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[zeebo]

I just got Condemned today and was already determined to write a review on it, but I can't put the controller down to find enough time to.  The only con in this game in my perspective is that some of the character models are not very detailed.  The detail is made up with game play though.  I had read reviews that this game was scary, but I had to try for myself.  Once again, wow...  I'm still stunned by how addicting this game is.  I can't get over the fact of how great the combat is in this.  I feel that this game was overlooked by alot of people because it has no live gameplay, which is a downer, I think it could have awesome online play.  When I first started playing it I didn't expect much and I was just sprinting through the first stage...  I seen a see a can roll across the floor, then a shadow, I follow.  I end up in a pretty brutal fight and all of a sudden I turn around and WHAM! 2x4 in the face.  It took the breath right out of me.  It's like one of those movies where it has the loud and sudden scary parts.  I still can't get over how you can run up to one of those diseased, crack addicts and whack them in the face with a sledge hammer, them start to get back up and you kick em.  When they fall to their knees you feel victory as you go up and headbutt them or break their neck.

This game is really great, do not over look this game.  Try it once and you'll fall in love with it.  I hope I inspired some of you to try this game out.  It's worth the time.

[Master X]

QUOTE(zeebo @ Dec 25 2005, 07:43 PM)

I just got Condemned today and was already determined to write a review on it, but I can't put the controller down to find enough time to.  The only con in this game in my perspective is that some of the character models are not very detailed.  The detail is made up with game play though.  I had read reviews that this game was scary, but I had to try for myself.  Once again, wow...  I'm still stunned by how addicting this game is.  I can't get over the fact of how great the combat is in this.  I feel that this game was overlooked by alot of people because it has no live gameplay, which is a downer, I think it could have awesome online play.  When I first started playing it I didn't expect much and I was just sprinting through the first stage...  I seen a see a can roll across the floor, then a shadow, I follow.  I end up in a pretty brutal fight and all of a sudden I turn around and WHAM! 2x4 in the face.  It took the breath right out of me.  It's like one of those movies where it has the loud and sudden scary parts.  I still can't get over how you can run up to one of those diseased, crack addicts and whack them in the face with a sledge hammer, them start to get back up and you kick em.  When they fall to their knees you feel victory as you go up and headbutt them or break their neck.

This game is really great, do not over look this game.  Try it once and you'll fall in love with it.  I hope I inspired some of you to try this game out.  It's worth the time.

Tommorow I am buying 2 new games. I was thinking COD2 and PGR3 but I will probably get Condemned instead of PGR3.

[themadman123]

You should probably write the review after playing the game a little bit more or beating it, so that its not based on a 20 min or so time of playing. But so far I've heard great things from this game...I might have to check it out.

[hamwbone]

wait till you knock teeth out with the sledge hammer =)

[DarkLabel]

Nice, once you finish it, you should write a more detailed review.

[zeebo]

QUOTE(hamwbone @ Dec 26 2005, 02:37 AM)

wait till you knock teeth out with the sledge hammer =)

Yeah, they just spit their teeth out like it's nothing.  I'm really enjoying this game but I'm having a hard time choosing whether I want to play it or not.  My xbox is on the other end of the house...  I don't wanna scream like a little girl and wake everyone up tonight.

[pmes_17]

thisgame is very intense with DD 5.1 and it
focus on mostly melee then a grusome finisher and the CSI aspect of the game makes the story real twisty.  
PRO
melee atacks
grab almost anything for a weapon
very dark game, you notice it when your flashlight goes out
Best surround sound game i have ever played

CON
Short length
very slow movements sprint is a normal walk
This could have had a great multiplayer


Games to look out for if you like this game
Saint's Row
Crackdown
dead rising
Frame city killer
GOW
Prey
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

360 has some promising tittles comming for the second wave


Now go out and bust an addict in the head with a sledge hammer then snap there neck

[whitebwoy]

i dont like condemed

[crobar]

i hear its  awesome fun, but short and has no replay
so if you buy it expect to play it once and then  have it collect dust

[shodanjr_gr]

I got the game a couple of weeks ago and here is what i think.

Graphics wise its very good, excellent and very detailed enviroments. Really atmosferic as well, not THAT scary but it creates a tention that usually lacks from this kind of game (think FEAR and multiply by 2 or something).

Sound is EXCELLENT, the voice acting is A quality and the sound effects are creapy as hell. Its gota be the best sounding game ive ever played.

Controls are also very good. The game can be quite challenging in the fighting sequences especially if you try to dodge/block enemy attacks etc. The Crime Scene Investigation sequences are fun but serve no real point other than advancing the scenario. And a few more melee weapons found have been great (like the Fire Extiguisher idea that was mentioned above).

The game is not very long, average duration for a first person "shooter" but it does have quite a few achievements you can go for if you feel like it.

