Condemned 2: Bloodshot (2008) Online

When the x-box 360 first launched a couple of years ago one of the most promising looking launch titles was Condemned: Criminal Origins. All though Condemned didn't really get the hoo-haa i was expecting it spawned a sequel.

If there's one thing i don't understand it's why the first condemned never came out on ps3 but the sequel came out on PS3 too. But i'm very glad the game reached the sony console.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot follows on a couple of months after the first game. Ethan Thomas our favourite forensic investigator has resigned from SCU he's homeless and an alcoholic. The character has changed drastically since the last game as you can see. Ethan is called back with the loss of his friend Malcom Vanhorn and the return of the infamous SKX.

Basically, Condemned is a true to the genre Survival Horror. It actually lives to the name unlike other survival horror games. It greatly blends aspects of survival and horror.

The survival aspect is well done. The fact that you must think on your feet and make split second decisions and furious action going on around you. Anything and pretty much everything can be used as a weapon and this is a good point.

The horror part is quite obvious. You walk around grimy streets being attacked by figments of your imagination and insane killers. The levels are filled to the brim with atmosphere. It's very scary. Sometimes you will just randomly walk into a room and expect nothing to happen but suddenly your getting bricks thrown at you by a lunatic.

The game does use guns but doesn't emphasise on using them often. When you use guns your ammo runs down quickly and it's a while until you find ammo or another gun. Also as a great feature you can drink alcohol when your using a firearm to "calm" your nerves and make your aiming more responsive.

Overall a game that truly is scary, effective in gameplay and brims with good atmosphere.9/10 My tip: Turn off all your lights and turn the volume up real loud for maximum effect.

Condemned: Criminal Origins is one of the best games I played on the Xbox 360. I didn't expect Sega and Monolith would make a sequel since I felt Condemned: Criminal Origins was one of those one time deals but I was wrong. Here's a review of Condemned 2: Bloodshot.

Plot: One year after surviving his horrific chase with SKX, Ethan Thomas, a once well-respected FBI agent and crime scene investigator, has now become a homeless loser and a booze addict. Ethan spends most of his time hanging out in back alleys and seedy bars just for a drink. When his old friend, Malcolm Van Horn, turns up missing, the SCU takes Thomas back to search for him. Ethan and the SCU realize there's a much darker conspiracy going on in the city. Every city denizen are now acting even more violent than before and more bodies are turning up. Thomas must put a stop to the violence and suffering before it escalates beyond control. 5/5

Graphics: The graphics look darker and grittier than they were in Condemned: Criminal Origins. The character models and the buildings look even better. The changes to the levels' designs are very welcomed since some of the levels looked a bit too much like the designs from Monolith's other game, F.E.A.R. 5/5

Sound: Since Monolith wanted a personality change in their main character, they chose Andre Sogliuzzo for the role. Sogliuzzo puts on a very good performance as Ethan Thomas. He gives Thomas a dark edge and a bad ass attitude. There are moments in the game where you'll hear voices taunting you. The sound alone is enough to scare anyone. 5/5

Gameplay: In the last Condemned, using blunt objects to fight enemies had gotten so repetitive after awhile since Ethan couldn't punch. In Condemned 2, Monolith improved on the combat system. Ethan can now fight with his bare hands and do combo moves. He can also parry and counter attack. Of course, he can still use weapons. Another added feature is environmental kills. When an enemy is down on his or her knees, Ethan can grab his fallen foe and pretty much smash him or her into anything from TVs to toilets. The gun play has even changed, Ethan can restock on bullets with the gun he's using. The sub-plot of Ethan's alcoholism plays heavily in the game play. If Ethan is aiming with the gun he is holding, he gets the bad case of the shakes. To calm that, he has to drink alcohol so he can aim well. TVs and radios are put in so the player would be updated on what's going on in the game's story. Monolith also put in a reward system that gives him upgrades whenever he does certain tasks. The multi player features feels like an after thought. 4/5

Condemned 2 is one of the best games to date from Sega and Monolith. The game expands upon the story and answers the questions from Condemned 1. If you liked Condemned 1, then get Condemned 2. The game is truly a worthy sequel to the first.

Final Review: 5/5

I have never played the original Condemned, so starting off with the sequel with already developed characters was a bit disorientating. I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this game, but for £5 I couldn't refuse, especially after the disappointing Resident Evil 5.

In Condemned 2 you play Ethan Thomas, a burnt-out drunk and former special agent. When people across the unnamed city start to go crazy you're brought in to kick some ass and find out why.

The game is set in the ugliest of places, from abandoned hotels, factories, back alleys. Everything is dank and depressing. The graphics are not the best but sure do impress with their grottiness. What IS remarkable though is the gut-wrenching sound design, which is not only the best video game sound I have ever heard but would rival the most superior of Hollywood horrors. If you have a home theatre hooked up to your PS3 then be prepared for a horrifying atmosphere made entirely of sound to flood into your living room.

But...a first person beat-em-up? I understand that the FP perspective makes the game even scarier, but it just doesn't fit a beat-em-up. When fighting bad guys your chances are almost down to luck with skill being nearly irrelevant.

However, since I was very much let down by RE5 I was surprised just how shocking and creepy Condemned 2 was. I was well worth the money and I recommend it despite it's flaws.

Pros:

Disgusting production design that will make you head straight for the shower.

Truly menacing sound.

Cons:

Clunky fight system

Load times are a pain.

Graphic B+ Sound A++ Gameplay B- Lasting Appeal B-

I haven't played the first Condemned but this one is supposedly better and I think it is brilliant. It is very effective to give someone the scare and I think this is a very good horror game. The interesting thing about it is that it isn't the monsters that make this game scary but other things.

1). The first thing that makes this game a horror is the location that you are in. Dark, abandoned and a very rough city where potential dangers lurk almost around every corner.

2). Although the city is abandoned, phsycopaths lurk around the city. Things called Sonic Devices are scattered around the city which emit waves that basically fu*k up people's brains and make them go insane and violent. This isn't your average rough city. This is super-rough.

3). The third thing is the monsters themselves. Like the phsycopaths, monsters lurk around the city as well, waiting for you to go into the wrong place and then...your basically done for.

I highly recommend this game to horror game fans. This will surly give you a good scare. (I haven't even completed it and I love it!)