Condemned 1 & 2 review
Ok, first things first. The explanation of why I’m doing a double for these two games, I picked up Condemned 2 because it was on sale for £5. So I thought I’d give it a go, I already knew that the game focused heavily on first person melee combat and this put me off somewhat. However, something about it just made me want to give it a chance, after I enjoyed it so much I wanted to play the original to see what it was like. Again, found it for £5 and in total it’s been one of the best £10 I’ve spent on games.
Intro and Influential Stuff
Platform: 360
Money Paid for Games: £10 (£5 each)
When I got it: Got C2 first about 20 months after release, then C1 a couple of weeks later.
All right then, first of all there is a huge difference both gameplay wise and presentation wise between the original and sequel (you know, that thing called advancement), C2 has more fleshed out combat with the addition of combo attacks and more unique weapons. Also far more impressive visuals, whereas in C1 you simply have attack and block, with graphics that would have seemed shit even at the time it was released.
So, both games play from a first person POV, the emphasis is on melee conflict. You get the occasional gun throughout both games, but you only get the ammo in the gun at the time, you can’t horde ammo like in a shooter. Oh yeah, C2 has multiplayer too...
Story
Always a good thing when you can’t say too much without ruining a decent plot.
You play as Ethan Thomas, a C.S.I. with a very apparent “more than meets the eye” quality surrounding him. You begin investigating a series of bizarre murders in the city and things get a lot more interesting along the way between the games.
Needless to say there is something a lot more sinister at work, but if I said any more, I’d just be ruining the entire plot of at least one of them.
Presentation
C1 looks like dog shit, end of. Seriously there are last gen games that look better than this, however being the kind of gamer I am graphics mean nothing to me in grading a game. So they didn’t bother me at all. Drastic change for the sequel however, C2 looks very sharp across the board and has great attention to detail in most areas.
Audio is definitely a highlight in both games, for something that emphasises melee combat so much it’s a good thing it feels and sounds so satisfying to do. Every weapon has the appropriate sound effect to them and enemies react in a realistic manner to all of them.
Voice work can be shady in areas, but what matters is decent enough.
One thing that is apparent in both games however is the dedication to create a truly un-nerving atmosphere. The mindless yet brutal nature of your foes mixed with the dark and vile locations makes for some engrossing moments. Not to mention some great “ah! Shit, where the hell did he come from” ones too.
Gameplay
Ah, the important bit.
Both games play very similar to each other, although playing C2 before C1 definitely made the first easier. C2 has made several little improvements that overall enhance the experience and make it a lot more fun.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that in C1 you can’t use your fists. Meaning you can only attack if you have a weapon, C2 fixes this, not only can you use your fists but it is awesome to do so. C2 also adds combo attacks to the mix, time your strikes well and you’ll take down adversaries quickly. You can use pretty much anything as a weapon in both games, from planks of wood a metal pipes to locker doors, bowling pins and toilet seats, so you rarely find yourself un-armed in either game. However, being un-armed in C1 makes you feel very vulnerable.
In games like these, difficulty really depends on how well you pick up the controls. Make no mistake, you’re only playing as a human being here. So it won’t take many smacks from a sledgehammer to mess you up. The good thing is however, because you’re attacking other human beings it’s the same for them too, it’s so nice to see a developer getting little details like this correct for a change.
You also investigate crime scenes throughout both games, C1 really holds your hand in this aspect though. The correct tool is automatically selected and all you have to do is press a button. However, C2 seriously improves on this by letting you walk around a scene and the investigation parts take the form of short quizzes. You’ll have to analyse wounds and blood patterns, decide the cause of death and other aspects of your victims. It’s definitely worth mentioning here that doing well in these makes you feel like a total intellectual badass, I mean come on, when is the last time a game in this generation made you feel clever...? Which makes it a real shame that these fade out around the half way through C2.
Both games have some good length to them also, and you always feel like you’re progressing forwards and getting closer to some closure. Mission structure can get pretty repetitive at times, especially in C1, but you never feel like something you’re doing seems pointless.
I can’t comment on the multiplayer side of C2 because I never played it, I could never find any matches. Which I suppose says something in itself.
Replay Value
It is unfortunate that a game with a good plot, characters and awesome atmosphere will always fall short in this area.
Trouble is, all the above are only truly engaging for the initial playthrough, it is because you don’t know what is going to happen next that keeps you interested and wanting to carry on to the end. There is some exploration due to the hidden items throughout the levels in both games and harder modes, but beyond that there isn’t much to do once the credits finish.
The multiplayer in C2 might be ground breaking for all I know, but I doubt it.
Anyway, while neither of these games warrant the full £40 price tag they are a perfect example of an idea that has been tried and failed so many times, done well and clearly shows off the quality of the design that took place.
