I absolutely loved it! Better than the sum of its parts.
User Rating: 9 | Condemned: Criminal Origins X360
This is the best suspense/thriller game I have ever played when it comes to keeping me on the edge of my seat. Condemned does just about everything right to keep your butt cheeks tight. Every enviroment is poorly lit and the lighting effects are done very nicely. The music is understated and appropriate. The sound effects are excellent. You can hear the pattering of feet in the distance, the echo of maniacal laughter, dripping water, and the rustling of debris. And all of it causes you to spin your character about frantically looking for a possible asailant. You also find yourself all the more aware of the noises you are making as you plod through the levels. Things such as bumping into objects or stepping on glass make you paranoid that you've given away your position. The enemies are wigged out drug heads for the most part and this gives the game a more realistic feel. You're dealing with enemies that a detective in real life might encounter. You play as a forensic detective on the case of a serial killer. There is more depth to the story, but I don't want to reveal too much. As you play through the game you never really feel secure. At least 80% of the game is spent using hand to hand style combat. Only on rare occasions do you get to use a firearm. Most of the time you have to make due with your taser and enviromental objects(pipes, 2x4s, steel rods, etc.). The taser is really helpful in tense combat situations, but it only slows enemies down so that you can deal the death blow hand to hand. The combat is somewhat limited, but always feels heavy and real. And the combat system is what also adds to the game's tense nature. Its hard to feel very confident about your survival chances when you are holding a small steel rod, its dark all around, and you can hear multiple enemies running around off in the distance. I got so tired of sneaking around, hiding out, and being worried about would be attackers that I started sprinting toward the danger. I was so fed up with being worried that I would get killed that I decided it would be better to go out with a blaze of glory. On the downside the combat is a little limited and repetitive. The enviroments are somewhat bland and repetitive as well(though they did feel very realistic to me). The graphics are behind the times, but lets face it this is a lauch era game so what do you expect. The story is a little hard to follow at times. Flaws aside this is one of the most enjoyable games I have played in a long time.
Verdict: A visceral suspense game that sets all the right moods and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Not up to todays standards graphically, but its about 7 years old so it can be bought cheap.