The few things that i didnt like about the game are:

a) Scenario...its starts out excellent with a lot of prospect but as soon as the game finishes, you are left with so many questions unanswered...
I could have used a few more hours of gameplay (perhaps to explain the above questions )
c) Some character textures are a bit low res (especially noticable on the main character)
d) No multiplayer mode of any kind (pitty, since the combat mechanism had so much going for itself)
e) No CoOp.

[crobar]

personaly i like this game i had a gift card  so i picked it up, cant beat a "free" game
i enjoy the fighting style and the sound is amazing.
this game pulls off atmosphere so well my girlfriend and i  are having a ball playing it.
its the suspence i thik that makes it so good...
you walk into a room and you know somone or somthing is in the room...some where to the right ahead of you and then you hear somthing else ...
so cool
i like the change of pace its a slow stealthy & violent gameno run and gunner no simple kills,
each character is a battle of its own
often times your left with little to no health to fight off 3 or 4 characters...
over all i love it so far, great graphics are a plus too
if you like resident evil  you should like this one.

[KAGE360]

i beat the game a while ago and now im playing through a second time, still just as good......

Gameplay: I was worried at first that there would be little more then just beating people to death but it really is deeper then it seems at first glance. Enemies will dodge and hide from you trying to get the upper hand. The games sets a tempo and mood unlike any game before, I have played plenty of horror games and none have raised the hair on the back of my neck like this game. There were times where I was wondering around clueless, but finding out where to go didn’t take too long. The SCI elements did a good job of giving a break between fights but I just wish they didn’t hold your hand so much through the process. Overall I’m immensely impressed by the gameplay and pacing of the game, just wish there was more closure to the story.



Graphics: Wow, you could really tell this game was built for the 360. In high-def textures are crisp and edging near photo-realism, shadows are deep and accurate, and complex geometry throughout the game. Nearly every object in the game uses the havok 3.0 physics which plays a good role in scaring you, you will knock over objects and in 5.1 surround sound you will jump by things dropping around you. Character models have been built of at least 8000 polygons and it shows. The direction for the models looked odd to me at first but quickly grew on me and gave a good idea what to expect out of next gen characters in the future. As far as effects go this game has it in spades, you name it from normal and parallax mapping to real time lighting, everything looks great and is rivaled only by effects seen in movies (you will know what I mean when you see the “shadows”). Everything I would expect from a next gen launch title.



Sound: The music does a good job of adding to the atmosphere and every object has the appropriate sounds. To me it’s the little nuances that really add to the game’s sound, like hearing the concrete bits fall off the rebar when picking it up, your accurate foot steps over the right surface, or the sound of a lead pipe whacking someone’s skull, everything is heard in precision not found in the current gen. The voice acting ranges from good to above average and does nothing to distract you from the story. Not the premier launch title to take advantage of your sound system but not the worst either.



Controls: Everything is mapped to the right button for maximum enjoyment. The only complaint I would have is that I wish they could have mapped all your SCI tools to the D-pad instead of telling you which to use at the time and using only one button to activate it. Other then the minor quibble its all good.



Overall with all in perspective of it being a launch title and what they tried to achieve with the first next gen horror game, I believe they have succeeded. There is plenty of replay value for those who have to unlock everything and the game is perfect for a good scare.



Score: 9.0/10

just a quick review for those who are interested. i highly suggest this game to anyone looking for a creepy thrill ride.  

[gcskate27]

free demo up for grabs in the xbl marketplace... dling now

[KAGE360]

PCTech you obviously werent around with the ps2 launch then.  there were far more reports of faulty ps2s then 360s (faulty drives, dying/over heating system) and they had over half a year to work out the kinks since the japanese launch.  every system has its share of problems at launch, i had two games that wouldnt even load at the DC launch.  how can anyone call the launch line up lackluster when its the best line up since the DC launch?  im happier now with the launch titles out then i was when the xbox launched with ONLY 3 quality titles (halo, PGR, and DoA3) IMO.  yes there there MAY not be a "killer app" for launch (even though some people will point to CoD2 and PGR3) but there is far more to select to with little worry of getting burned then there was in the last gen.  dont even make me bring up the ps2 and GC launches with their whole maybe 2 decent/good games.  the ps3 will have just as many problems at launch (if not more) and it should be expected, with all new technology there are going to be some bugs to work out.  MS doesnt need to do anything other then keep up with demand to make the 3 million mark on target.  the ps3 wont be here for almost a year and that is more then enough time to launch a nice list of quality titles by then (GoW, GR3, oblivion, etc.).  and to quote a japanese person at E3??  knowing what we know now that is pretty pointless, not only do we see that those games were soo early and underdeveloped that its impressive to think about how much progress the games have made since E3, there has been MUCH that has changed since E3.  so enjoy gaming.

[gcskate27]

how can people who dont dev games compain that somthing isnt 'next gen'? youve got no idea what youre talking about... anything thats deved for the 360 IS next gen... you cant expect a change the scale of 2d to 3d with every new generation of systems, it doesnt work like that...