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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dirtier than a crow's beak, 7 April 2008
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Condemned 2 (Xbox 360) (Video Game)
Condemned: Criminal Origins was one of the better launch titles for XBox 360. Although plagued by some slighty dodgy hand-to-hand combat the game was one of the most disturbing and grim experiences available on any console.
The sequel improves on the original in all aspects. Graphically it's one of the dirtiest games I've ever seen - the grim and slime will be testing your HD TVs to the limit. Combat has been upgraded making things a little easier to control and more involving. Combos and upgrades have been introduced to enhance the hand-to-hand combat, but you'll still find any more than 2 enemies at a time a real challenge especially if one is armed with a gun. There's also the option to grab bits of the scenery to use as weapons with varying levels of effectiveness. When you do get hold of a firearm the ammo is extremely limited but there is a new option to replay all the levels after completing the game armed to the teeth!
Multiplayer is a new addition too. Although it won't be challenging COD4 or Halo 3 for the top spot on XBox Live there's enough varity to warrant it's inclusion.
If your idea of a good night out is getting high on crystal meth laced with LSD, drinking 5 litres of lighter fluid and picking a fight with the occupants of your local crack-house this is definately for you.
REVIEW UPDATE - I probably should have mentioned this does not include any Southpaw or Legacy controls options - naughty Monolith - so left-handers beware!
REVIEW UPDATE II - having spent a bit more time with the multiplayer I have to say it's a bit a botch job. Around 400 gamerpoints are on offer and that's probably the only reason I'll be playing it again (if at all).
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bloodshot, 9 April 2008
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Condemned 2 (Xbox 360) (Video Game)
First, i have to say that i loved the first condemned, and this second installment contnues on from where the original game left off.
After playing through the first 3 missions in bloodshot, I would say that although some aspects have improved , there are others that have actually been made worse.
The 'investigation' elements of the game have been improved dramatically, with grades now being given for the quality of your slueth abilites.
In the first game, whenever a crime scene was discovered, the game would choose which tool to use and where to point it for you, so all this aspec t of the game would entail was a basic 'press x, adjust aim, hold right trigger' mini game. Now, the player must choose the correct tool,decide which elements can be used as evidence on-screen, and then conclude what your findings mean. One example of this entails you investigating a pool of blood , and deciding how the character died by using the splatter pattern to determine the point of impact, weapon used etc.
The fact that now the player actulally has to think about the investigation aspect is a welcome addition to the game.
On the other hand, i feel that the actual combat has been made too complicated and combo driven, with some "combos" now involving horrible RTA events to pull off.It also appears that the developers want you to start using guns a lot more than in the first game, which , as least to me, seems like theyre trying to dilute the one thing that made condemned different from other fps games.One other gripe is that the hits you do manage to land on your attackers just dont 'feel' as meaty as they did before.
Multiplayer:
I dont really know what to say about the multiplayer aspect of this game other than the word 'shocking'.I only got bloodshot yesterday, remember, and have only played aroud five games online, but i cannot think of a more stupid concept than that of bloodshot online. The games i had the misfortune of playing last night involved a team game of police vs infected, where the object of the game is for the police team to survive, while the infected thugs try to beat their brains in. sounds good? Well, imagine if the police have assault rifles and armor, while the infected team have bricks and die after one hit.So, the game usually ends up with the infected team getting shot to pieces over and over and over again, until the police run out of ammo and have to use melee weapons. Of course, by the time this happens, whoever gets to start as the police will have a ridiculous score that can not be beaten. To make matters worse, it appears that whoever has the best score stays on as police in the next round, so basically, if you start on the police team, you win the match . yay.
The graphics of this game are of about the same quality of the first game, but may be slightly more polished.The character models however are much improved, although it appears that Ethan Thomas has spent all of his money on completely restucturing his face and body in some masochistic surgery procedure, as the now unrecognisable agent Thomas has hit hard times and is desperately in need of a haircut.Overall, the environments are quite detailed, and i would give the visuals a 7 or 8 out of ten.
Story:
Having only just started the 4th level, I cant really say too much, but i can add that so far the story has been interesting and quite dark, so i have no complaints of this aspect.
Overall I would give the game a 7, based on what I have seenso far(although i am disregarding the awful multiplayer in this score)
hope this helps
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
If you're a fan of the first don't get your hopes up..., 10 Sep 2008
Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: Condemned 2 (Xbox 360) (Video Game)
Condemned : Criminal Origins has become something of a cult classic since its release in 2005 and I for one was greedily awaiting the follow up, Bloodshot, this year. Sadly, it wasn't worth the wait.
What made the original special was the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere which took it's lead from movies like Seven, Silence of the Lambs and Saw. Sure it had it's flaws. The combat system, especially the blocking, was very temperamental and the forensic investigation sections where little more than point and click exercises. Nevertheless, playing this game with the light off was a bone chilling and memorable experience. Who could forget the department store level when the mannequins silently surround you or having to take the close-up picture of the victim in the school locker only for him to return to life. It makes me wonder then why the developers chose such a different tact for the sequel.
Condemned 2 play much more like a traditional FPS and two of the levels in particular where assault rifles can be found every few minutes turn the game in to a poor mans Call of Duty. There are still some levels where hand-to-hand combat prevails but they are now so many options the whole process feels diluted. Ironically the poor combat system in the first game probably added to the experience as every foe you took on was a challenge.
The storyline for the second outing is, to be blunt, an absolute mess. Forget hunting down a serial killer this time. Now we are off to the sci-fi land of secret organisations and plots for world domination. Yawn. Is it just me or has the whole conspiracy theory that goes all the way to the president idea been done to death in recent years? And in the case of Condemned 2 it has been done much, much better. Oh, and why has Rosa from the original gone from being a squat, bespectacled women in her forties to a skinny model come actress?? I liked the original Rosa!
Don't get me wrong. This isn't a terrible game but with expectations being so high it has fallen some way short. I really do hope that the team behind the game see their folly and start Condemned 3 with Ethan Thomas waking up to discover that Condemned 2 was just a dream and he is back working the beat as an SCU agent tracking down another psychopath.
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Suitable for 18 years and over. Not for sale to persons under age 18. By placing an order for this product, you declare that you are 18 years of age or over.
