Condemned 2 does a lot of things right, but just doesn't have enough content to be worth a purchase.
Whether Ethan wants it or not, he is back in the main storyline finding an old friend. Van Horn from the first game is missing. Condemned 2 is a survival horror game, so it should be seen as no surprise that things get insane quickly. Before you know it, you are fighting all kinds of supernatural beings. The confusing story of the first game is not present here, as there is a cutscene before every mission displaying what you needed to know.
The gameplay of Condemned 2 has been largely improved over the first Condemned title. It still focuses heavily on melee combat, but adds variety to make it one of the better melee systems out there. You now have combos and environmental moves at your disposal. Smashing your opponents head through a TV never gets old. They have also added quicktime events. This all culminates into a huge jump from the first game almost making it preferable over traditional first-person shooters.
Although the melee combat is exceptional in Condemned 2, it's also its weak point. Often times, I found myself in a gunplay situation without ammo and without a bottle of alcohol. This resulted in many deaths and frustration. It shouldn't be this difficult to shoot in a first person shooter. The melee combat is where it's at, and I wish the developers would have just left it at that. Beating enemies with anything from a toilet seat to a wooden plank to a sword never gets old. Almost everything is fair game, although not everything can be used which can lead to a few confusing moments.
Forensics played a small part in the original Condemned game, but play a larger role in Condemned 2. The investigations are more than just pointing your cursor at something and learning about it. The game takes a more active role by letting the player choose the outcome of the situation. The player won't have to watch a season or two of CSI to understand what's going on, but they will be graded on the outcome. The game will display a question and list a few answers, it's as simple as that. It's certainly an interesting game mechanic that adds quite a bit of immersion to the game.
Although immersion is here in bunches, there are a few things that bog it down. The framerate hitches up a few times and the physics can be troublesome in a few areas. Occasionally, I would find an object randomly floating in the air and a box that shouldn't take more than a swift punch to move but to no avail. It's something that is a bit annoying but doesn't take away from the experience to the point where it's unplayable.
There are a few things preserved from the first game that are welcome. The artistic direction is still here in all its grittiness. Monolith has a good idea as to what should come from a horror game, and it shows. Often times I found my heart racing not knowing what to expect as I explore an abandoned bowling alley or running from a rabid bear in a gigantic lodge. It's all very frightening and not for the faint of heart for sure. Something else done right in the first game were the graphics and they're improved in the sequel. Everything is beautifully repulsive and nice to look at. It compliments just how far high definition development has come in the past two years.
Although Condemned has some extra features, they are not as pleasing as the single player experience. There is a Bloodshot Fight Club mode that is just as ridiculous as it sounds. All it consists of is fighting a few enemies mindlessly and hoping to rank up on the online leaderboards. It's not very interesting but can be fun to fans who just can't get enough of Condemned.
There's also an 8-player online mode that is barely worth mentioning. I know that a first person melee online game sounds like a lot of fun, but I assure you it is not. Even though there is four modes, the only one worthwhile is Crime Scene. It pits some psychos versus some SCU agents that are trying to locate a head in a box. It's nothing more than that and shows that not a lot of time was put into multiplayer.
Condemned 2 is a great single player game. If all you're looking for is more Condemned, then you got it in large doses. It adds some excellent new melee features that makes it significantly better than the first game. Although I had a very fun time with the single player campaign, the game is only about 8-10 hours long and the extras are barely worth mentioning.