Xbox 360: Condemned 2 Review

With Condemned: Criminal Origins being such a hit at the Xbox 360 launch, both financially and critically, it was obvious that a sequel was going to be released. Condemned 2: Bloodshot continues the story of FBI agent Ethan Thomas. This time, the game is released for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 at almost the same time with almost no difference between the two so pretend that I'm writing this review for whatever version you decided to buy.

If you beat Condemned 1, you would have seen a strange ending that made you question whether there would be a sequel. If you haven't beaten the first one, go for it, it's cheap as hell now. After proving his innocence in the first game, Ethan Thomas is in a sad state. An angry drunk now, he drinks the days away hoping to forget what happened. With an increase in violent crime, the police ask Ethan for help who finds himself again stuck in a strange series of events explaining what's going on with the city and why Ethan is in this predicament once again. Unlike the last game, this Ethan is a darker and rougher figure, no longer that boy scout FBI agent. He's quick to cuss out whomever and doesn't take it easy on anyone.

Condemned made a change in the survival horror genre by adding a first person mode to it. In Condemned 2, the whole system gets some much needed tweaking providing a smoother experience. A nice addition to the gameplay is the combo system providing a choice in action. Using punches, kicks and weapons, Ethan will be able to deal extra damage when pressing the correct combination of buttons. After a certain amount of fighting, a gauge will fill up letting Ethan use some moves to deal some major damage to the enemies. You'll have to follow the on screen queues, and what comes is some painful looking moves that will typically involve slamming the enemy's head into something nearby.

While the first Condemned had ammo scattered around in small amount, Condemned 2 has multiple areas that focus on shooting. So you get the traditional FPS mixed in with the survival horror. Luckily, the FPS part of the game is good enough that you won't be saying "WHY THE HELL DID THEY ADD THIS?!" but it's not going to change the FPS formula.

Once again, Ethan will do his best Gus Grissom impression and proceed to do some CSI-ing. Unlike last time where evidence is collected without much challenge, this time you'll have to use the evidence to answer some questions about the body. For example, let's say you find a body that doesn't have a head on it. Rather the remains of the head are splattered on the wall where the body is. So you may have to answer the question "How was this person killed?" Was it A) a gunshot to the head, B) a shotgun blast to the head, or C) smothered by a fluffy pillow? Answering correctly will improve your rating at the end of the level.

The rating system is a new addition as well providing more replay value since the first Condemned was lacking in this aspect. It's still a short game, but the developers realized that a bit of replay value doesn't hurt. Depending on whether you completed the side objectives on a level, you'll be given a silver or gold rating. These ratings will reward you, gold being better of course, with improvements to Ethan's offense or defense. So replaying the game can be rewarding, and not just for those OCD gamers that need to be perfect at everything. There's also a multiplayer mode added which is solid, but as of the time or writing this review, the amount of players is small so good luck getting a match going. Another mode added to provide the most bang for you buck is Fight Club mode. These are single player levels with a certain objectives per level, but there's no reward for completing all the levels.

Like the first Condemned game, Condemned 2 has some great graphics. Some enemies are just downright disturbing to look at which is always a plus for a survival horror game. The levels look great with plenty of details to check out. Then you have the lighting and shadows adding to the overall creepiness of the game. It's a great looking game and whether you get it for the PS3 or Xbox 360, there are very small differences between the two.

To complete the creepy atmosphere is the sound. The effects are exceptional with sickening thuds never sounds better as fists pound into flesh. Hearing enemies from the darkness helps to freak you out on a regular basis. One particular level, involving a bear, is a perfect example of how the developers spared no expense in providing a scary experience. There's a little bit of cheesiness with some of the voice actors but it's not distracting thankfully.

I'm always amused at how some video game sequels fail so badly. There's a very simple way to know what's needed for the sequel. LISTEN TO THE DAMN GAMERS THAT PLAYED THE FIRST ONE! Gamers were saying that the game was great, but needed some tweaking of the gameplay, an improvement of graphics, and add some replay value. That is exactly what they did and they kept the storyline as compelling as the first one.

Score - 8.7

- O.G.