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Thud and Blunder in the Slum of Horror - with a soundtrack by Rice Krispies

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: March 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

*** SPOILERS BELOW!!***

Bloodshot is an attempt to create a first person version of "28 Days Later", and will be loved by rabid survival horror fans for that reason alone. However, as intriguing as the premise is, Bloodshot ends up being more of a frustrating and tiresome experience than it is a thrilling one. In terms of atmosphere and feel, Bloodshot is great, but a game is more than just a mood. Issues in order of least to most annoying:

Audio cutouts - on my PS3 with HDMI connection, there are a lot of audio cutouts, creating crackles and pops which are irritating. After looking at various online forums, it seems this issue affects many PS3 version owners, though not all. There is no known workaround, but the problem fades a bit the deeper you get into the game. Still, Sega / Monolith lose points for inadequate play-testing, and most of all for having obscure / inaccessible customer service. After looking at Sega's site and the game site, there does not appear to be any easy way to get in touch with customer support to report or discuss the problem. Even if Sega does eventually patch this, the frustration and sloppy first impression caused by this problem is a bad way to start off ownership of a $60 game.

Plot - the plot of this game is unusual and intricate, but also incoherent. The methods and motives of the secret society responsible for the game's grim scenario (along with apparently all violence and war in human history!) are half-baked and mostly silly. The plot ultimately looks like Deus Ex as rewritten by a half-witted David Lynch, and those expecting some tightly scripted revelation will come away more than a tad disappointed. Plus the incredibly trite cliché of turncoats in the organization who ambush the protagonist is really overplayed here, along with the boring "oh no the high poobah has been kidnapped!" scenario that was tired back when Metal Gear Solid first came out.

Protagonist - our anti-heroic lead Ethan is a sullen, belligerent, laconic, embittered drunk who occasionally lapses into snarkiness, pathetic self-pity, and alarming violence and sadism. Plus he is scruffy and looks un-bathed. Kind of like Charlie Manson without the charisma. Though the script takes him into a few more positive demonstrations of his inner character, such upticks seem contrived, and there are plenty of added relapses into nasty / pathos laden behavior throughout the game. I didn't like this jerk, didn't care about his fate, and thought he was only marginally more appealing than the designated villains in the series.

Controls - the intricate combo system seems designed to replicate the move sets of third person view 3-D fighters like Tekken and DOA. The problem is that such a system works well with third person views, but the first person view of Bloodshot makes the combos difficult to execute and ultimately turns the game into a button-masher. The split second timing needed to perform exotic attacks and lengthy chains is tough to achieve with the clumsy perspective and awkward reliance on the PS3s controller trigger buttons. There's a reason why Tekken attacks are mapped to the face buttons, and not the triggers. Also, using the R3 button (joystick click) to kick is especially ill-advised. On top of that the game is insanely precise in positional requirements for some attacks, and trying a ground attack on some prone wretch only to miss and watch him get back up for another 2 or 3 minutes of pummeling (see next item) is disheartening. You will use maybe 10% of the attacks available to you in this game, and you will likely get very bored of them.

Combat - the enemies take a lot of beating. A lot. No, really a lot. The inherent repetition in most FPS shooters is tolerable because the usual firearm based combat makes dealing with enemies quick and reasonably easy. In Bloodshot though, you have to beat the hell out of even ordinary opponents, and the pacing of the combat is sluggish. You can't really duck in and out of scuffles like Muhammed Ali would, as the opponents have unfairly long reaches and ability to pursue quickly, so most battles involve close range slugging matches which seem to take forever. Multiple simultaneous opponents are particularly agonizing, and add much difficulty and tedium to an already sluggish brawling experience.

The silly mechanic of having weapons break as you use them is retained here; the idea of a crowbar busting after smacking folks a few times is just inane. And as in the first game, ol Ethan has not mastered the idea of how to reload clip fed weapons or carry extra ammo in his pocket, so you only get whatever ammo is in a gun's clip when you pick it up. Same deal with health add-ons, use em on the spot or lose em. Firearm combat feels especially broken, and the gunfights with SWAT teams do not feel at all true to life or even particularly carefully designed. Plus you have to guzzle booze for most of the game in order to even aim correctly.

Level Design - levels are more than clever settings and mood-enhancing graphics and sound. The Bloodshot urban gothic esthetic is fine, but the monotonous waves of psycho bums who need to be laboriously beaten down gets dull during roughly the first level and then goes downhill from them. Around the time I smacked bum number 7's head into a TV set, I thought "surely it must get better than this"? Nope, not really. As FEAR proved, Monolith's designers have no problem with shoveling endless armies of dull enemies at you in between creepy cutscenes, but at least in FEAR you can gun the baddies down reasonably quickly. Here, you have to beat each guy to death and worry that your damn shovel is going to break in the process, which means you will then need to punch them to death instead, an even duller prospect. Some of the levels are very engaging and interesting in their design, but the far too numerous and similar opponents combined with the death-by-papercut combat will annoy those of you without infinite attention spans, unless you think smacking enraged derelict # 119 in the head with a pipe is somehow thrilling or innovative, i.e. if you are very young and / or have lots of free time.

