Condemned 2: Bloodshot is the sequel to a game commonly found for ten bucks in the game store sale bin. Many reviewers love Condemned 2, but to me, it is just another title that will eventually end up like its predecessor. Maybe I’m not interested in the story, or maybe the genre throws me off, but to me, Condemned 2 is a forgettable title.
You are Ethan Thomas, who after leaving his job as a SCU agent, has found his way into a state of continuously drunken stupor. Ethan has become a raging alcoholic, which has interesting ramifications, but not interesting enough to improve the bland story line. Ethan decides to go on a wild goose chase after his friend Van Horn. Along the way he fights both real and supernatural demons (that mostly look like meth addicts), generally as a result of his drunken state.
After a few hours of playing this game, I felt drunk too. Ethan could barely hold a gun straight, win a fist fight, or walk in a straight line. Believe me, being a total loser gets tiring. So does being constantly confused by the complicated knot of a story line.
Luckily, there are a few good things to say about Condemned 2. The soundtrack is awesome. The “fright noises” really enhance the scenery and situations, and the orchestral score features some interesting tracks during gameplay. For a horror-game-phobe like me, the soundtrack is what really did me in.
The game mechanics are well suited for the PS3 controller. Combos are easily executed by means of the L1 and R1 buttons, and the menus are very accessible. The camera is touchy, but provides a great 360 degree view of your surroundings at all times. The environments are also well done. For this game to work, the dark and gloomy mood really needs to be set. Exploring dark abandoned houses, stores, and streets enhances the feeling of never knowing exactly what is behind you.
The characters in the game are not scary looking, but having one attack you from nowhere gets interesting. Additionally, much of the environment is available for your own manipulation. Almost any object in a room is at your disposal for a weapon. Sadly, just like in real life, if you hit someone with a spiky 2×4 repeatedly, eventually it will break and you will have to find a new one. Oh well, there’s an old crappy TV nearby…
Overall the graphics are passable. The blood isn’t as interesting as it could be. Instead of spewing everywhere, it simply darkens clothes to show where you’ve hacked at someone. The characters look plasticky, and the “demons” aren’t anything other than albino guys with rotting teeth.
One of the cool features that I liked was the “context sensitive” button. Basically, anything you ever need to do in a situation (slide between boxes, fix a TV antenna, manipulate any object, etc) is assigned to this button and the objective flashes up when the moment to execute the action arises. I hate confusing button configurations, and this is definitely more my style.
The multiplayer is lame; as are the extras. Playing through the game once is enough for me. Perhaps if you are a Xbox Live Achievement whore you may play through just to get the extra points, or if you’re one of those people that wants to beat a game on the hardest difficulty possible. For most people, this game is rentable, but not worth the fifty bucks.
Lastly, this game is rated Mature for a reason. Hardly a sentence goes by without the f-bomb, so if you are sensitive about what reaches your children’s ears, don’t expose them to this game. If you were a fan of the first Condemned or the horror genre, this game may be worth a few hours. Either rent it or buy it used so you get your money’s worth.
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