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kt6192003's Condemned: Criminal Origins (360)
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| [February 9, 2008 12:15:54 AM]
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GAMEPLAY
One aspect of the game I should mention is the crime scene investigations. Being a forensics agent chasing down a serial killer, you can use different tools when you encounter a crime scene to gather evidence. It's a nice concept that adds more to the game and story but it isn't something that the player directly controls. You're only able to use your forensic tools when prompted to at pre-scripted events which is unfortunate.
Playing through the second hour of this game, I noticed that the enemy AI is quite advanced. Enemies run away to grab weapons and hide behind corners and pillars to ambush you. They use feint attacks on you just to lure you into to blocking which surprised me the first time it happened. They even run away, only to pop up unexpectedly later on. I also noticed that as you progress further into the game, the psychotics you fight get more and more twisted. It's almost as if you're journeying deeper and deeper into the madness that is Metro City.
DESIGN
The mood and atmosphere of this game is done very well which really brings out the fear and tension from the player. You're always playing in almost pitch black darkness and enemies can come from anywhere. The levels are all very dark, gritty and decrepit to reflect the twisted nature of the crazies that you fight against. Sound is also exceptionally great. Every swing and thunk from your weapons sound satisfying and you can always hear where things are coming from when you're about to be attacked. Everything the developers did to set the tone and atmosphere is excellent. Even though its just a game, it really gives you an intense feeling of fear and panic which I haven't really experienced in other survival horrors, other than Fatal Frame on the PS2.
There are some issues that this game has which could be fixed in the coming sequel. The first thing is the lack of a map. Some of the levels have very similar looking hallways and rooms which could leave you a little disoriented at times when you're trying to find your way. The lack of any amount of item management also bugs me. You're only allowed to hold one weapon at a time which means you end up having to throw away guns at times to get a fire axe or shovel which is needed for passage through the next door. And, for a game that emphasizes on melee combat, there isn't a combo system at all. All of your attacks are just one big swing. Executions get old after a while, considering that there are only four of them that you can do. The forensics concept, though very interesting, shouldn't be pre-scripted events. I want to be able to figure out how to assess the crime scene myself without someone holding my hand through it. However, these are just small nagging issues which don't get in the way of an otherwise awesome and highly scary game.
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| [February 8, 2008 10:51:29 PM]
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SUMMARY
Condemned: Criminal Origins is a survival horror game for the XBOX 360. In it, you play the role of Ethan Thomas, a forensics investigator tracking down a serial killer in Metro City. However, things go horribly wrong when you are ambushed by the serial killer and are framed for the death of two police officers. You are then forced to clear your name by tracking down and apprehending the killer while defending yourself against the crazed psychotics running rampant around the city.
GAMEPLAY
When first starting Condemned, you'd think it's going to be like any other FPS out there, but in reality it isn't. This is actually a survival horror game that's set in a first person perspective but with a unique fighting element to it. Unlike other survival horrors like Resident Evil that have you relying on different kinds guns to take out your enemies, this game makes you use nothing but melee weapons. Guns are weapons that you would be lucky to find. Even if you manage to get your hands on one, the game restricts you by giving you a very limited amount of bullets. You can't even reload them since you all you have is one clip of ammo.
Which brings me to the main element of combat, melee weapons. Weapons can be found everywhere on each level, ranging from lead pipes and 2x4s to fire axes and locker doors. Anything that you can get your hands on can be used as a weapon. Additionally, your character is also armed with a taser for temporarily stunning enemies and you can also kick them for a quick strike. Each weapon has different strengths and weaknesses. For example, a fire axe may be a lot stronger than a small pipe, but the pipe can swing and block faster. Blocking and countering enemy attacks in this game is crucial to survival because you aren't able to hold onto any amount of med kits. Instead of just holding down on a button to block attacks, you have to time each block in order to deflect them. The last aspect of combat is the finishing moves. If you manage to weaken an enemy down to their last bit of health, they'll drop to their knees and you can perform one of four different finishing moves.
This game really stood out for me because of its combat dynamic. Instead of using a whole bunch of guns with hundreds of bullets, you use common everyday objects to beat the living crap out of your enemies. Being in the survival horror genre, this game is really creepy. Everything is really dark which forces you to use your flashlight throughout the whole game. The psychotics that you fight are very well detailed and have varying degrees of facial mutilation. Because of the emphasis on melee combat, the game has a very visceral feel to it. Everytime an attack connects, you can hear it as well as feel it. You can even see the teeth that fly out of your opponent when you hit them. Other than the fighting, Condemned also has an interesting story that starts out like a normal serial killer story, but gets weirder and creepier as more and more things are revealed.
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kt6192003's Condemned: Criminal Origins (360)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 8 February, 2008
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