CONDEMNED 2: BLOODSHOT
Published by:
Sega Corporation
Developed by: Monolith Produtions
Available on:
Xbox 360, Playstation 3
INTRODUCTION:
Grab your controllers
once again and assume the role of Ethan Thomas, our protagonist from the
first Condemned game. Now, Ethan is a different man, a broken man who has
been through hell after the events of the first game. His problems are
eating him up, and on top of this, a new serial killer has hit the streets,
and only Ethan can regain control of the situation before it’s too late.
GAMEPLAY:
So if you haven’t
played the first one, that’s ok because this game will take its time and
lead you by the hand, explaining many events with enough detail for you to
get the whole picture. I don’t really dig the whole “I’m a generic tough
guy” hero in this game, but that’s a minor complaint I guess. The story is
well told through various cut scenes and other dialogue. You’ll be happy you
did jump right in because this game is actually quite a bit better than its
predecessor.
Let’s talk combat.
There are more weapons, and a great combo system added to the mix here. The
combo system is deep and engaging, with a lot to offer, although in more
tense moments you might keep it in a most basic format. It’s much better
suited for solo fights rather than against several bad guys at once.
As I mentioned before,
weapons play a much bigger role this time too. You can argue that this takes
away from some of the originality of the first game, as it was more about
work than weaponry, but I thought this addition made the game more exciting.
Guns can still be a hassle, but you sure can get a lot of melee weapons,
with a very wide range.
Also, Condemned just
wouldn’t be condemned without the forensics. This time around things are
actually much more fleshed out (ha!) and you’ll be doing a lot more
investigating and getting ranked on it too. It gets really hard from time to
time, but the system is far better than the one in the original game.
And what about the bad
dudes? Oh, they’re here in full force. I know you want to beat a hobo,
that’s what the first game was all about. This one has some hobo beating
too, but don’t forget about the various creatures you’ll encounter
throughout the game. You face slimy, evil monsters that are just tough. This
game is hard. You will die several times, and you will likely curse at your
television, but trust me, it is you who sucks- not the game. The puzzles are
tough, and the boss fights are tough.
Gameplay: 8/10
GRAPHICS:
The first Condemned
game looked gorgeous, and although this one looks better, it doesn’t push
the system to the max or anything. The biggest improvement is in the
character models, as they’ve got great detail. The rest of the game isn’t
much improved over the first one, although the game does have a good design.
Definitely a solid graphical performer.
Graphics: 8/10
AUDIO:
Sound, oh how beautiful
you are. This game is an aural masterpiece and I hope you’ve got the
speakers to handle it. Dialogue is great, and there is a rich symphony of
atmosphere that surrounds almost everywhere you go. Just wait till you hear
some of the enemies, just fantastic stuff.
Audio: 9/10
FINAL VERDICT:
Condemned 2 improved on
the original game on almost every front. It’s not a perfect game, but few
are, and considering how hard it is to find a decent horror game on systems
these days, I would suggest you pick this up. It’s scary, engrossing, mildly
original, and fun. My only caution to you is that if you suck at video
games, you might want to rent it before you buy it. Dig?
Final Score:
8/10
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