Game Review: Condemned 2

Following in the footsteps of its big brother, Condemned 2 takes us further into the minds of serial killers and the brave men who hunt them down.

Condemned 2 takes place after the events of the first game. Main character Ethan Thomas has quit the Serial Crimes Investigator Unit and taken up drinking as a pastime.

Unfortunately for Ethan, he can’t run from the demons that haunt his past. He can’t forget the horrors he witnessed while on the force.

Ethan is then contacted by his former employer and tasked with finding his missing partner. The story takes a twist when he starts to have strange visions during his investigation.

Gameplay is hard to describe; It’s a First Person Shooter, but it has elements of an RPG (after completing missions you are given a score and depending on the score, you get a different upgrade).

The hand-to-hand combat actually has some depth with a somewhat creative combo system, context sensitive beat downs, and environmental fatalities. Everything works well on its own but when confronted with several enemies (some with weapons, some without) the combat can get very hectic very fast.

I also enjoyed the CSI-esque investigations. You are tasked with identifying a victim, their cause of death, and a whole bunch of other little details that you have to pay close attention to. Gameplay isn’t perfect, but everything the game does, it does right.

The graphics in Condemned 2 are fantastic. Whether it be the shadow of a looming psychopath around the corner or the light flicker from your flashlight everything (well, almost everything) has a real presence in the game.

Facial animation is great. Though you can tell it’s a game, there’s something about the graphic style that makes these characters almost seem alive. I really don’t have any complaints about the graphics--they’re almost perfect. Sometimes the environment itself sometimes looks muddy, but it’s pretty easy to ignore.

Controls are where we have a problem. Some button layouts don’t feel natural and can be quite frustrating at times. One attack combo requires you to click the left joystick and then throw a punch which is hard to do considering you use the left stick for movement.

Another problem is the pace of Ethan. He walks so slowly it’s almost infuriating and the sprint button helps very little due to lack of movement while sprinting.

Don’t get me wrong, the controls aren’t a complete mess but you will definitely get frustrated at least once.
This is a very mature game and (like several other games I’ve reviewed) shouldn’t be played by kids. The concept of solving these grisly murders isn’t for the squeamish and should be played at your own discretion.

If you’re looking for something different from the standard run n’ gun action delivered by most FPS, try Condemned 2 out. It’s pretty fun.

Worth It?

Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Platform: PS3 & Xbox 360
Rating: M for Mature
Price: $59.99
Final score: 7.0 out of 10

Posted 2 months ago by Zach Hannestad | Email | View Zach Hannestad's profile.

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