A good game, but you definitley need to have an appreciation for the genre.
Sound: As any good horror fan will tell you, sound is one of the most important parts in creating a scary atmosphere. This game has some great sound design. It works well with the graphics to create an atmosphere of dread and terror. The voice acting and sound effects are also very good. 9/ 10
Story: Not all horror games need a good story to work. However, when it does have one, it helps add to the fun. The story of condemned goes like this: FBI Agent Ethan Thomas is investigating a crime scene left behind by the serial killer the Matchmaker. Meanwhile, all around the city psychopaths are committing crimes and people are going loony. While at the crime scene, Ethan gets ambushed by one of the psychopaths and has his gun stolen from him. After the assailant kills 2 police with Ethan's gun, he must escape from the crime scene. The story is mostly about him running from the law while also hunting down serial killers and trying to get to the bottom of what exactly is going on in the unnamed city. It starts off strong, but there are still many questions left after the game is over, which is fairly disappointing. But, as it is, it's serviceable and certainly not the worst story ever told. 7/ 10
Gameplay: The game is mainly just running around and killing enemies. The combat is decent, and the first person perspective is certainly unique. You just swing anything you pull from the environment at crazy dudes, back up and wait for the retaliation, then go in and repeat. All enemies can be defeated this way, which is kind of disappointing. It never really evolves throughout the game. And, don't believe people when they say that it's extremely bloody. At most, there will be a red cloud that appears from the enemy and maybe some splattered blood.
The environments, on the other hand, are amazing to explore. Each one is creepy, and the best one is probably the School level. The darkness is extremely claustrophobic, and you always feel like you're in danger of death. However, once you realize that the things are only humans, it kind of kills the atmosphere. More games, though, should take notes on how to create a good atmosphere from this game.
Outside of combat, there is also forensic investigations. These, however, are more of a nuisance than anything. The tool is automatically selected for you, and all you have to do is line up the tool with the evidence and pull RT. This is a seriously underdeveloped mechanic.
You can also find hidden birds and metal pieces in each level. However, the rewards for doing so aren't anything great.
After you beat the game, there is little reason to go back. All there really is to do is replay levels, and they're a lot less scary the second time around. 7/ 10
In review, Condemned is a good horror game. It strikes a delicate balance between creeping the player out and having some decent gameplay. However, there is pretty much no replay value, unless you simply must get all the Achievements. I got this game for 5 bucks, however, so I definitely got my money's worth. All in all, I recommend this game to anyone who appreciates horror. Otherwise, I would stay away from this game, because the atmosphere is the main reason to play. And the game doesn't get really creepy and gor until a little more than halfway through it. So long, and thanks for reading.