Me and Monolith have a love/hate relationship with their other big name series F.E.A.R. With F.E.A.R I love the first instalment, the expansions weren't great and the subsequent sequels got worse as they went on but in general I enjoy the franchise and its something I enjoy playing on a regular basis.
Condemned came before F.E.A.R though, a 2005 Xbox 360 release title and one that was much loved among games and critics. So with the new generation being recently released I thought its about time I played one of the best first releases of last gen.
Ethan Thomas is an SCU investigator and on the trail of serial killer 'The Match Maker' who kills women and places their bodies in romantic situations with male mannequins. When a suspect gets himself noticed, Ethan takes chase and in the process his partner is shot. Framed for the murder Ethan must hunt down the Match Maker, however when serial killers start showing up dead, Ethan begins to realise he is involved in something much deeper than he initially thought and must try even harder to clear his name as well as staying alive.
Condemned is a first person brawler with shooting and puzzle elements. The majority of the time you will be walking around dark environments looking for the next part of the puzzle and melee fighting with anyone you come into contact with. Weapons are makeshift and are usually parts of buildings or just stuff you find laying around so it could be a bit of wood, a rusty pipe or if you're lucky you might find an axe or a hammer. Guns are around, but you'll probably avoid them most of the time as they aren't overly accurate and don't carry much ammunition with them, I only found myself using them if there was a particularly tough enemy so that I could weaken them a bit first.
As for puzzles, Condemned lets you carry out forensic investigations to search for fingerprints, some blood or anything that might help progress the story along. The only problem with these is they aren't really puzzles, you're told where to go and what to do when you get there so they are really just interactive plot devices.
Condemned really isn't a game for kids, it deserves its 18 rating through and through. The combat and the aesthetic to the game are extremely mature, very bloody and extremely satisfying if you need to let out some frustration.
The games visual standard for 2005 would have been pretty high, cant really say that now though but the animations are good and environments are visually well designed. My biggest gripes with the games visuals are mainly to do with age, as it hasn't done so gracefully. The game runs at 720p/1080i and the pixel count is pretty low, being released at a time where HD really wasn't a thing has only made this game come off worse. But the games engine, also used in F.E.A.R looks pretty bad in general, its not a bad looking game but its one that certainly isn't going to be winning any beauty contests. Luckily this does go in the games favour as its rugged and dirty look fits well with the theme its trying to convey.
The audio work is phenomenal, sound plays a huge part in setting the atmosphere in horror games and Condemned has it spot on. Though the game isn't outright scary, the tension built up by the music makes you uncomfortable right from the start and never lets up. Voice acting, though not the best in the business, is alright but there isn't a huge amount of dialogue so its not too bad.
Condemned: Criminal Origins is everything a release game should be, it took full advantage of the 360's technical capabilities and provided an entertaining and well made game, more than can be said about the newest batch of consoles launch titles.
Condemned has a interesting and creepy story wit some great gameplay, my only gripe being it feels a little stiff at times, and a good presentation for its time. There is a reason why Condemned has lived on as one of last gen's real classics.
Condemned: Criminal Origins – 8/10
+Good Story
+Very Creepy
+Brutal Combat
-Hasn't Stood The Test Of Time Well
