Articles
By SilentHitz
Published: Mar. 4, 2007 11:01 AM
In short, Condemned is like most horror themed games or movies, there are a lot of good ideas that just don't get executed properly. It's a shame because what does work is surprisingly good.
Condemned is an Xbox 360 launch title from Monolith Productions. They are responsible for some of the PC's best "alternative" shooters such as F.E.A.R and the No One Lives Forever series. Unfortunately Condemned falls short of the lofty standards many have come to expect from them.
You play as FBI agent Ethan Thomas. You're one of the Bureau's best crime scene investigators and you specialise in Serial Killer cases. The game starts by sending you to a crime scene of the latest serial murder, however once you arrive and start collecting evidence everything starts to go wrong. You're soon framed for shooting two fellow officers and start experiencing bizarre flashbacks. In the bid to clear your name you must follow the trail left by the murderer and uncover the greater conspiracy at work.
Generally the story is interesting, if not somewhat convoluted and confusing. There are a lot of elements that don't really fit and aren't explained well enough to the player. However Condemned delivers enough twists and turns in its narrative to keep the player trudging onward.
There are roughly 10 levels in the game. They range from abandoned department stores and schools to even an apple orchard. All of the levels are extremely linear, with the game pretty much pushing you along a set route. The objective of each level is really just to survive getting to the end of it, while maybe collecting some evidence along the way. Generally the environments feel really well done, all themed appropriately with what they'd be like in real life.
As you trudge through each level you use a wide variety of melee weapons to bash the crap out of your enemies. These range from simple 2 by 4’s to locker doors, axes, sledge hammers etc. The fighting is generally good with different weapons needed in different situations. There are also several firearms available but they’re rare and have little ammo. You also have a handheld taser that can be used to shock potential foes, initially it’s pretty useless but when you start to face groups of enemies it’s a god send.
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