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calling it "medicore" would be too kind - skip this one

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 13
Date: March 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

so if you've played the demo, you might be thinking "cool - a game with some guns, some melee combat, and a dark cool story to go along with it." unfortunately, the demo is very short and doesn't provide you with a good idea of how bad and boring the game is. for one thing, the game is way too DARK. it's not that i'm against darkness in a game, but this is just ridiculous. i thought doom 3 was the darkest game ever - i stand corrected. going around from room to room in pitch black is boring.. but not as boring as the melee combat. block, hit, block, hit.. you can't even hit someone twice in a row or they'll hit you. yawn. the sprint function is the most pointless sprint i've ever seen in my life. your character barely moves faster, and he also can't sprint up stairs (huh??) it's VERY OBVIOUS the game makers should have made the character move a bit faster all the time. so you'll be holding down your shift key the whole game for no reason whatsoever. you're limited to the ammo contained in guns you pick up, so say you pick up a gun with 4 bullets, you use those 4 bullets and then have to pick up another melee weapon. not a good idea. i really can't think of much good to say about condemned. if you want to play a dark game where you shoot things, why not just go play doom 3? and if you want a good story, why not just go play an adventure game? skip this one.

Almost, but not quite

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: June 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Condemned: Criminal Origins is a brand new game from Monolith. In the game you play as an FBI name Ethan Thomas who specializes in serial killers. The game opens with you investigating the murder of one of the serial killers you have been after. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned and you are quickly on the run from the police, determined to prove your innocence.

The game's main draw is its intense visceral hand to hand combat. The game features mostly hand to hand weapons like metal pipes, 2x4s with nails sticking out of the end, sledgehammers and fire axes. While there are guns in the game, they are very rare and only have a few shots in them. The combat is pretty simple to learn since you can only block or attack, but fighting requires a good sense of timing to properly block blows and attack back with your own. The fighting itself is great. It really feels like you are laying into people and it looks extremely brutal. Unfortunately, there is not much depth when it comes to the combat and it gets stale towards the end of the game.

Weapons in the game are classified by range, speed, power, and defense, though it is a bit difficult to tell the difference between some of them. Picking the best weapon can be somewhat of a guessing game as the game only tells you if a weapons power, defense, speed or range is greater or less then the current weapon you have. It also does not mention how much the difference is between the two weapons. You can also only carry one weapon at a time. You also have a stun gun which you can use to stun opponents and grab their weapon while they are stunned. After you fire it, its battery automatically recharges after a few seconds. The stun gun becomes an invaluable weapon later in the game when you are facing off against multiple opponents.

Every once in a while there will be a break in the action while you investigate some of the crime scenes. You will walk into an area and be prompted by your "instincts" to take out a forensic tool and look for clues. The correct tool automatically comes out, so all you really have to do is look around the environment for the clue you are supposed to find. While it is simple, it can be pretty cool at times. Most of the plot is discovered from these sequences, so they are definitely interesting even if it is extremely easy.

Most of the gameplay takes place in very run-down environments. From a subway station to a library, every environment in the game looks like it has been neglected for years and is falling apart. All of the environments are extremely dark and do a good job of giving off a sense of fear. Unfortunately, none of the environments are very interesting to explore and there is not much you can do while you walk around them. Occasionally you will wander into a door that you need to cut your way through with a fire axe, or fence with a padlock that you need to smash off with a sledgehammer, but that is pretty much it. Also, it is extremely easy to get lost in many of the levels since everything looks pretty much the same because of extremely repetitive use of textures. When you get lost there is no map to help you find your way, so you will find yourself wandering around until you stumble across the door you need to open.

Graphically the game looks extremely good. The lighting effects in the game are absolutely great to look at and the environments are extremely detailed. The characters look realistic and animate beautifully. The fighting animations of the enemies in the game are especially good. Enemies will stumble backwards when you hit them with a heavy object or come running at you, swinging wildly in the air. All of the animation looks fluid and very realistic.

The AI in the game is also pretty impressive. The enemies are extremely aggressive, though they do occasionally hide so that they can catch you off guard. Sometimes they charge at you while screaming some pretty nasty stuff or hide and wait to ambush you. They will also attack each other, which can be fun to watch. Enemies will see weapons in the environment and pick them up if they don't have one. The AI does a good job of keeping the fights brutal and intense. One problem with the AI is that after the first few hours, the AI becomes pretty predictable. They have a few cool tricks at their disposal, but after an hour or so you have already seen them all.

