Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360) Review
Posted by Ramon Aranda on 04.04.2008
What do you get when you mix alcohol, guns, infected citizens and some of the spookiest music in gaming? Well a helluva a good time, that's what!
Title: Condemned 2
Publisher: SEGA
Type: Action
Players: 1-8
When the original Condemned launched alongside the Xbox 360’s release back in 2005, it received some pretty high marks for its intensity and impressive graphics. Admittedly, with the large amount of titles to play, I didn’t get a chance to delve into the game until early last year even though I had it in my possession for quite some time. To make a long story short, the game took me through some creepy moments that kept me on the edge of my seat and playing until I finished it two weeks later. When it was all said and done, I was quite happy that I had got around to playing the game and to my surprise; it was only a few weeks later that SEGA unveiled that a sequel was on the way. Well needless to say, I was pretty stoked and I made the call to make sure we got a review copy when the game released.
As soon as I received it, I slipped that bad boy into my 360 and fired it up. Having only seen screens and short clips, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. More of the same? A whole new different style of play? Well it was up to me to find out if the sequel lived up to my expectations. Read on to find out…
Gameplay
You are back once again as Ethan Thomas, current alcoholic and former SCU investigator, and your city is once again in dire need of some serious ass kicking. After being shunned by the SCU, you are called back into action when they realize that you’re the only bad ass capable of bringing back some order. It’s too bad no one seems to like you, with the exception of your former assistant. After playing for a few hours, you come to the realization that story-wise, there isn’t a whole lot of knew things going on. In fact, Condemned 2 almost seems like a new version of the original but with some new twists and Gameplay mechanics.
First of all, though you can still pick up random items to use against your foes, you can now learn some street fighting techniques. Where as you felt rather helpless in the first game without any sort of weapon, the sequel helps you feel more like Kimbo Slice. Early on, you’ll learn to throw combinations that result in extra damaged being caused if you let off the right amount of punches at the correct time. This is extremely helpful because you’ll also realize that weapons can now break. No longer can you wield the same pipe and wing it around like Babe Ruth all day. No, now you must keep an eye out for the damage meter that shows you when your weapon/item is about to become useless. When you get in that last swing before it breaks, you will actually here a crunching sound, letting you know that it's time to pick up another weapon. Getting back to punching, aside from multiple hit combos, you can also double tap the same punch to create some slow-mo ass whipping. When doing this type of combo, the game will go into slow motion and ask you to press a particular button to continue the string of “Chain Combinations”. If you pull these off, and keep in mind that timing is everything, you can do some massive damage.
A word of advice, the game’s difficulty level has been ramped up. Some of the bosses you’ll encounter are HARD. I’m talking; throw your controller across the room hard. Even the random enemies that you encounter throughout the city aren’t push-overs anymore. These guys can bring it, and if you’re not prepared, you’re going to be suffering courtesy of their fists.
Another new addition to the game is the ability to crank out environmental kills. If you have an enemy hurt and on the ground, you can grab him and move him around to certain areas which are depicted by skulls and you’ll end his life Michael Myers style. It feels pretty good to grab some douchebag by the neck and ram his head through a previously working television set. The first time I pulled that one off, I felt a nice dose of satisfaction. Still it’s nice to be able to pick up random objects such as toilet seats, bed posts and metal pipes to do your dirty work. If guns are your thing, of course you can still pull them out and it’s guns-a-blazing. A fun nod to the fact that Ethan is an alcoholic is that you can find half-full bottles of alcohol that actually help you out. See the alcoholism is so bad for Mr. Thomas that drinking will enable you to relax and have better aim with your gun. Nice message right? Still, it’s pretty damn funny. =)
In the previous game, you could also collect birds and metal pieces that could net you some Achievement Points as well as make you look like a sleuth. This time around, there are no birds or metal pieces to collect but you can destroy these sound emitters that let off a distorted buzz that can hurt you. Aside from that, there are television sets scattered throughout the city that have antennas attached to them. You can walk up to one and grab a hold of the antenna. Doing so, you will be able to move the right analog stick to try and get decent enough reception to watch a portion of the evening news. The news doesn’t particularly help you but does add some intrigue into what is going on in the city. At some points, you’ll find not the evening news but a creepy looking dude that gives you some tips or advice on what you should be doing. I do NOT like seeing that guy!
A nice touch to the game is the new investigative gameplay. Yes, you still pull out your camera and black light but unlike the first title, this becomes a bit more core to the experience. In certain areas of the game, you’ll be asked by Rosa to investigate and examine crime scenes. I really enjoyed the enhanced feature as you’re forced to take a close look at your surroundings and help determine just what went down. While you examine pieces of evidence, you can make one of a handful of predetermined guesses as to what it is you think is in front of you. Each guess opens up a new choice which means there are quite a few combinations of guesses. Depending on how your examination goes, you’ll get a ranking which also affects your overall score for that Act.
