Condemned 2: Bloodshot

It’s been a while. I recently graduated from Michigan (score), had to move, and have been trying to figure out my life a bit, so I haven’t had a lot of time to write about games. But I’m going to try to get back on track and write here more often. We return with my review of Condemned 2: Bloodshot…

WHAT I LIKE

1. The game is scary. At a few points, it actually caused me to jump in my seat a bit. This is high praise for a horror game, as I am a fan of the horror genre, and it takes a lot to get to me. The chase scenes in particular are incredibly high-tension areas of the game. You haven’t felt fear until you’ve been chased down by a giant bear in an abandoned ski resort.

2. The up-close fighting system makes for intense, personal beatdowns, which can be quite gratifying. Most of the weapons have an appropriately hefty feel and help you feel like quite the badass.

3. Beating the hell out of homeless people is an instant win.

4. Fantastic sound and voice acting really adds a new level to fights. The sound of fist meeting flesh is perfectly brutal, and enemies yelling obscenities at you in the midst of battle helps drive you to finish them.

5. Gritty atmosphere with pretty tasty graphics over a large variety of situations. Even the challenges are mostly fun and help you hone your skills in specific situations.

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WHAT SUCKS
1. Story? There was a story in this game? Something about a serial killer…

2. It’s really difficult to pick up weapons sometimes. You have to be aiming perfectly at the bastard for the game to acknowledge that you would like to grab it, and if you move an inch you have to find that sweet spot again. This makes it very difficult to pick up a new weapon during a fight.

3. *SEMI-SPOILER* The “superpower” that you get near the end of the game is cheap and unnecessary. However, it is hilarious, so it’s hard to hate.

4. Online play is really weak and incredibly unbalanced. I played a game for a half hour without anyone on my team getting a single kill. It was the cops vs. criminals mode, and the criminals had no real weapons or armor, while the cops had some nice firepower. Lame.

5. Power-ups are based on your proficiency with the game’s investigation system, which sometimes feels arbitrary. Oh yeah, and combos are a pain in the ass to pull off. I got through the entire game without learning more than perhaps three of them…

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IN CLOSING

With one of the grittiest atmospheres yet to appear in a video game, Condemned 2 is really an adult game. While the story is a fairly weak excuse for putting the game’s various scenarios together, it is still fun to go through them. From a decrepit doll factory to an abandoned ski resort, the game makes great use of its environments to give you fun new things to do (using creepy exploding dolls as projectiles, running from a big-ass bear…). I recommend playing by yourself at night, though, because… what better way to play? The first person perspective brings a new twist on horror, and pulls it off very well, by forcing you to get up close and personal with your enemies via heavy emphasis on melee combat.
I would definitely recommend this game for anyone interested in getting a little scared, or who just want to let their frustrations out by beating on some (possessed) homeless people. But if you prefer your gaming colorful, happy, or gore-less, then Condemned isn’t exactly going to float your boat.