by: Steve Simons

March 27, 2008

The original Condemned is a horror title developed by Monolith Proudctions, the creators of F.E.A.R. The game pulled no punches literally and figuratively. It features brutal combat and some very disturbing themes and visuals. Condemned 2 sticks to the formula in everyway, while adding to the depth of control. The result is a good game that exceeds what was accomplished in the original while at the same time fails in some of the same areas.

The game starts a few months after the original ends. Ethan Thomas, the series protagonist, is worse off than ever. He went from upstanding SCU agent to an alcoholic mess. Ethan needs alcohol so much that he can’t hold a gun steady without downing a whole bottle of hard liquor. Now that’s hardcore. Still, he is forced back into duty and has to search for his good ole “friend” VanHorn. Saying much more would spoil the twists and turns of the game but it’s safe to say the story here is far clearer then it was in the original. The first game kept you guessing as to what the hell was going on; this could lead to more tense moments, as you never knew what to expect. In Condemned 2 things are more focused, making a lot more sense and killing the tension slightly.

The combat has seen a major overhaul, now you can pull off combos that have damage modifiers. Blocking has been made far easier than in the original and it too has the ability to kick off damage modifiers. The ground kills have been replaced with environmental kills. You can do all sorts of crazy things but only in context sensitive areas. The good news is they are everywhere. There are also now slow-motion quick time events. You initiate one of these events with a quick double pull of the trigger. From there time slows and you enter into a more powerful combo that ends in your opponent’s death. If you mess up on the button presses it gives your opponent a chance to hit you back before you can recover.

The in-depth melee is far more fluid then it was in the first game and it’s safe to say someone executed first-person fist fighting right for once. In fact, it’s better then it was in Riddick for Xbox and that is saying a lot. Firearms are another issue though; the guns don’t seem to do the damage you would expect. In some instances, you can shoot a guy almost point blank in the torso with a shotgun and while they do fall down, many times, they will get back up demanding another shot. It’s also odd that once you reach the middle of the game you will start finding a lot more guns. The original had an achievement that you received if you never used a gun. It was a great way to get people into the real purpose of the games combat engine. In Condemned 2 you seem to be encouraged to use guns whenever you find them, which defeats the purpose. The developers have kept with tradition in terms of obtaining melee weapons. You still find them all over the place and they are never in short supply. You can still rip things off walls to use and for the truly twisted you can bash someone to death with a toilet seat amongst other objects.

AI also has some weird issues. If you wander too far away from them they will just stop in their tracks and wait for you to come back. They will also run up to you, whack you, then run and hide behind a pole. It’s obvious where they are but it seems as if they are either stupid, or incredibly stupid.