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For a lot of people, Sega's Condemned: Criminal Origins has come and gone. However, almost a year into the 360's lifespan, this first person curiosity remains one of the more exciting titles on the platform.
Let's get something out of the way first: Condemned isn't exactly a traditional FPS. Unfortunately, it's easy to lose it amongst the horde of games that are, so it's understandable if it was passed up by some. If you played Namco's Breakdown on Xbox, then you already have a vague idea of what to expect here. While it doesn't go down the break-knuckle fighting path that the aforementioned strolled, Condemned similarly focuses on melee combat in tight and tough situations.
This is real survival horror, folks. As FBI agent Ethan Thomas, you dive right into a murder investigation that spirals further and further down the path of a sick serial killer; a path that, while clear-cut and linear, is heavily drenched in grime, filth, and the spectacularly tweaked denizens of this underworld. The gameplay catch here is largely the fact that you can only depend on your surroundings and the spoils left scattered about. Sure, the fact that every location is conveniently stocked with first-aid kits is a bit suspect, but you'll need these suturing saviors for every corner of your adventure. And hey, at least they're not random turkey legs or ham sandwiches.
Condemned becomes a tad predictable at some points. Like a horror movie, scares either come in the form of cheap jumps or legitimate danger, but a swift eye and ear will tune the player into the groove of the audio/visual cues.
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The beauty of depending on your environment's stock is found in the combat system. While guns are sporadically placed and found on enemies throughout, you'll never see loose ammo, so you better check the clips and use each bullet wisely. This is mostly an excuse to exercise your skill in the meat and potatoes of Condemned: melee fighting. Ethan can tear pipes off of walls, lift loose locker doors, and slice with paper cutter blades; and this is just scratching the surface. Monolith implemented a smooth system of lunges and blocks that set the rhythm in your encounters against increasingly unpredictable enemies. Your success lies in how well you learn to balance defense and offense, and your reward is a set of brutal finishing moves that you select with the d-pad. These weapons combine with the ever-present and essential stun gun attack to make each encounter as savage and intense as the last.
Condemned is exhausting, regardless of whether you're fending off homeless lunatics or just nervously roaming claustrophobic passageways with your finger twitching on the right trigger. Thanks to a consistent atmosphere of desperation and dread, the game is almost at its best when nothing is happening at all. The sound design, especially if you have a nice surround set-up, is about as eerie as it gets; a feature that pairs perfectly with the disgustingly gorgeous visuals. Tattered wallpaper and decrepit sewers are rendered with great detail, making it a mental chore just to open the next door.
The downside to all of this isn't a very steep slope at all, but it does exist. For one, Condemned becomes a tad predictable at some points. Like a horror movie, scares either come in the form of cheap jumps or legitimate danger, but a swift eye and ear will tune the player into the groove of the audio/visual cues. Also, even though the locales are amazingly detailed, they're also somewhat conceptually cliché. All Condemned is missing are a few lava and ice levels and it'll be complete.
The game is also short, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Any longer and it might lose its tight pacing, which culminates in one of the most intense final levels that plays like something straight out of The Hills Have Eyes. The amount of replay you'll get out of Condemned depends on how much of a completist you are, because there's a bit of optional collecting to be done here. If for some reason, as a 360 owner, you missed out on this game, at least give it a rental and brave its grotesque world for a couple of nights. You'll never look at your surroundings the same again.
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