Graphics
The game retains much of the same look that you’ve experienced before with Condemned. There’s plenty of darkness throughout and while that’s the point of things, it’s almost a shame there isn’t more light as the detail is impressive. Enemies that come forth, especially these gooey, black-oil looking guys that scared the crap out of me on a few occasions and each enemy has a unique set of looks. One thing that I noticed right off the bat is that Ethan Thomas has apparently been working out and stopped shaving. He no longer looks chubby, so he’s been working out obviously. Perhaps a more appealing look is what the developers were shooting for and that also affects Rosa. In the previous game, she too was down for bags of Cheetos Puffs on the late night, but she has also slimmed down, let her hair grow out to resemble a woman and has even gotten herself a nice little tan.
I think the look of the game really shines when you’re out doors where the light of the moon shines down upon the ground and sides of buildings. You really get a sense of being there and that’s what helps creep you out.
Sound
I’m the kind of guy that really appreciates the work of the sound team. Whether it’s blood pumping music or something that makes you want to crawl under the sheets; sound to me is an important aspect of any game. To really enjoy what the development team brings to the table, you really ought to play the game with a surround sound system and in the dark by yourself. The music is moody and never takes over the experience, remaining subtle while the sound effects of incoming foes and creepy crawlers running around the floors force you to look around the room. Everyone who’s played the game that I know tells me the same thing; “the music is creepy!” A round of applause for the team in charge of sound/music is much deserved.
Fun Factor
If you like getting scared, you’ll enjoy this game. If you like playing like CSI NY, you’ll enjoy this game. There’s quite a bit to like about the game and playing detective while fighting off hordes of jerkoffs looking to make you their personal punching bag is my cup of tea. If the single player isn’t enough, there’s always the multiplayer aspect which I’ll get to in a minute.
Lasting Appeal
The game seemed a little bit longer than did the first Condemned which is also in thanks to the level of difficulty that had me restarting from saved checkpoints on many occasions. Still the pace of the game slows down a bit when you’re examining crime scenes and such. Once you get through the game though, you can unlock stuff like First Person Shooter Mode. Of course there’s more to just the single player experience. In this sequel, SEGA decided to add a little online or local multiplayer. You can partake in some first person melee action which seemed decent enough for a few go arounds. The usual online Deathmatch has also been included though it seemed a bit rushed and somewhat confusing. The one mode which I did enjoy though was the Crime Scene mode. In this mode, a team of crazy peeps worked to hide a box with a head inside, and are allowed to mess with equipment of the SCU investigators who try to find it.
The 411
Condemned 2: Bloodshot, while not overly different from the first incarnation comes as a fine sequel to what was already a pretty good game. This is a game that encourages you to think outside the box and use some strategy and smarts while challenging you to stay alive in hopes of bringing your city back to sanity. While the multiplayer is a welcome addition, I don’t see it really being more than a side distraction when you need a break from the single player game. Still, the story mode is really where its at and coupled with an intriguing story and a bone-chilling atmosphere, Condemned 2 succeeds as another fine entry into the Xbox 360 (and PS3) library.
---------------------------------------------
SECOND OPINION
-Ty Huston
Condemned 2: Bloodshot is one hell of a roller coaster ride. The visuals are graphic and sometimes disturbing, the sound and music really amp up your senses and the storyline can really mess with your head if you allow it to. But being any normal videogame junkie, we’ll all let it do it.
While the game is a lot of fun and I agree with Ramon’s assessment, I think more emphasis needs to be placed on the difficulty of this game. Condemned 2 is not a one weekend rental. Some areas are a breeze, but other areas you’re completely overpower or overmanned to the point where it can be frustrating as you die in less than a minute over and over again until you figure out what to do to beat that area. It’s a quality game, that’s for sure, but the casual gamer really would probably get sick of it relatively early just because the quick learning and quick reflexes it takes to pass some levels can be very, very difficult.
All around, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is one of the sickest, most twisted, difficult to pick up and run with game I’ve ever played. But don’t let that scare you away – it’s a joyride through hell that will leave you waiting for a third installment to the series.
---------------------------------------------
Graphics
8.0
The game looks really good though the excessive darkness hides some of the beauty.
Gameplay
9.0
The addition of new investigative gameplay and improved fisticuffs was very welcomed.
Sound
9.5
It may not have the destructive and action-packed sound of say a Call of Duty 4, but damn if I wasn't spooked.
Lasting Appeal
8.5
Perfect length for a single player of this type of game. Multiplayer hits and misses in a few areas.
Fun Factor
8.5
It's fun to investigate until you get your ass handed to you over and over again. Frustrating at times, fun as hell in others.
