For those of you that remember the light-hearted side of Monolith Productions, you'll be sad to see that the comical romp that was the No One Lives Forever series is nothing more than a distant memory. Instead upon loading up Condemned 2: Bloodshot you'll find that like F.E.A.R. before it, it is a compelling combination of atmospheric tension, creepy characters…and more blood than a Z-grade horror movie.
Gore lives here!
For those of you that missed out on the Xbox 360 launch title Condemned: Criminal Origins, I implore you to go and check it out. Yes, the game's puzzles are extremely linear. Yes, the story unraveled into a confusing mess by the end of the game, but for all of its faults, it can't be denied that Condemned was an underrated gem for those players that bothered to reach the finish. It provided FPS fans with an alternative to the standard survival horror shooter as it emphasised melee combat and forced players to plan out their attacks as ammunition was as scarce as water in the desert.
Drawing from movie thrillers like Se7en, Condemned thrust players into the role of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent assigned to the Serial Crimes Unit who is tasked with the job of following a trail of grisly murders in effort to unmask Serial Killer X (SKX), a twisted human being with a penchant for taking out other violent serial killers. While playing the original Condemned is not a necessity before you tackle the sequel, the story of the original title provides players with insight into the game’s protagonist for those that are interested in getting a complete view of the story.
Condemned 2 picks up a few months after the events of the original game with Ethan Thomas presenting a vastly different persona. Gone is the clean cut agent on a relentless quest to solve horrible crimes. Instead, gamers are introduced to an Ethan Thomas that has fallen on hard times - he’s unemployed, lives on the streets and his best friend is a bottle in a brown paper bag. Ethan’s alcohol problem has taken such a toll on his life that he can’t differentiate between real demons and figments of his alcoholic stupor. Interestingly enough, Ethan’s substance abuse becomes an interesting gameplay mechanic as he is forced to down a bottle of booze to keep his trigger finger steady.
One of the greatest leaps in Condemned 2 is the changes to the combat system. Instead of the overly simplistic melee combat actions of its predecessor, Condemned 2 offers more intuitive melee combat controls. Upon picking up the game you’ll find that the L and R triggers are now responsible for throwing your punches and if you pull off a one-two punch combo quick enough you’ll find yourself able to lay a devastating uppercut on your opponents – which momentarily stuns those crazy bums, giving you enough time to plan you next attack, or run away like a scared little girl.
Pulling both triggers at the same time will allow Ethan to block and if you time it just right, you can go from being on the defensive back foot to laying the smack down on an unsuspecting enemy in seconds. As you pull off these upgradable combos, you will be able to trigger slow-motion attacks and environmental finishers to dispatch your victims in brutal style – nothing says “you’re dead sucker!” like putting an enemy’s head through a television set. While this new combo system adds to the already solid combat mechanic, the game’s timing system can be a little unforgiving at times and you’ll often find yourself descending into a button mashing frenzy to pull off a combo to get that crazy hobo and his two-by-four off your back. Of course, like the previous title, the real star of Condemned 2 is the ability to turn seemingly innocent items into devastating weapons.
Unfortunately, a heavy emphasis on gun fights takes away the unique take that Condemned 2 had going for it.
Crowbars, pipes, planks of wood, baseball bats – chances are that if you can swing it, you can kill it. As well as your traditional style of weaponry, Condemned 2 also offers a few silly inclusions. Fancy laying into an enemy with a toilet seat? Or maybe brutally attacking someone with a bedpost? These are just the tip of the iceberg of some of the weird and wonderful weaponry on offer. Again like with hand-to-hand combat, the timing system is also unforgiving when you’re engaged in object-based melee combat. You’ll quickly find that you can clobber an enemy with a baseball bat, but rather than reeling backwards and staggering long enough for you to put a finisher on him, he'll absorb the hit and quickly retaliate with an almost unblockable flurry of hits of his own.
The sound of Condemned 2 is definitely one of the games high points, with only the voice acting letting down the rest of a rather impressive aural package. If you’ve got your console hooked up to a 5.1 set up, you’ll be creeped out by every creak, moan and whispering voice that the game sends your way. The sound effects coupled with the eerie game music are a fantastic treat which complement the game’s atmosphere perfectly.
Graphically-wise, the game is also quite impressive. Kudos have to be given to the designers behind the game’s artistic direction, as they do a fantastic job of creating a haunting atmosphere. The longer you play, the more you’ll come across some absolutely eerie moments in the game. As you wander throughout the game’s levels you’ll be presented with a dilapidated world with levels peppered with messages of death graffitied everywhere, walls dripping with oil and blood lining the path of your quest. Be warned, like its predecessor Condemned 2 is completely cloaked by an aura of fear. The designers have a fantastic vision of a world gone out of kilter. While Condemned 2 is by no means a perfect game, it does a wonderful job of presenting what works within a horror videogame.
One of the many things that go bump in the night in Condemned 2.
As fun as the single player campaign is, players will be disappointed to find that multiplayer is the biggest letdown of this impressive package. It doesn't take long to figure out that multiplayer was nothing more than a insignificant afterthought tacked on to offer games 'more value for money'. You'll quickly find that the deathmatch styled game modes are pretty standard fare, although the Crime Scene variant offers something a little more challenging.
In Crime Scene, players are split between a team of nutters against SCU agents. The goal of team crazy is to prevent the SCU from finding a box with a head in it (alas it isn't Gweneth Paltrow's head). While team SCU is equipped with high-tech gear, the opposition is free to move the box at any time, and to really make things difficult, they can place emitters to mess with the readings of SCU's equipment.
Also included is Fight Club mode which, like it sounds, allows players to get a quick dose of fisticuffs by allowing them to complete mini-missions. It proves fun for five minutes, but you'll soon move onto the next game on your shelf rather than dabbling with Fight Club for too long.
For all of its quality, it's disappointing to find that Condemned 2: Bloodshot, by the time you reach the end of the game, has gone from macabre thriller to confusing sci-fi mess (think of the final season of The X-Files). If the confusing plot hasn't done your head in, you'll be a little miffed that the later levels of the game rely heavily on gun play, which is a cop out considering the series has lived by its strong elements of melee combat. But all nitpicking aside, you'll find that for the most part Condemned 2 provides a compelling slice of horror gaming. Play it in the dark if you dare!
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