Condemned: Criminal Origins Review (Xbox 360)

STAFF REVIEW of Condemned: Criminal Origins

Thursday, November 24, 2005.
by Tony Ingrassia

Let me start by saying Im a big fan of the Horror genre in all of its formats, movies, games, you name it. Let me elaborate a bit on that point, I like to get scared, not grossed out or shocked , but really scared, and in my book there is nothing scarier than things that you can perceive as real. Ill give you an example. While characters and creatures like Jason, Freddy Kruger, or the Alien form Alien are scary Im much more uncomfortable and truly scared watching a movie like the Exorcist. I mean, if you believe in Heaven and angels you must believe in Hell and demons.

Alright, I think you got my point; I dont want to turn this into religious education. Condemned by Sega uses this formula flawlessly, not going down the path of the usual horror genre like the Resident Evil series, but on a path thats not only disturbing but rooted in a world that you would have no problem accepting as real. Abandoned buildings, subway stations, and dark alleys are all very real places and Im sure if you have ever been walking around at night, most of us have experienced that uncomfortable feeling and glance over the shoulder for a seemingly unknown reason. This is the environment you step into in Condemned.

The story revolves around the main character Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent investigating a rash of brutal murders and a growing oddity in the derelicts and low lifes that populate the disturbing sub culture of the city. While on the crime scene of a brutal double homicide a chain of events unravels leaving agent Thomas on the Hunted side of the law and having to prove his innocence. This is the driving force behind Condemned. A very tried and true formula, but the mission you are about to embark on is an entirely new wrinkle to the genre.

As agent Thomas your left with few friends to help you through this ordeal, you must use your forensic skills and instincts to solve this mystery and clear your name. The game takes place in some of the most graphically stunning run down areas you have ever seen. Your best friend is a flashlight, and whatever you can scrounge up as a weapon. The areas are fully interactive, you can pick up just about anything as a weapon and a small chart appears giving you stats on the item in comparison to what you already have with a plus or minus sign, comparing the damage it can inflict, the speed of use and how effective it is defensively in the form of blocking. This by the way is a very important element of the game, blocking, learn it well it will save your life.

Melee combat is more the norm in Condemned adding to the already tense situation you find yourself in, its one thing to pick an enemy off with a head shot from long range, and its an entire new feeling being forced to go toe to toe. You do have guns in the game but ammo is scarce and so are the guns, again, reality. Youre probably not going to find a ton of ammo in an abandoned warehouse or a gun for that matter but you can rip a piece of conduit off the wall and swing away. Agent Thomas other inventory consists of his forensic tools that range from being able to detect odors like decomposing flesh to inferred cameras to detect clues not readily visible to the naked eye. Which brings us to our heroes instincts? We all know FBI agents need to use there instincts a bit while trying to solve cases, Agent Thomas is no different, clues are very important in Condemned and at times you need to take a good look around and see what is unseen, you go through this slowed down/flashback type scenario hinting that there is something worth looking for in the area, that being said, the usual solve the puzzle to progress is not in place here. You can wonder away from an area with nothing if you prefer, but in the end it may be that key piece of evidence you needed.

Of course it wouldnt be much of a challenge if there werent some deranged lunatics wondering around, sprinkled with a few serial killers and just plain crazies. The AI in Condemned is great, these freaks will attack in packs, destroy fuse panels to kill the lights, go into a frenzied attack if cornered, lure you into areas and will take off down a dark corridor if their at a disadvantage.. All of this adds to the suspense of the game, you know that these guys are waiting for you, you know it, you just saw one run across the hallway in the distance, and then you get that Oh Crap feeling in your head that is not only disturbing but fun at the same time. Melee combat is pretty straight forward, as I said earlier you need to learn to block to survive. Another one of your more useful tools is your taser, it can slow down your attacker so you can either get away or finish him off. The attacks in Condemned come without warning form just about anywhere, no little compass with red dots as the enemies here folks, they are brutal and fast paced and if you dont react quickly your sure to pay the price with your life, keep on your toes even when analyzing clues with your forensic tools, the AI really doesnt care that youre busy with something else.

Well since we are officially now in the next-gen system lets talk about that. If you want a glimpse into what the 360 is capable of producing pop Condemned into the system, yes its early and the characters arent quite at a Pixar level but this is defiantly a sign of things to come on the new system. Condemned shines graphically, for a game that spends a lot of its time in the most dank, dark, and unsettling places you will ever spend time in you will be amazed at the detail and fluidity of the game. Running at 720p is a thing of beauty showing every little detail there is to see, toss in Dolby Digital and be prepare to jump from your seat not once but a few times during your romp through Condemned, not to mention that looking over your shoulder bit. Condemned rounds off the package with some great voice acting that reads more like a movie script than the usual repetitive stale game dialogue, and the story, while sometimes confusing, truly keeps you pushing forward. Condemned also boast the new Achievement system on XBL, ranging from clues found to hidden Xbox 360s that earn you detective badges.