The sound in the game is pretty average. There isn't much music except for some ambient stuff here and there, but the sound effects are excellent. Every smash with a weapon sounds disgustingly realistic. The voice acting is also pretty convincing.

The biggest disappointment in the game would have to be the storyline. To sum it up, it's awful. A lot of the real important stuff, such as why everyone is going crazy, is boorishly explained during loading screens instead of in the game. The ending is also pretty anticlimactic and underwhelming.

But still, Condemned: Criminal Origins is a pretty fun game to play. It does a great job delivering a good looking first-person melee combat game. It's just the more you play it, the more you will wish it had a deeper plot and a more robust combat system to keep it much more interesting. So if you are looking for some fun melee combat and don't mind its short length and underwhelming plot then go ahead and pick up Condemned.

Interesting concept, somewhat flawed execution, so-so.....

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 11
Date: August 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

OK, I struggled through this game. Each time I thought something was about to happen, nothing happened. I must admit that is was the spookiest game I've personally played (I have over 100 titles, mostly FPS/RPG). But the action was frustrating, and the controls klunky.

The melee style of game is not really my thing, but this is not pure melee, there are guns scattered about, but they are not that effective.

The characters are pretty good actually, as are the voice actors and story. The "gear" that you get to use at the crime scenes is somewhat hard to use sometimes, but it does help move the story along.

Personally, I could have lived without playing this game, but it was not that bad, just not my style. If the control of the melee action was more precise, and you could actually feel like progress was being made, I might have liked it even more.

I presume that it is set up for a sequel, but I'll have to wait and see on that one. Really a 3.5 star score from me.

great ambiance, ok game.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The scary feeling is well done, especially the sound, the footsteps behind you when no one is really there...well done. The gameplay is good, but repetitive. Mostly the same bad guys, different building.

Screwed up and bold

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: June 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Condemned has to be one of the more screwed up games I've played in the last years...Actually, until now, this would be one of the first bizarre games I've played. It's about a serial killer who is playing around with the police by committing a series of brutal murders. These people who were killed were not random people, no, they were other serial killers. You are an FBI Agent (Ethan Thomas) who is sent in to track a serial killer down by unraveling the clues he leaves behind. With the story, you encounter a lot of other beings who are unexplainably deranged and they come at you with either a pipe ripped from the inside of an old wall or a piece of thick wood with rusty nails sticking out of it. You usually only find guns on occassion, but you mainly do whatever you can to survive...You use a pipe, big pieces of wood with either nails or bolts sticking out of them, or anything else from big signs or boards. You beat the living hell out of anything and everything that comes at you to stay alive and keep coming closer to the truth behind this killer. That isn't it though, you discover more about yourself (the character you play in the game) and learn that you've had exams with a doctor and he finds some abnormalities in your brain, but I'll stop at that. You begin to go a little bit insane yourself as you keep seeing this strange monster-looking being in black and white illusions...All the way to the end. This game gets into your skin. People often compare this game to FEAR because it uses the FEAR engine (which I don't think it does, but I could be wrong). Don't compare this game to FEAR because they are not the same. Overall, an interesting game.

Great Ghx, shame about the same old same old

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 13
Date: April 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

If you liked F.E.A.R, you will love this, it uses the same engine, but a little tweaked. My only dislike of the game, is the secenery! same old building, walking through same old building...

All you really end up doing is waiting to jump out your seat... adn after the 20th one of those.. it gets old...

the ghx, sound, plot are very well done, i just think they could have maybe given you some office time @ the police station, or a walk in the city...

just a little too repatitive.!!

Lots of fun in a twisted sort of way.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The the first thing this game reminded me of was Doom 3. It's dark, creepy and there are bad guys who sneak up on you and all that good happy stuff. But then again, this game is nothing like Doom 3 because I actually enjoyed it. You're an FBI dude and you are investigating a killing when a bunch of crazy stuff starts happening and that's all I'm going to say so as not to give it all away. Now that we got that over and done with, the action in this game is brutal! You're only allowed one weapon at a time and you can't save ammo either. Creepy homeless crackheads will come up to you, reach over into the wall, pull out 2x4s and start trying to bash your head in and you'll have to do the same thing to them if you want to survive. The story behind this game is really pretty cool, but there are some loose ends left open when you finish it. The game also isn't very long, I believe it took me about 14 hours to finish, but it was still very fun and I enjoyed every minute of it. Overall, this is a good game if you want something with a slightly different take on the way the action in a game should be and if you want something dark, creepy and attention grabbing.