Anyway, I like horror gaming, and I respect the creativity Monolith shows in the overall design of this game. The levels look and feel awesome, the forensic investigation has been improved a lot from the first game, and a lot of work obviously went into the game. However, the distasteful protagonist, dicey controls, flawed combat, and early Final Fantasy level design of 5 minute fights with snoozer enemies every 20 yards takes a lot of fun out of this game. Resident Evil 4 remains the paradigm for survival horror games, and while Bloodshot adds a few interesting ideas to the mix, it remains far from the ideal. Add the apparent audio bug to the mix, and PS3 owners have little reason to add this particular title to their collection.

Great game that unfortunately has snapping audio problems .

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you played the first condemned on the 360 you'll be familiar with condemned 2. As with most sequels the visuals have been updated the game play has been tweaked and multi-player has been slapped on for good measure.

I'm not a big fan of multi-player games and I'm glad I'm not due to the fact the multi-player part of this game isn't very good so no disappointments for me in that department. Besides most developer just add multi-player to add that extra point in the review department (for extra content).

The single player is condemned's meat and potatoes. I won't spoil the game for anyone. So it boils down to this, if you like horror games or movies this game will be more than able to satisfy your apatite. But be warned (this mainly the reason why I'm posting a review). The game has issues! Being a horror game you all know that sound is key to setting you up for that right moment (when you jump and crap your pants). Well you can't really do that if you have snapping and popping sounds in the audio. I'm not saying the game is unplayable but you won't have the full effect of the visuals, game play & sound blending just right to provide that satisfying experience.

Hopefully Sega will release a patch and correct this problem (hopefully in a few days and not months). Anyways this isn't a "real" review but for $60 a pop I thought I would let you know of these audio issues. Go bug Sega into releasing a patch before investing your dough, you deserve to experience the game the way it was meant too when investing that much money.

creepy and challenging

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Condemned 2 reminds me of a next generation game that combines elements of Manhunt and Silent Hill. Great graphics with a cast of bad guys ranging from street thugs, monsters, and demented possessed homeless people, there's no shortage of adversaries waiting in the darkness. The eerie settings make you hesitate to take another step around each dark corner in fear of what lies ahead. Game play is seen through a fist person view with smooth controls and good camera angles. We've all seen games that had such bad camera angles and clumsy controls that it ruined the game ( The Getaway 2 anyone? ) As you engage in hand to hand combat, you will learn a variety of combos to finish off your opponents. Although learning how to accurately put these combos together to make them work was one of the only difficult parts of the game that I never seemed to master.

You play as renegade special agent Ethan Thomas. A tough angst ridden guy with a thirst for a drink anytime he can have one and a short fuse to say the least. Along your travels you will pick up a variety of weapons to use that never seems to get boring. You will find weapons ranging from light to heavy. Rummage through junk to find 2x4's ( with nails of course ), conduit pieces, or a bowling ball. Pick up a heavier weapon like a shovel, axe, gumball machine or even a prosthetic arm. Each weapon will give a rating as to it's damage, speed, reach and condition it's in. This making it easier to decide what to grab when fighting for you life. You can also throw these objects at enemies as well. Guns are also available throughout the game. Pistols, shotguns and rifles make it easier to blast through enemies but watch your ammo. Taking a swig of any alcohol you may come across to improve your aim tremendously.

In addition to fighting, the game also adds great forensics challenges as well. Gather clues to send back to the lab for analysis. You are eventually equipped with a spectrometer, camera, UV light and a GPS navigation system. Gathering the right clues and answering your partners questions correctly will lead to greater rewards and help solve crimes quicker. These challenges make the game much more interesting than just fighting bad guys level after level.

Condemned 2 is a great horror survival game that has everything you could ask for. However, there are a few cons. The first is the on screen text. I played this game on a standard TV that has always looked great for games. But the text in Condemned 2 is so small, it can be almost impossible to read at times. This can be extremely frustrating when trying to accurately gather evidence and solve a crime. I've read that people with larger HDTV's even had a difficult time reading the text as well. Also, Ethan has limited ability to move. He cant really jump onto things ( unless at certain points in a level where an on screen prompt tells him to ) and he can't duck and hide in the shadows too well. It would have been nice to see a bit more stealth added to the game like in Manhunt. There have been reports of major audio problems ( snapping and popping ) in this game but I've never heard any. Could be with the online portion of the game or use of high definition equipment.