Condemned may not appeal to everyone, but it looks great and is truly a solid sign of not only the future of gaming on the Xbox 360 but hopefully a new direction for the horror genre, I would highly recommend horror fans pick it up and enjoy the uneasy feeling that this game is sure to provide. In my opinion Condemned is one of the better launch titles on the list, not without a few minor flaws, but they are so minor I dont even feel they are worth mentioning because they are based on preference rather than being deterrents to the overall experience of the game. So make sure you got fresh batteries in your flashlight and settle in for an intense, exciting, experience that is sure to have you slowing down your pace a bit to make sure the boogie man isnt around the next corner.

Enjoy!

Suggestions: I wouldn't change a thing.

Overall: 8.8 / 10
Gameplay: 8.8 / 10
Visuals: 9.8 / 10
Sound: 10.0 / 10

Videos

Comments

Xbox Game Search

Latest News

Call of Duty: Ghosts will be better with Kinect

It’s been confirmed by Activision Publishing head Eric Hirshberg that COD: Ghosts on Xbox One will feature voice commands, among other Kinect 2.0 features. No word as to whether the Xbox 360 version will also be "Kinected".

Microsoft confirms Halo: Bootcamp

What is Halo: Bootcamp? Is it a PC port or spin-off of Halo 3? A new game based on one of the Halo novels? Or something else? No one other than Microsoft knows for sure, and for the moment, all they want us to know is that it’s coming soon.

Spielberg fronts Xbox One-exclusive Halo TV series

Steven Spielberg is lending his Executive Producer clout to a new Halo TV series that will be broadcast exclusively on Xbox One via Xbox Live. Will it be free to Gold Subscribers? And more importantly, will it be any good? Only time will tell.

New Kinect sensor also coming to PC

Just as the original Kinect was released for the PC, the new Kinect Sensor that will be bundled with every Xbox One console will also see a PC equivalent arrive in 2014.

Xbox One Reveal may have teased actual games

The most consistent complaint about the Xbox One Reveal is that Microsoft didn’t show enough games, but for one fleeting moment during the show, an image of the Xbox One HUD may have let a total of 8 games slip. Let the E3 2013 speculation begin!

GameStop: Xbox One will cost less than Xbox 360

The above prediction might seem ludicrous, until you remember that the Xbox 360 launched in 2005 with two different SKUs, with the 20GB Premium model costing $399.99, and it would have cost hundreds more if you added the wifi adapter and the Kinect!

Google fails to block U.S. Xbox 360 sales

Believe it or not, Microsoft and Google are not exactly the best of friends, and it’s not because the Xbox 360’s default search engine is Bing. For those of you who may have forgotten, Microsoft and Google have a case before the courts.

See News Archives

Top Community Gamerscores

1. Symmetric-XBA - 129,388
2. hellonearth159 - 88,285
3. Variation-XBA - 81,665
4. Timmy Bauer - 58,375
5. Symmetrics Love-XBA - 48,043
6. Enamelized420-XBA - 41,520
7. Silent-XBA - 38,782
8. Ainokeatoo-XBA - 34,321
9. Roujin-XBA - 31,498
10. Kamshaft-XBA - 29,839
11. Casper - 26,315
12. Soda Jones - 24,348
13. Tampad - 22,221
14. Fargoth - 17,904
15. TAXCOLLECTER675 - 13,376
16. Whisper - 13,272
17. HaZarD SFD-XBA - 12,802
18. Kraft - 7,035
19. l Maximus l - 3,010
20. LiLJoe608 - 2,500
21. Sam-XBA - 2,130
22. MixMasta - 175
23. Smill -
24. Motoko -
25. lllSmokelll -

Community Forum Activity

clan members
Post by anthony705
0 Replies, 360 Views

What did you guys think of the Reveal?
Post by Kamshaft-XBA
12 Replies, 1016 Views

friends
Post by anthony705
0 Replies, 468 Views

[FCBX] FaceBox Clan
Post by FearfulInk
3 Replies, 415 Views

Double XP weekend Black Ops II on Xbox 360
Post by LiLJoe608
0 Replies, 1081 Views

3 Days to Go !
Post by Kamshaft-XBA
11 Replies, 2725 Views

Halo 4 Avatar T-shirt (Ladies)
Post by Silent-XBA
0 Replies, 400 Views

#XboxReveal
Post by Rajio
9 Replies, 3296 Views

[RARE]Xbox 360 XDK XNA EXPO MODEL
Post by itchy
2 Replies, 2248 Views

Magic the Gathering
Post by d-dub363
1 Replies, 496 Views

Clan Member Wanted...
Post by FearfulInk
4 Replies, 999 Views

Community Playdate
Post by tote gunzz
7 Replies, 2449 Views

Dirty Laser Lens
Post by thAshAdyOne
0 Replies, 475 Views

Just looking for some more friends
Post by Grravy420
8 Replies, 1090 Views

Comunity Playdate! Come play with Xboxaddict.com!
Post by Kamshaft-XBA
13 Replies, 1532 Views

Xbox Addict