A step in the right direction, but there are still a few kinks to work out. (Single player review only)
Graphics: They are much, much better than the first game. Everything is vastly improved, and there is a much greater variety of environments. The enemy designs got huge makeovers; each stage usually has its own set of bad guys, and they sure are demented looking. There are some strange inconsistencies, though. For one, Rosa… got a reverse Michael Jackson surgery, and apparently found the fountain of youth. She looks nothing like Rosa from Condemned, and this is a very strange things. Thomas also looks nothing like himself; while, yes, he's supposed to be a drunk, he apparently got incredibly buff, plastic surgery, and grew a few inches. These aren't really that bad, though, because every character model looks 100X better than in the first game. Enemies animate in much the same way, which is good, because they were well animated to begin with. However, there are a few times in the game where you walk around with partners, and they animate choppily. However, these really are minor complaints, because this game creates an incredible atmosphere of claustrophobia and despair. 9/ 10
Sound: The sound is as well done in the first game. The ambience is quite well done, and the enemies scream funny profanities at you. Speaking of which, this game has some terrific voice acting, (even though, again, the characters sound nothing like their old selves) and some good, if profane, dialogue. Yeah, unfortunately, this game is heavy on the profanity, but some of it is funny, so it's not terrible. All in all, the sound is very well done and really adds to the great horror atmosphere. 10/ 10
Story: Many of the questions from Condemned are answered, but, in their place, whole batches of new ones arise. I personally don't like it when storytellers do this, but it does add to the atmosphere of mystery. FBI agent Ethan Thomas (or, I should say ex FBI agent) has hit rock bottom, landing on booze and painkillers. However, Martin Van Horn has gone missing, and Ethan is called upon to find out who's responsible. His journey takes him to some dark places, and he meets many weird, and sometimes eccentric, characters. This game, I feel, tries too hard to be a movie at times. Also, it's quite obvious who the bad guy is pretty early on. And, past the middle of the game, the story takes some very weird and highly implausible turns. However, there are a few cool story elements, like the Alcohol Demon that is following Ethan around where ever he goes. This is the weakest part of the game, but it's still not bad. 7/ 10
Gameplay: The basic idea is the same as the first game, but many changes and improvements have been made to it. For one, there is now fist fighting, which is a fun, but time consuming and dangerous combat option. There are many new interesting weapons to choose from, and also Combos to pull off. This is a much more various and enjoyable game to play than the first, for the most part. However, there are some missteps.
About 3/5ths way through the game, you start getting access to many guns, which kind of kills the horror atmosphere. Horror is about making the player feel helpless and vulnerable, and I gotta say, I don't feel very vulnerable with an Assault Rifle in hand. The enemies you fight are just soldiers in these parts, which, again, kills the atmosphere. One thing I will say about the first game is that it did not feel like a shooter; it felt like a first person horror game. There are times in this game where you can't shake the feeling that the devs tried a little too hard to make this game like CoD.
There are also times when the game just feels less scary and more on the cheap side. For instance, in the first level, your vision starts to act all weird, and you walk around in black goo. However, there are enemies who arise from the black goo and they are (you guessed it) made of the black goo. They lend in well to the environment, move very silently and can take out a huge chunk of your health bar with a few hits. This is frustrating, and happens at a few points in the game. While not impossible to get through, parts like these are not very fun to go through.
And now to talk about the new things/ improvements.
For one, the gore level has been kicked up considerably. When you get a headshot, the enemies' heads explode in a fountain of red, and, if you look close, you'll see their skulls shattering. The gore is very much like FEAR, with blood splattering everywhere from a gunshot wound and such. The hand to hand combat is also much more gruesome. Remember in the first game, when an enemy fell into a "stunned" state, and you could "execute" them in 1 of 4 different ways? Well, enemies still do that, but now, instead of doing pointless moves, you can grab them, drag them to a certain part of the environment, and execute them in a much more spectacular fashion. (My personal favorite is carrying a guy over to a rebar sticking out of a wall, impaling him on it, and watching as he squirms around, and eventually stops.) These are more fun than in the first game, I assure you.
The investigation sequences have also been completely redone. Instead of you just being a loyal pet to the game and doing what it says, you must now figure out what tools to use and how to use them. This is much more satisfying. There are also actual Crime Scene investigations. You arrive at a crime scene, and must observe your surroundings to answer questions that are asked of you. Depending on how well you do, you may have even more questions to answer. I really liked this idea in the game, but there is still some room for improvement. Some of the questions are either too vague or complex to answer correctly, and one puzzle involving elevator wires is particularly frustrating.
There is now a huge variety of environments, ranging from a hotel that is now a haven for addicts and meth dealers, to a demented and corrupt magic hall, to a cabin in the middle of the woods, to an old, but not abandoned Doll factory. These are, in general, fun to explore.
Overall, this game is a huge improvement over its predecessor. 8/ 10
Condemned 2 is a huge step in the right direction. It's fun to play, but also manages to hold a creepy atmosphere. However, the game was nowhere near as bloody as I was expecting. Everyone says it's one of the most gruesome and bloody games on consoles… Not really. While it is certainly brutal, it's not as brutal as I thought it would be. It's still a fun game, though, and a great game for horror fans like me. The plot may be silly, but the atmosphere is great.
I do have some suggestions for Condemned 3. (Which, if the ending is anything to judge by, there will most definitely be.) Don't throw in so many guns, and don't make us fight soldiers. They aren't scary. Simple as that. And, some of the enemy placement in the game could use some work, namely, not making them cheap.
All in all, though, this is a good game for anyone who's a fan of the macabre. So long and thanks for reading.