Manos: The Hands of Fate
- June 29, 2015
- FreakZone Games
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Get on itch.io Store"Manos: The Hands of Fate" is a survival horror game based on the cult classic film. Players must escape the clutches of the sinister Master and his ageless bride, navigating a eerie landscape and solving puzzles to progress. With a unique retro aesthetic and fiendishly difficult gameplay, this unofficial sequel is a must-play for fans of the original film and horror enthusiasts alike. Please note that the game contains mature content and is not recommended for children.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game is a fun homage to the cult classic film, capturing its spirit and humor, especially for fans of MST3K.
- It features charming pixel art and a nostalgic NES-style gameplay that appeals to retro gaming enthusiasts.
- Despite its short length, the game offers enjoyable platforming mechanics and references to other bad movies, making it a lighthearted experience.
- The gameplay is criticized for being simplistic and repetitive, with poor level design and frustrating mechanics.
- Many players found the game to be too short and lacking in challenge, leading to a lack of replay value.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including unresponsive controls and visibility problems due to design choices like auto-scrolling and dark levels.
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it boring and unimaginative, while others appreciate its retro charm and accessibility for beginners. While the platforming mechanics are straightforward and controls are generally praised, the lack of variety and originality may deter some players. Overall, it offers a nostalgic experience for fans of retro-style games, but may not hold long-term interest.
“As for the gameplay, Manos: The Hands of Fate is similar to an old-school Castlevania title, but much more beginner-friendly.”
“The gameplay is cute and easy to manage; the boss fights can be tricky enough, and the whole thing is lovingly crafted to look and feel like a bad 80's NES game movie adaptation.”
“The mixture of cult horror films and retro NES gameplay is excellent, and the gamepad support is really great after playing it on a touch screen.”
“The gameplay is atrocious (something I didn't expect from such a basic sidescroller), just like the level design (the same cheap trick over and over).”
“It's boring and unimaginative gameplay won't keep you interested.”
“However, while I like the presentation for the most part, the gameplay is where the game starts to fall apart.”
- music16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic 8-bit renditions of the film's soundtrack, which effectively contribute to the creepy atmosphere and fit well with the game's aesthetic. However, others found the music forgettable or lacking, with only a few standout themes, such as the Torgo theme, being memorable. Overall, while the music complements the game's visuals and humor, it may not leave a lasting impression for all players.
“I had a lot of fun revisiting scenes from the movie and the music is a spot-on 8-bit rendition of the music from the film, which I thought was incredibly impressive.”
“The soundtrack is a perfect 8-bit rendition of the film's jarring soundtrack.”
“No music in game.”
“The music, oh god is it forgettable!”
“Artwork, music nor gameplay are noteworthy here, only redeeming quality is that it's not too long so your suffering will be minimized.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, pixelated aesthetic reminiscent of classic 8-bit titles, featuring a muted color palette with contrasting highlights for key elements. While some users appreciate the nostalgic NES-style and well-drawn pixel art cutscenes, others criticize the graphics for lacking substance and originality, particularly in later levels that reuse assets. Overall, the visuals evoke a creepy atmosphere, aligning well with the game's themes, but opinions vary on their overall impact and execution.
“This game has a grainy filter, just like an old horror movie, and some stages have tunnel vision lighting; the cutscenes in between stages are presented through well-drawn pixel-art illustrations. I also like how the in-game graphics go for a more muted color palette with a few contrasts to highlight important characters and objects, all of which have interesting designs as well; finally, the music and sound effects also help give the game a creepy, mysterious atmosphere.”
“I like pixelated games, and the graphics are bright and colorful.”
“The game has great graphics and the art style is similar to other games in the 8-bit genre; it's also really similar to the follow-up game by FreakZone, which of course is the AVGN game.”
“But outside of the dialogues (straight out of the movie) and the graphics (simple but kinda charming), nothing works.”
“The graphics and sound are appropriately NES-styled, but they have no substance and fail at making an impression.”
