violent filmmaking. Players must use both melee and ranged weapons to eliminate enemies, called hunters, that work for The Director to try and catch his victims in a deadly game of hide-and-seek. Approaching enemies from behind without altering them brings up quick-time event-style button prompts for players to trigger violent execution scenes.
Manhunt Main Characters

©Manhunt gameplay screenshot – Original
The story of Manhunt puts players into the shoes of convicted felon James Earl Cash, a death row inmate sentenced for execution whose life is purchased by a sadistic auteur known as The Director. We don’t know much about Cash’s past or his rap sheet, but we do see that his apparent execution by lethal injection is a ruse, with the Carcer City corrections officers’ corruption lining him up to be The Director’s next victim. Communicating with Cash through an earpiece, The Director lets Cash know that, should he hope to survive the night, he must kill or be killed, all while putting on a show as the star of a sick and twisted form of entertainment. Main characters in Manhunt include:
- James Earl Cash: The main character and protagonist of Manhunt. James Earl Cash is a death row inmate sentenced for execution who gets sold out to The Director for him to be hunted for sport as the star of a snuff film.
- The Director: The main antagonist of Manhunt, voiced by legendary actor Brian Cox. The Director is a sick auteur who films actual violent crimes and sells the footage on the black market, tapping James Earl Cash as the leading man for his masterpiece.
Games in the Manhunt Series
Despite being no stranger to controversy, Manhunt is perhaps Rockstar North’s most controversial series. The original game’s depictions of violence would end up getting the title banned in several countries, ultimately affecting Manhunt‘s potential audience and resigning it to cult classic status. Rockstar North would develop a sequel, Manhunt 2, for the Nintendo Wii before eventually porting it to other hardware, with it also facing similar backlash and controversy due to its extreme violence and dark narrative. Despite both games having a cult following (and both being competent stealth action titles), the Manhunt series is one of several franchises seemingly abandoned by Rockstar. Games in the Manhunt series include:
- Manhunt (PS2, 2003)
- Manhunt 2 (Wii, 2007)
Manhunt Cheats & Secrets
Similar to many other Rockstar Games titles of the era, there are several cheats for Manhunt. Most of these cheats require players to meet certain in-game conditions before they become available to use, and it’s worth noting that the game disables saving any progress made while cheats are active. In addition to the official cheats players can use, the PC version of Manhunt is compatible with third-party cheat engines and cheat trainer files.
Manhunt Cheats
Once players unlock cheats by completing Scens in Hardcore mode with 5-star rankings, they can input them from the main menu using the following button commands/inputs:
PC Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
Runner (infinite Run meter) | URUNFAST |
Silence (enemies can’t hear you) | ALLRDEAF |
Regenerate (Health refills over time) | HEALBACK |
Helium Hunters (enemies have high-pitched voices) | THEYBOOM |
Fully Equipped (have all weapons) | UGOTARMS |
Super Punch (can kill with a punch) | UHITHARD |
Rabbit Skin | BUNYSUIT |
Monkey Skin | HELLSUIT |
Invisibility | EVILEYES |
Piggy Skin | PIGGSUIT |
God Mode (invincibility) | IMINVINCIBILE |
PS2/PS4 Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
Runner (infinite Run meter) | R2, R2, L1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right |
Silence (enemies can’t hear you) | R1, L1, R2, L1, Right, Left, Left, Left |
Regenerate (Health refills over time) | R2, Right, Circle, R2, L2, Down, Circle, Left |
Helium Hunters (enemies have high-pitched voices) | R1, R1, Triangle, Circle, Square, L2, L1, Down |
Fully Equipped (have all weapons) | R1, R2, L1, L2, Down, Up, Left, Up |
Super Punch (can kill with a punch) | L1, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Circle, R1 |
Rabbit Skin | Left, R1, R1, Triangle, R1, R1, Square, L1 |
Monkey Skin | Square, Square, R2, Down, Triangle, Square, Circle, Down |
Invisibility | Square, Square, Square, Down, Square, Down, Circle, Up |
Piggy Skin | Up, Down, Left, Left, R1, R2, L1, L1 |
God Mode (invincibility) | Down, Down, Circle, Up, Square, Triangle, Square, R2, Up, Up, L1, Triangle |