Seeing as these games are dirt cheap now, there is no excuse to not at least give them a try. If you love games, and I mean if you really love games. There’s plenty to enjoy in these titles.
Intro and Influential Stuff
Platform: 360
Money Paid for Games: £10 (£5 each)
When I got it: Got C2 first about 20 months after release, then C1 a couple of weeks later.
All right then, first of all there is a huge difference both gameplay wise and presentation wise between the original and sequel (you know, that thing called advancement), C2 has more fleshed out combat with the addition of combo attacks and more unique weapons. Also far more impressive visuals, whereas in C1 you simply have attack and block, with graphics that would have seemed shit even at the time it was released.
So, both games play from a first person POV, the emphasis is on melee conflict. You get the occasional gun throughout both games, but you only get the ammo in the gun at the time, you can’t horde ammo like in a shooter. Oh yeah, C2 has multiplayer too...
Story
Always a good thing when you can’t say too much without ruining a decent plot.
You play as Ethan Thomas, a C.S.I. with a very apparent “more than meets the eye” quality surrounding him. You begin investigating a series of bizarre murders in the city and things get a lot more interesting along the way between the games.
Needless to say there is something a lot more sinister at work, but if I said any more, I’d just be ruining the entire plot of at least one of them.
Presentation
C1 looks like dog shit, end of. Seriously there are last gen games that look better than this, however being the kind of gamer I am graphics mean nothing to me in grading a game. So they didn’t bother me at all. Drastic change for the sequel however, C2 looks very sharp across the board and has great attention to detail in most areas.
Audio is definitely a highlight in both games, for something that emphasises melee combat so much it’s a good thing it feels and sounds so satisfying to do. Every weapon has the appropriate sound effect to them and enemies react in a realistic manner to all of them.
Voice work can be shady in areas, but what matters is decent enough.
One thing that is apparent in both games however is the dedication to create a truly un-nerving atmosphere. The mindless yet brutal nature of your foes mixed with the dark and vile locations makes for some engrossing moments. Not to mention some great “ah! Shit, where the hell did he come from” ones too.
Gameplay
Ah, the important bit.
Both games play very similar to each other, although playing C2 before C1 definitely made the first easier. C2 has made several little improvements that overall enhance the experience and make it a lot more fun.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that in C1 you can’t use your fists. Meaning you can only attack if you have a weapon, C2 fixes this, not only can you use your fists but it is awesome to do so. C2 also adds combo attacks to the mix, time your strikes well and you’ll take down adversaries quickly. You can use pretty much anything as a weapon in both games, from planks of wood a metal pipes to locker doors, bowling pins and toilet seats, so you rarely find yourself un-armed in either game. However, being un-armed in C1 makes you feel very vulnerable.
In games like these, difficulty really depends on how well you pick up the controls. Make no mistake, you’re only playing as a human being here. So it won’t take many smacks from a sledgehammer to mess you up. The good thing is however, because you’re attacking other human beings it’s the same for them too, it’s so nice to see a developer getting little details like this correct for a change.
You also investigate crime scenes throughout both games, C1 really holds your hand in this aspect though. The correct tool is automatically selected and all you have to do is press a button. However, C2 seriously improves on this by letting you walk around a scene and the investigation parts take the form of short quizzes. You’ll have to analyse wounds and blood patterns, decide the cause of death and other aspects of your victims. It’s definitely worth mentioning here that doing well in these makes you feel like a total intellectual badass, I mean come on, when is the last time a game in this generation made you feel clever...? Which makes it a real shame that these fade out around the half way through C2.
Both games have some good length to them also, and you always feel like you’re progressing forwards and getting closer to some closure. Mission structure can get pretty repetitive at times, especially in C1, but you never feel like something you’re doing seems pointless.
I can’t comment on the multiplayer side of C2 because I never played it, I could never find any matches. Which I suppose says something in itself.
Replay Value
It is unfortunate that a game with a good plot, characters and awesome atmosphere will always fall short in this area.
Trouble is, all the above are only truly engaging for the initial playthrough, it is because you don’t know what is going to happen next that keeps you interested and wanting to carry on to the end. There is some exploration due to the hidden items throughout the levels in both games and harder modes, but beyond that there isn’t much to do once the credits finish.
The multiplayer in C2 might be ground breaking for all I know, but I doubt it.
Anyway, while neither of these games warrant the full £40 price tag they are a perfect example of an idea that has been tried and failed so many times, done well and clearly shows off the quality of the design that took place.
Seeing as these games are dirt cheap now, there is no excuse to not at least give them a try. If you love games, and I mean if you really love games. There’s plenty to enjoy in these titles.
