Condemned: Criminal Origins - Hands on Review (Xbox 360)

When I first played Condemned I was less than excited about the concept. It was hard for me to imagine what could eventually rope me into playing a game that was seemingly filled with melee combat with crazed vagrants. However, after going in-depth with the title the game has revealed itself to be a legitimately terrifying take on survival horror. The best part of this being that Monolith has done away with the most annoying survival aspects and has pushed horror to a new level.

Before we discuss the darker details of Condemned I should first say a word about the atmosphere in which the game is best experienced. Our previous hands-on impressions have all been from the noisy floor of an exhibition. E3 and X05 were great venues for quick impressions but not for titles that rely on a steady build-up of tension. Our time at Sega displayed the game in a more fitting environment: a dark room on a big screen and an excellent sound system. This way when footsteps pattered behind us across the dusty floor of a dark basement it was sure to send shivers up our spine.

The game opens as FBI agent Thomas is escorted by the local police force to the scene of a grisly murder. While there are cut-scenes that switch to third person view to better tell the story the majority of the game is seen through the eyes of Thomas, giving players a deeper connection to the character. As we pulled up to a rundown building, a cop slammed on the car window to get our attention. It was the type of quick scare tactic that is commonly used to keep the audience engaged in horror films and it was just as effective here.

Thomas tracks a number of demented killers throughout the course of the game but the first scene players come across is the grisly work of a suspected serial killer known as the matchmaker. As police lead players to the crime scene a quick tutorial gave us the particulars on ducking below obstacles, moving and bringing out a weapon. The murder scene consisted of a corpse staged to have a sort of a tea party with a mannequin.

Thomas' first task is to collect forensic evidence from the area. For these sections of the game he is equipped with a host of forensic tools including a camera, a gas spectrometer, and a black light. All of these are linked to a video PDA that keeps players linked to the Bureau. It also allows Thomas to stream data back and forth from the lab for instant information about the clues found in his surroundings. About half of the game is spent using these real life instruments to track down your demented suspects and the puzzles I participated in were intuitive and logical. Thankfully the game avoids nonsensical fetch quests commonly associated with horror games like Resident Evil. The item searching I experienced involved looking for an axe to break down a boarded up door.

After searching the scene for clues the smell of cigarette smoke tips the cops off to the fact that someone is observing their investigation. In an unfortunate series of events Thomas is separated from the group and framed as a suspect. The storyline has the agent unraveling a deeper plot that involves some older acquaintances of his family and a drug that is turning users into psychotic killers. Thomas is gifted (or cursed) with premonitions of horrible events making him especially suited to track down the game's horrifying cast of psychotics. An interesting storyline is a huge asset for a game of this genre and I'm already interested in the story development after watching the prequel story on the Condemned web site.

Sega labels this title as a psychological thriller because outside of the flashes of the future the subject matter is more solidly based in reality than most horror games. The style has more than a passing resemblance to the movie Se7en and a few other classic works of horror cinema. This makes the scares more realistic and lasting. Personally, I've become numb to zombies so a game based on psychotic humans is a more enticing hook.

But How Does it Play?
Thomas starts the game with a standard issue pistol, but it isn't long before he's left with only the tools in the environment to defend himself against hoards of deadly nut cases. Most of the blunt and sharp objects found in the environment can be ripped from their fixtures and used as melee weapons. The right trigger swings while the left trigger throws up a block that must be timed perfectly with an enemy's attack. The weapons include pipes, sledge hammers, a crow bar, a plank of wood, and even the arm of a mannequin. Each one has a different rating for damage, speed, block, and reach adding a bit more depth than wildly swinging whatever is handy at the moment.

Correctly blocking an incoming attack will cause enemies to become disoriented for a brief moment allowing players to move in for an extra whack. There are also a limited number of projectile weapons including a pistol, shotgun, a high powered machine gun, and a taser that Agent Thomas always keeps handy. Blasting enemies is fun, but the game shines when combat gets up close and personal. Enemies can be disarmed after they are hit with a shock tazer but if they come to their sense while players are too near they'll jump on Thomas. This initiates a mini-game where players must shake the analogue sticks to break free. My attempt ended with a swift head butt to the face which blurred my screen and blurred my vision. While I was stunned, the attacker dove back into the shadows and prepared another assault.

Condemned also has a set of finishing moves that are by far the most violent aspect of the game. When an enemy is near death, they fall to their knees and Thomas can hit the d-pad to initiate one of four disturbing finishers. These include a kick to the face, a neck snap, and face squishing head ram, and life-ending punch. Every hit that connects in Condemned looks and feels solid and painful but these moves take brutality to a whole new level.

The behavior of the enemies is far more intelligent than the mindless drones presented in zombie oriented games. The maniacs will duck behind cover, wait around corners, and run away when they know they've been bested. Some of the mindless addicts will even turn on each other at which point it's a good idea to let them duke it out.

The developers at Monolith have had plenty of experience working on the PC so they were well prepared for creating a hi-end experience for the 360. So far Condemned looks like it is going to be successful at presenting an ultra realistic trek through some very dark and disturbing areas. Players spend the game exploring abandoned buildings, condemned department stores, and vacant subways, and everything has an extremely high level of detail. Although the settings feel similar in general every wall is unique and players won't find repetitive textures and rooms. Even more key than the realistic visuals is the excellent use of sound. Many of the areas in the game are dimly lit, so listening for footsteps or an object falling off of a shelf can tip players off to danger lurking just around the corner.

Condemned has revealed itself to be more interesting than we previously suspected and its one title that I'll definitely be keeping my eyes on as we approach the system launch. We'll have more information on Condemned coming soon.