Not the best game out there, but unique gameplay, twisted but interesting plot make this all worth it.
User Rating: 8.4 | Condemned: Criminal Origins X360
When you first play the game it feels like it moves a little slow, tutorial is fitting and plays right in with the first level. Controls are unusual at first compared to other first person games but they play really smooth once you get them down. The environments are dark, gloomy and the textures are nicely done. An array of interesting melee and ranged weapons make every kill feel brutal. The way a person reacts when struck with a pipe or sledge hammer sounds, looks and almost feels like an actual object striking another person. The Ambience is incredible, every object has it's own sound, bumping into the objects on shelves, pushing chairs and breaking things all sound very real. When enemies run knocking things over and such, breathing hard, screaming and groaning. It all helps the very, very creepy feeling to the game. This game definitely isn't for the faint of heart. Lots of surprise, and the music definitely helps the feeling of a survival horror setting. Enemies will break through walls, hide around corners, block and attack. They'll even fight each other... which adds a nice touch to the AI. Not the best AI I've encountered, but good none the less. This game looks beautiful in HD, and the sound on 7.1 surround sound is absolutely an experience all in it's own. Overall I loved the game, unique plot, cruel and brutal combat combined with perhaps the scariest settings I've seen in ages. There are some minor problems though, a few invisible walls, doors that lock suddenly out of nowhere to prevent you from backtracking. Sometimes things feel a little stiff and there could have been so much more interaction with the environment. The levels feel a little too linear as well. Other than that, I would recommend it for people who love horror-thriller games with a unusual and unique story line.
