23rd April 2008.
Condemned 2
Sega
XBOX 360
 The first Condemned title was a dark, gritty and nasty game that played on its dark atmosphere to help create an original and pretty claustrophobic ambience. It relied on not just horror gaming clichés (shed loads of blood and guts) but an element of forensic science. So we had a game that not only delivered shocks it also tested your synapses as well.
Condemned 2 continues the story from the first Condemned release, we’re on the hunt for a sadistic serial killer and Ethan Thomas must drag himself from the gutter in search of the truth. You must hang onto your sanity if you are to survive the worst a decaying city has to offer and start the beginning of the end, a war against a faceless predator. This is a corruption that has plagued man for over two thousand years.
 OK, you can only be original once but Condemned 2 does a pretty good job of staying clear of all the usual follow-up game traps. It has more game play than the original and the improved and vicious combo moves available are coupled with some way over the top finishing pieces. Condemned 2 also looks quite stunning, sorry can’t hold back, I mean to say it just looks so effing incredible. The dirty and downright seedy setting is so well realised it will make you feel in need of a shower after playing. In HD it looks even more incredible so do try and get upgraded. Other improvements include the actual investigation parts which now contain a more intelligent system. It makes it feel a bit like a digital version of Se7ven, a movie that certainly paved the way for such entertainment as this. Graphically the game is quite superb with stomach churning moments such as witnessing the darkness of blood splashing across surfaces as it was the real stuff. Characters too lack the stiffness of previous attempts at such games and possess a more natural movement to themselves. As for the monsters, well these are the stuff nightmares are made of and must have taken an age to get exactly right.
 The main selling point of Condemned 2 is the brutal multiplayer facility (see below) and the wonderfully realistic and raw action sequences that are designed to lengthen the life of this game. The bare knuckle fighting is coupled with some grim sound effects such as neck snapping and bone breaking. Also the non-linear approach to solving the crimes is a very refreshing piece of coding. This is not just a point and click and hope for the best release, some fine and devious thought have gone into this one. You can also pick up your weapons from the environment so just see how inventive you can be during some moments of fisticuffs. Here’s a tip, be on the look out for brass knuckledusters, tire irons and nail guns, to name a few of the more obvious choices.
What might let some people down is that it’s not the hardest game around to get through. Yes it has its tough moments but after a few hours you do get used to the environment and pieces of the puzzle fall into place quite quickly.
For those of you who like to play with others then the online facility allows you have fun alongside seven other participants. I’ve not tried this and have heard mixed reports about it so beware, don’t expect too much.
To sum up, Condemned 2 is an excellent piece of coding that experienced gamers will have not problem in completing but will have bags of fear filled fun whilst trying.
Condemned 2 is also available on the PS3
James.
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