Xbox Cheats
Cheat | Code |
---|---|
Runner (infinite Run meter) | White, White, LT, White, Left, Right, Left, Right |
Silence (enemies can’t hear you) | RT, LT, White, LT, Right, Left, Left, Left |
Regenerate (Health refills over time) | White, Right, B, Right, Black, Down, B, Left |
Helium Hunters (enemies have high-pitched voices) | RT, RT, Y, B, X, Black, LT, Down |
Fully Equipped (have all weapons) | RT, White, LT, Black, Down, Up, Left, Up |
Super Punch (can kill with a punch) | LT, Y, Y, Y, B, B, B, RT |
Rabbit Skin | Left, RT, RT, Y, RT, RT, X, LT |
Monkey Skin | X, X, White, Down, Y, X, B, Down |
Invisibility | X, X, X, Down, X, Down, B, Up |
Piggy Skin | Up, Down, Left, Left, RT, White, LT, LT |
God Mode (invincibility) | Down, Down, B, Up, X, Y, X, White, Up, Up, LT, Y |
Manhunt Unlockables
Cheats/5-Star Rankings
To unlock the corresponding cheats for use, players will first need to beat the following scenes while earning a 5-star ranking. The criteria for earning 5-star rankings in the associated scenes are as follows:
Cheat | Scene | 5-Star Ranking Criteria |
---|---|---|
Runner | 1 – “Born Again” | 7 – Red Executions 7 – Kills 10 – Time Ranking |
Runner | 2 – “Doorway into Hell” | 8 – Red Executions 8 – Kills 10 – Time Ranking |
Silence | 3 – “Road to Ruin” | 8 – Red Executions 9 – Kills 10 – Time Ranking |
Silence | 4 – “White Trash” | 11 – Red Executions 17 – Kills 15 – Time Ranking |
Regeneration | 5 – “Fuelled by Hate” | 20 – Red Executions 24 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Regeneration | 6 – “Grounds for Assault” | 10 – Red Executions 15 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Helium Hunters | 7 – “Strapped for Cash” | 14 – Red Executions 14 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Helium Hunters | 8 – “View of Innocence” | 1 – Red Executions 23 – Kills 10 – Time Ranking |
Fully Equipped | 9 – “Drunk Driving” | 12 – Red Executions 19 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Fully Equipped | 10 – “Graveyard Shift” | 1 – Red Executions 30 – Kills 15 – Time Ranking |
Super Punch | 11 – “Mouth of Madness” | 10 – Red Executions 23 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Super Punch | 12 – “Doing Time” | 5 – Red Executions 18 – Kills 15 – Time Ranking |
Rabbit Skin | 13 – “Kill the Rabbit” | 1 – Red Executions 45 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Rabbit Skin | 14 – “Divided They Fall” | 8 – Red Executions 30 – Kills 25 – Time Ranking |
Monkey Skin | 15 – “Press Coverage” | 5 – Red Executions 28 – Kills 25 – Time Ranking |
Monkey Skin | 16 – “Wrong Side of the Tracks” | 0 – Red Executions 26 – Kills 7 – Time Ranking |
Invisibility | 17 – “Trained to Kill” | 5 – Red Executions 27 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Invisibility | 18 – “Border Patrol” | 0 – Red Executions 20 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Piggy Skin | 19 – “Key Personnel” | 7 – Red Executions 29 – Kills 20 – Time Ranking |
Piggy Skin | 20 – “Deliverance” | 0 – Red Executions 5 – Kills 15 – Time Ranking |
God Mode
To unlock the God Mode cheat and be able to activate it from the main menu, players need to first beat the game on Fetish difficulty.
Bonus Scenes/Mini-Games
Completing certain blocks of Scenes while earning 3-star rankings or higher unlocks Bonus Scenes/Mini-Games. After unlocking these “Bonus Scenes”, players can choose them from the “Select Scene” option on the main menu.
Mini-Game | How to Unlock |
---|---|
Brawl Game | Earn a 3-star ranking on Scenes 1-5 |
Hard as Nails | Earn a 3-star ranking on Scenes 6-10 |
Monkey See, Monkey Die! | Earn a 3-star ranking on Scenes 11-15 |
Time 2 Die | Earn a 3-star ranking on Scenes 16-20 |
Manhunt Secrets
Saving With Cheats (PS2 Verified)
Normally, when players have cheats active, they will be unable to save their progress. However, the PS2 version features a glitch that allows players to circumvent this limitation. Beating a mission with a higher star ranking than previously earned results in the highest ranking temporarily saving next to the Scene selection. To keep any 5-star rankings earned with cheats active, players can play any Scenes they like with cheats on, then return to the main menu and deactivate cheats. Play through an easier mission (such as “Born Again”) and then save as soon as possible. Any progress made with active cheats will be saved permanently since cheats are no longer active.
