Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2265 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sega
• Released on: 2005-11-25
• Platform: Xbox 360
• Number of items: 1

Manufacturer's Description
Developed by award-winning Monolith Productions for next-gen consoles and PC, Condemned revels in an unnatural level of psychological tension as you use instincts, forensic tools and melee combat to track serial killers and bring them to justice.

You are Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent in the Serial Crimes Unit, whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through murky urban environments saturated with sociopaths, lurking with intent on the periphery of humanity.

A visceral, atmospheric thriller, Condemned is best played with the surround-sound cranked up and the lights switched off. The power of next-gen hardware enables Condemned to feature photorealistic backdrops, lifelike physics and highly sophisticated artificial intelligence. Weapons and ammunition are scarce, leaving you vulnerable to the game's gallery of mentally deranged criminals. Careful detective work and precision reflexes are your primary means of survival.

Inspired in part by films of the psychological thriller sub-genre, Condemned strikes an intense, breathless pace. You'll never be sure what horror lies in wait...

Customer Reviews

Bored....
Good graphics, good atmosphere

BUT EVERY LEVEL IS THE SAME AND THE WEAPONS ARE RUBBISH

A stunning, violent, masterpiece
Who'd have thought a lack of ammo would add to a game's enjoyment? But because of this you are forced to think about how you are going to tackle the horrors that you face (this one element is so sadly lacking in so many others fps games).

It is the best horror survival type game I've played, far better in every way than any of the Resident Evil games, which are clumsy and stiff by comparison (the reason I never bothered to finish one). Making it fps corrects all that stupid manoeuvring difficulty RE had.

The AI is outstanding. I just can't play any more fps where AI consists of - idiots see you, idiotically run at you, you kill them or they kill you. In condemned, the people that want to harm you are concerned about themselves, will run away and hide, will choose a better weapon, if they can find one, etc. You do feel like you are in a real world rather than a game.

I can't recommend this game enough, it is a stunning, very violent, horror masterpiece.

Where the darkness reaches, the Condemned are waiting...
It has been several years now since I first played Condemned: Criminal Origins, and from the moment I first slammed the game into my 360 drive and turned off the lights I found myself in for a hell of a ride.

I won't go into the story, as the plot is what makes the game so dark and twisted. What I will say is that Condemned is essentially a police detectives' hunt for a serial killer, where there is no element of comedy or cheap jokes, and all the action remains depressing, violent and gritty.

Graphically the game seems to follow along the lines of FEAR; a similar game engine is used. Upon its release Condemned was the first game to really show the power of the 360, with the character models looking unbelievably good at the time, and still looking pretty awesome today, even with games like Gears of War around. Lighting is spectacular, with shadows flickering and causing you to spin around at the slightest movement in aprehension for an attack from the enemy. However, the most notable problem with the graphical design of the game is the degree to which many of the rooms seem to be, at least partly, identical. Whilst it doesn't particularly damage the game, seeing the same style of room multiple times can become a little dull.

The gameplay is pretty intense. Whilst it isn't as fast playing as most FPS, the AI is so realistic that it couldn't possibly be: whilst the ability to sprint exists, you can only do so for about 15 seconds before you stop to catch your breath, giving the criminals around you a chance to batter you to the ground. Because of this you are forced to slowly check the rooms/ halls, move forward and pray that there isn't a criminal lurking in the shadows around you. The actual combat is incredibly different from most FPS; whilst there are firearms in the game, the ammunition and variation is limited. The majority of the combat is spent with various melee weapons, ranging from locker doors to steel pipes, sledgehammers to paper-cutters. Which weapon you have does make a difference, and it will take some time to work out which weapon is best matched for your style of play. The enemies you encounter are also smart enough to realise if you remove their weapons, they have to try and tackle you to the ground. Failing this they will retrieve any weapons around them, in the same way that you can. It's slower gameplay than most, but it also has a more realistic and intense feel to it.

Whilst combat makes up the majority of Condemned, the second slice of the gameplay revolves around the CSI-style investigations you carry out. Within the story there are times when you must investigate an area for blood-trails, identify finger prints etc. and forward them - via a modified cell phone - to your lab contact. Hints appear on-screen to assist the player in knowing when it is neccessary to use tools, however the problem is that tools are automatically chosen for you. Therefore there is little room for acting like a real agent; you can't cycle through your tools and work out which one you need, adding to the length of such investigations. Once your part of the investigation is complete, a report is forwarded back to you by your lab contact. It's an interesting experience that generally pays off, and it gives a bit of variation to constant brutality.

Condemned also features some incredible sound and music. Whilst there is nothing that will make you break out in emotional tears, the atmosphere is generally conveyed through the scraping sounds, eerie screeches and quiet melodic effects that keep you on edge. Enemies yell at you when they see you, and will scream if you sneak up on them. Weapons sound quite sickening, especially when you bring - say - a sledgehammer to the side of somebody's skull.

The game is quite length, roughly around 10-15 hours depending on the difficulty you play it. Unfortunately it isn't the type of game that will neccessarily scare you as much as it did when you first played it, as on the second time around there is nothing that has changed - enemies will still exist in the same areas etc.

Whilst a little outdated, Condemned: Criminal Origins is still a game I would have to recommend. If you enjoy sick, twisted horrors then this game is for you. If not, you probably won't enjoy it. It gives you enough chills and thrills to keep you playing until the end, and a fantastic plot that makes you want to find out more and more. And with Condemend 2 being released on the 4th April, it's a neccessity to play this if you are planning on getting it's sequel.