If you see it, buy it!
I did not play the first version of Condemned and that did not affect me playing #2. But, now that I finished #2, I will go back and buy the first Condemned.
There are a lot of great qualities to the game:
Environs: There are the usual run down apartments, alleys to go through, but there are also a lot of unique settings in the game all of which are in stages of decay - a doll/toy factory, a bowling alley, ski lodge, museum. Most of these offer places I have never gone through in a game before. One part of the museum involve going through the medieval history part which allows you to smash display cases and use any number of historical weapons, from swords, to war hammers, to spears, to crossbows, to axes. This was a clever way to incorporate these weapons into the game, I was slightly disappointment though that the museum itself lacked a more robust setting.
Weapons/Combat: This is one of those games that lets you pick up items around you to use as a weapon. You are walking down what looks like a normal hallway, or alley and you can pick up any number of items to use as a weapon, from a plank of wood with nails sticking out, to pulling a electrical pipe off the wall, to a pile of bricks. All weapons can be used to club an enemy or thrown at them. If you like guns, then this may not be the game for you, go play the hundreds of shooters out there. There are guns, but they are few in number, and once the ammo runs out that is it unless you get some off of a fallen enemy. So, most of the combat is melee. You do use your fists a lot, and there are punch combinations and "chain" melee combinations that add up to the damage. There are also deadly kill options when you are finishing off an opponent.
Enemies: Very few have guns, only military types which you run into towards the end of the game. Most enemies jump out at you, and have either basic club type weapons or no weapons. The human enemies are varied enough to distinguish but are mostly homeless/crack head types. The "undead" types are repeated, and what you have seen in other games.
Gameplay: Added to the above is the fact that throughout the game, you are trying to collect evidence to solve the mystery. You are given 4 gizmos to help you. This adds to the game, by letting you observe crime scenes for clues.
Graphics: The graphics are good which is easy since the game is in a dark setting, even the scenes outside in the snow covered ski resort take place at night.
Overall effect: This game can get intense and you may find yourself taking a break now and then. It will may you jump, and does have several "wow" moments.
The game is short, it took me around 12 hours to play, and I did do some unnecessary exploring.
If you are still reading, like I said above, buy this game when you see it.