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So good, I bought it for both 360 and PC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is possibly the greatest game I ever played. When I went up to college, I didn't bring my Xbox 360 for security reasons, so I bought the PC version of Condemned so I could play through it a third time. This game is so scary that even on the third play through, I jumped and screamed from time to time. The detective work in this game is creative and fun, and despite what the other reviews say, the tools are not hard to work with. It's simply a matter of following the arrows that are on the screen. This game is different than all first-person shooter games out there, so it's not worth comparing. All I can say is try this game by buying it or trying the PC demo. Believe me, it's worth it.

Sweet game worth the money

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Well I love suspense, horror and a thrill and plus im a huge fan of pyschological thrillers wether they be novels or movies and Condemned is the first of its kind a pyschological thriller game. So I had to pick it up. I read some good and bad reviews and came to realize that this a fun game with its goods and bads, its very fun and suspensefull and while its not a blow you away game of the year game its still great solid fun and an awsome first attempt to create a Psycholgical thriller game and I hope to see and play many more games in this genre of gaming. Ok the goods of the game are if you computer can handle it (Mine barely managed to slip by) the sound is crisp, clear and amazing, the graphics are intensely awsome down to everything from the levels, to the shadows to the lighting to the textures to the totally controllable environment. On the posatives the mellee combat is awsome and while it gets repetitive after a while its still fun the whole way through and quite a nice change up from using guns so many times. The forensic tools are fun to use and add more depth to the game. The storyline and plot are pretty good not anything Alfred Hitchock or Stephen King could pull off but still very well done Condemned could almost be a novel and deff a movie. Level designs are a little repetative but they change up enough to keep interest (I didnt get half way through Doom 3 because the level design bored me to tears). There really are no bad aspects in this game or glaring holes that need to be taken care its just simply all solid and gameplay and story arent anything spectacular. Graphics A+, Sound A+, Gampeplay B, Combat A-, Story/plot B-. Have fun its worth a buy and decently fun and like I said its a first attempt into a new genre of gaming and they succeeded.

very good game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Considering that I've already played most of the other very good first person shooter games. This one really impressed me considering its age now. I love the game play and the sounds are awesome. Product works great! Thanks very much!

Separates the men from the boys.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game to me redefined the survival horror genre. Walking through darkened hallways has never sent chills down my spine like this before, but once you get a weapon in your hands fear will turn to courage and you will fight through the bums to figure out what dark presence is a foot. Please do not go into this game thinking its a FPS. Think of it as an FPB (First person brawler). I highly recommend this game if your tired of the same old stuff. Oh yeah... make sure you play this with the light off and the volume cranked up to fully get the experience out of it.

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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