The HBO series 'Lanterns' has introduced the Manhunters, robotic precursors to the Green Lantern Corps, as a significant threat. These shapeshifting antagonists, present in Green Lantern comics since the 1970s, were originally created by the Guardians of the Universe but rebelled and were subsequently replaced by the Green Lantern Corps.
However, the concept of the Manhunters as a formidable foe in a Green Lantern narrative was explored much earlier in video games. The tie-in title for the 2011 film 'Green Lantern,' titled 'Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters,' released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, featured the Manhunters as the primary antagonists. Developed by Double Helix Games and published by WB Games, the game arrived just a week before the film's theatrical debut.
'Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters' is described as a 'God of War' clone, featuring voice work from Ryan Reynolds and other cast members from the movie. The game's plot begins on the Green Lantern Corps' home planet, Oa, during the funeral of Abin Sur. The gathering is interrupted by an attack from the Manhunters, resulting in the deaths of many Green Lanterns. The Manhunters were reportedly seeking a hidden yellow lantern battery, a source of power the Guardians had concealed within Oa.
This conflict propels Hal Jordan, voiced by Reynolds, on a mission across various planets to thwart the Manhunters and uncover a traitor within the Corps. Through repetitive combat sequences, Hal discovers that Amon Sur, the son of Abin Sur, orchestrated the attack out of resentment for not being chosen as his father's successor. Hal ultimately defeats the Manhunters, solidifying his position as the primary Green Lantern in the film's universe.
While the game's narrative was not particularly complex and the Manhunters served more as generic enemies than the sophisticated threat seen in the HBO series, the game did thematically align with the concept of succession and birthright central to Green Lantern lore. Licensed games from that era are often overlooked, but 'Rise of the Manhunters' retrospectively stands out for foreshadowing a key element of the Green Lantern mythos years before its television adaptation.
Despite its thematic foresight, 'Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters' is remembered as an uninspired and uninteresting game, paling in comparison to the movie it was meant to promote. While playing the game itself may not be a worthwhile endeavor today, viewing a compilation of its cutscenes might offer some insight. The HBO series 'Lanterns' remains the current focus for fans interested in the unfolding Manhunter storyline.