“The first two levels of the game follow the movie, but everything is thrown out the window once you reach level 3, which looks like Castlevania... as in it reuses the same graphics!”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The story of the game is based on the cult-themed film "Manos: The Hands of Fate," featuring a cult leader and dark rituals, which some players find more intriguing than the game itself. While the narrative isn't the primary focus, it effectively complements the gameplay, with levels reflecting various scenes from the movie and a presentation that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the unexpected depth and variety in the storytelling, despite its vague nature typical of NES games.
“Though I've never seen the movie (at the time of writing), I think it has an interesting story about a cult leader with minions and maidens who conducts rituals to worship the god of darkness, Manos.”
“Even if the story isn't the main focus, it held my attention, and it was complemented by its presentation.”
“Manos: The Hands of Fate - Director's Cut follows the original film's story and has a fun variety of levels representing different scenes from the movie.”
“The background story to how this movie was made is far more interesting than the movie itself.”
“I don't know the entire story, but the game definitely had a major update compared to how I saw it, which is not saying it's a bad thing but rather something I wasn't expecting when I bought it.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor and clever parody of poorly made NES platformers, particularly those based on films, making it a unique homage to a less celebrated era of gaming. While the accompanying movie is described as a hilarious experience, the gameplay itself has some frustrating elements that detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the humor shines through, especially when shared with friends in a lighthearted setting.
“This game is a pretty funny parody of a particular NES subgenre, namely really bad platformers based on popular films (see the Beetlejuice NES game, for example, though pretty much every NES game based on a film was pretty bad and often unplayable, to be honest) - a phenomenon you might be familiar with if not through personal experience then by having watched the Angry Video Game Nerd or a similar reviewer.”
“Definitely worth the purchase if you enjoy NES homages - it's also the first game I've run across that's paying homage to the part of the 8-bit era people would rather forget, which I think is kind of funny.”
“The movie in itself is a marvelous joke and it's really funny, and I highly suggest getting friends together, getting absolutely wasted, and watching it, because it's a delight.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers limited replayability, primarily serving as a brief time killer with a completion time of about an hour. However, it does include some replay value through additional difficulties and modes, such as a hardcore mode and the option to play as a different character after finishing the game.
“Some sections are difficult, but with enough tries you can easily finish the game in an hour. However, this game has replay value like a hardcore mode, and you can play the game again as Torgo after you finish the game with Michael.”
“It does, however, have replay value.”
“It was okay enough of a time killer, but there's very little replay value. It only caught my eye because the same programmers also did the AVGN games.”
“Some sections are difficult, but with enough tries, you can easily finish the game in an hour. This game has some replay value like a hardcore mode, and you can play the game again as Torgo after you finish the game with Michael.”
“There is replay value in the additional difficulties and modes.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a grainy filter reminiscent of classic horror films, complemented by tunnel vision lighting in certain stages. The muted color palette, striking pixel-art cutscenes, and well-designed characters contribute to its eerie aesthetic, while the music and sound effects further immerse players in a creepy, mysterious environment.
“This game has a grainy filter, just like an old horror movie, and some stages have tunnel vision lighting. The cutscenes in between stages are presented through well-drawn pixel-art illustrations. I also like how the in-game graphics use a more muted color palette with a few contrasts to highlight important characters and objects, all of which have interesting designs. Finally, the music and sound effects contribute to a creepy, mysterious atmosphere.”
“The game has a grainy filter reminiscent of an old horror movie, and some stages feature tunnel vision lighting. The cutscenes between stages are presented through well-drawn pixel-art illustrations. I appreciate how the in-game graphics utilize a muted color palette with contrasting highlights for important characters and objects, all of which have interesting designs. Additionally, the music and sound effects contribute to a creepy, mysterious atmosphere.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally acceptable, with occasional bugs reported; however, these issues are not severe enough to disrupt gameplay significantly.
“The game tends to be a little buggy at times, but nothing horrendous or game-breaking.”
“I frequently encounter crashes that disrupt my gameplay experience.”
“There are numerous glitches that make it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