Overall I highly recommend this game. It was fun and challenging. The combination of combat and puzzle solving added a lot of variety to Condemned 2. As any game you really enjoy, it could have been a bit longer. The end was a bit anti climatic as well, but getting there was enjoyable the whole way through.

PLAY IT 4 URSELF.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I just beat the game like two days ago, and I must say I came away very satsfied with the game. I never played the first one because i didnt have an XBOX360, mostly because i hate the system. So i heard it was coming out for PS3 and bought it because im a huge fan of horror games. First off this game is scary as hell lol. Mostly the whole game is dark and without ur flashlight u cant even see. It works tho because it makes things even scarier. The graphics are good, with great levels and good character design. The best thing about this game is probably the fighting system. You can throw punch combos with finisherd and their so many weapons at your disposal. This game is pretty violent too, with a good amount of humor too. My favorite part is the investigations. They let you examine bodies, determain the identity, cause of death, the weapon used etc. You can not really compare this to any other game. Maybe a mix of manhunt and indingo prophecy. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

An unmentioned absolute requirement is an HDTV I guess. Not really playable on regular TV.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I played the first Condemned on PC and found it a lot of fun and enjoyed it immensely. I have a PS3 and when Bloodshot came out, I got it with high hopes. I guess it's a good game, but I can't judge. EVERY word on the screen during investigations is illegible. I've tried every TV I have (none HD) and the words are always illegible. I checked other games just to see if I had lost 90% of my vision overnight but the other games come in clear Just this one game is illegible. I completely takes me out of the game and ruins any continuity. I have to go online and look the GameFAQS guide just to get an idea of the answers I have to choose from. This game is nearly UNPLAYABLE on a regular TV. I gave it 2 stars because the game itself is fun, and I still get to hit crack heads with a 2x4 and nails, but if I want to achieve any goals or get a good performance rating without going online to find out what I'm supposed to be reading, it's going to cost me the price of an new HDtv.
edit - Other ppl's reviews mention an audio issue. I have not had any. I'm only using RCA plugs to a non-HDtv, though.

You guys are generous...

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: March 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'm surprised to see all the 3-star reviews. The audio problems, for me, made the game completely unplayable. Sega should be chastised for releasing a game with significant audio problems affecting a huge number of users. That, coupled with their apparent lack of customer support, should not be tolerated.

Holy Mother of God

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I know that no matter what I type I will probably get bombarded with comments like, "You know nothing about gaming"! And this and that so if that's what you want to say you're right I know nothing about gaming. It's not my life and it's not what I typically do so I apologize in advance but I love this game!! I'm sorry but any game where you can drink Jager and then beat someone to death with a toilet seat sounds like fun to me! I haven't noticed audio problems or any of that but once again what do I know? I love the game play it seems solid I never played the first game but the story line to me (which seems important to most gamers) seems to be interesting, well thought out and acted. In my personal opinion I think if you took this games mechanics and mixed it with the stealth aspect of Man Hunt you would have one of the greatest video games the horror genre has ever seen.

Amazing game with audio issues. Unacceptable.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: March 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Just following up with the other guys, once again, another PS3 game, another issue. I wonder how these games get out out the door without proper testing? Nonetheless, if you can deal with the annoying audio in's and out's, I reccommend this game. If you have an XBOX 360, go for that one, I heard there are no audio issues on that one. The game is blatentely violent, and not for the squeamish and youngsters obviously. It's not the deepest 1st person game around, but the different array of weapons used and the variety of kills you lavish on your enemies is worth the price of admission. Much like the orignal, the levels are dark and with a very creepy atmosphere. I can't stress enough the violence in this game, its' probalby the most violent video game ever made, making Grand Theft Auto look lame from that standpoint. The premise of the game is simple, kill, or be killed. It's a game of survival. IF you can live with the audio (which I hope will be patched online) you should love this game. If you're not into carnage and blood though, you might want to stick with Super Mario Brothers for now...

Fun game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you looking for a little scare with some fun then this is the game for you. It's really fun online. This game was worth the $60. No need to be skeptical about this game, just buy it.

What audio issues?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 21, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Well, after reading all of these negative reviews, I was very skeptical about getting this game. After Amazon lowered it's price to $39.99, I had to jump on it. Now, after playing through nearly half of the game, I have not experienced any audio issues. No cut-outs, no crackling, just pure, horrific effects. I have tried various audio setups including HDMI, component, and composite. This may be an indication that this is a fixed version of the game.

The game rocks. Period.

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