Manhunt Cheat Engine Cheats (PC Only)
PC players have the option of downloading a third-party cheat engine and cheat trainer file for Manhunt. One such cheat trainer file can be found here and contains the following options:
- Infinite Stamina
- Infinite Ammo
- No Reload
- Teleport Options
- Open Developer Mode
Manhunt Achievements/Trophies
Completing the following in-game tasks will unlock the corresponding achievements/trophies (Steam and PS4 versions)
Achievement/Trophy | Description |
---|---|
Psychopath | Unlock all Trophies (PlayStation-exclusive, Platinum) |
He Never Saw it Coming | Perform a gruesome execution |
5-Star Killer | Earn 5 stars on any level |
Drug Free is the Way to Be | Complete any Scene on Hardcore without using Painkillers |
Bang, Bang, Boom | Kill a hunter by shooting an explosive tank |
No Crane, No Gain | Crush a hunter with a refrigerator |
Are You Afraid of the Dark? | Hide a victim’s body in the shadows |
Pink Mist | Headshot a hunter with the sniper rifle |
Brain Power | Use a severed head to lure a hunter |
Enemy Efficient | Kill 2 hunters with 1 shotgun shell |
Ooh, Ooh, Aah, Aah! | Complete any Scene wearing the Monkey suit |
Follow the White Rabbit | Complete any Scene wearing the Rabbit suit |
Death from Behind | Use only Executions in any Scene |
Stick to the Shadows | Remain undetected in any Scene |
Line ‘Em Up, Knock ‘Em Down | Kill 30 hunters in Hard as Nails |
Fun With Fisticuffs | Kill 30 hunters in Brawl Game |
Ape Escape | Escape the Zoo |
You’re Going Nowhere! | Kill all the Hoods in Time 2 Die in 7 minutes or less |
Hunter Season | Kill 45 hunters in one Scene |
Off With Their Heads! | Execute 20 hunters in one Scene |
Hard as Nails | Earn 3 stars on Scenes 1-5 |
Brawl Game | Earn 3 stars on Scenes 6-10 |
Monkey See, Monkey Die! | Earn 3 stars on Scenes 11-15 |
Time 2 Die | Earn 3 stars on Scenes 16-20 |
Murderous | Complete every Scene (Hardcore) |
Dangerous | Complete every Scene (Fetish) |
4-Star Freak | Earn 4 stars in every Scene (Fetish) |
5-Star Fiend | Earn 5 stars in every Scene (Hardcore) |
Getting Your Hands Dirty | Kill 10 hunters using bare hands |
Swinging for the Fences | Kill 10 hunters using a Bat |
The Grim Reaper | Kill 10 hunters using a Sickle |
Subtle Slaughter | Perform a Chainsaw execution |
A Special Gift | Bring the hunter’s head to the Guard Room in “Mouth of Madness” |
Manhunt Cheat FAQs
Are there cheats in Manhunt?
Yes, there are official cheats in Manhunt regardless of which version players have. The PS2 original and all subsequent ports include several official cheats that players unlock. This can be done by completing certain levels (dubbed “Scenes”) with 4 or 5-star rankings. Note that any progress made with cheats active cannot be saved.
How do you unlock bonus Scenes in Manhunt?
There are bonus Scenes/levels players can unlock in Manhunt by completing blocks of Scenes with 3-star rankings or higher. Earning 3-star rankings on Scenes 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, and 16-20 unlocks each of the Bonus Scenes.
Is Manhunt an open-world game?
Unlike other Rockstar North games, Manhunt is not an open-world game. The title is split up into “Scenes”, or levels, each containing semi-open world sandboxes that players can roam around in. There are multiple paths to victory and several points for players to hide or attack, similar to other stealth games.
How long to beat Manhunt?
Despite it not being as long as Rockstar’s open-world games, Manhunt is still a fairly lengthy experience. Players can expect to spend 10 hours to complete the main story. Unlocking all bonus features and earning 5-star rankings on each Scene takes much longer. Players hoping to 100% complete Manhunt can expect to spend 16-20 hours.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Manhunt key art.