what is around the next corner?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Here is a girl who knows when she likes a game ! I have played quite a few shooter games and found this one to be very unique.
Watch your back ! You just never know who may be there. This game continued to make me jump out of my seat all the way through. Yes, it is dark but that is what makes it so creepy good. The different things you find to use as weapons are what makes it so different from all the other shooter games.
Someone else mentioned in their review that the controls are klunky , and I agree somewhat . It seems that you could swing them alittle faster but they get the job done. the story is ok but I think the scare factor was the winning factor. I think it is a good buy.

Great game - bit short.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First off, I will say that I have not been as genuinely frightened since playing F.E.A.R. Condemned's atmosphere provides enough fear, it doesn't need to rely on the "Boo!" tactics of games such as Doom 3.
The storyline is captivating, although the end leaves a bit to be desired. Some things go unexplained; I'm hoping that means a sequel is in store.
The gameplay is very nice, and the rough melee action leaves you a twisted satisfaction - nothing quite like slashing someone with a meat cleaver :).
Some of the complaints people had were 'the enemies look the same' and 'it was too short.' The first of these complaints I would not agree with. Some enemies are recycled late in the game, but it certainly didn't make it any less fun. The length of the game, however, was slightly disappointing. Although, I suppose I would rather have a very fun 10 hour game than a mediocre 15 hour game.
All in all, a VERY underrated game. I strongly recommend this for all gamers.

A decent game, but could have been much more

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I played the demo for this game and liked it a lot. It has a very chilling atmosphere, and I liked the serial killer story line. The retail game overall is worth a look if you are into first-person shooters and the horror genre. But after finishing the game (about 10-12 hours), I was left with the impression that Condemned could have been so much more if more thought had gone into the story line.

Gameplay: The story line is somewhat trite. You're an FBI agent who is framed for killing two cops, and you have to figure out the mystery while the FBI and the real killer are stalking you. Nothing special there. The game is genuinely creepy with dimly lit environments, good use of sound effects, and a number of grotesque opponents. However, after a while, you'll get very use to fighting the same 8-10 character models and crawling through the same shabby buildings and subway tunnels. The big problem with the game is that it lacks tension. There is little rhyme or reason to your investigation except for the fact that there's a serial killer on the loose. You do get the feel for being a crime investigator, since you use forensic tools and have a virtual laboratory at your disposal. But it all seems forced after a while as the game guides you through a linear story line and in many instances tells you exactly what to do next. There are a few cheap scares, but the game is more creepy and foreboding than outright scary. Unfortunately, the game leaves a number of unanswered questions--as if it were setting up a sequel, and I found the ending unsatisfying.

To its credit, Condemned does get a number of things right. The melee combat is well done and frenetic. Most of the fighting in the game is done with axes, sledgehammers, pipes, and other hand-held items. You can block, dodge, do combos, and finishing moves. The firearms, while powerful, are much less interesting since they are almost always low on ammo. Thankfully, there are no jumping sequences in this game and really no puzzles. The straightforward nature of the gameplay is both its strength and weakness, but you can adjust the difficulty level to increase the game's challenge.

Graphics: A pretty good looking games. Character models and animations are convincing, and environments are very detailed though repetitive after a while. Lighting effects are especially well done.

Sound: There is very good use of sound effects to make the game creepy. Creaking floors, growls, footsteps, weapon impacts, etc. are all convincing. Voice acting is passable, and I actually liked the theme song that plays when the main menu is open. The developers seem to understand that its not the visuals but the sounds that make a game creepy (good visuals, of course, help).

Technical issues: I think the game may have crashed once, but otherwise it was very stable. The manual is decent, and the opening sequence of the game serves as a tutorial. The controls are typical for a first-person shooter.

Replayability/Value: There is no reason to replay this game given its linearity. The outcome will always be the same, and there are no sub-plots or additional missions to unlock. If you like the FPS or horror genre, the game is worth a look. But be sure to get it at a discount.

Pros:
+creepy and atmosphere
+convincing sound effects
+good graphics
+dynamic melee combat

Cons:
-repetitive gameplay
-lackluster ending and some unanswered questions
-missed opportunities in the scares department

Overall rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

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