I finished Condemned 2: Bloodshot yesterday evening and I’ve just posted a review. It’s a pretty good game, and at some points it’s absolutely brilliant, but I found the story and level progression to be a bit random and unfocused. Still, the Condemned series represents an example of how horror games can diverge from the formulas defined by Resident Evil and Silent Hill and still be very high quality. I enjoyed Condemned 2, though I think that the original had a better story.
I think the infamous Yahtzee reviews Condemned 2 perfectly…which is great, mainly because he’s been knocking out the same tired review style for far too long now – insert hard cut to comedy demon eating a stick man’s crotch (complete with Turok in the background) here NOW!
Condemned 2 is exactly how I think Project Origin will turn out after what they did with F.E.A.R. So don’t cry to anyone about how Monolith ruined another sequel, okay?
jessesnyder.org
I just finished it and wrote a review as well:
http://www.jessesnyder.org/trenches/?p=36
Overall I thought it was pretty well done and better than C:CO. The SCU level was pretty scary (albeit a little annoying with all the staticy green overlays).
But, where did the bear go?
> Jesse
[This post contains some SPOILERS]
Whoa, that is awesome timing! Where did the bear go indeed? And who the heck was that guy you helped in the doll factory level? Who was the bad guy in the doll level, for that matter? All I know about her is that I crushed her head in a vice. And what was the point of the museum level? The mayor got killed, ok, but why? I played the second-to-last level twice (damn those sonic hubcap things!) and the second time through I realized that I’m supposed to be following some guy with a crossbow who I never once saw the first time through–who the heck was that guy?
I liked the game but it was all over the place. Fun mechanics though. I wonder if Breakdown or some other first person brawler works as well as Condemned for first person melee combat.
I though it was a good shooter, but not particularly scary. The investigative elements were amazing the melee combat was great (the hand to hand was up there with Project Breakdown)
I didn’t like that guns were more prevalent this time around, but with the enemies it made sense
The melee combat made you feel too powerful. like Ethan was hitting the gym before he hit the bar.
but over all it was nice
I think the bear went off to find more people really. Without showing what happened to it, you expected the big burly sod to come out for one last fight. They pulled the same trick in F.E.A.R. when Janowski went missing.
The guy in the doll factory was one of the tramps who knew they were taking the street people and turning them into the Oro creatures. Probably survived whatever happened in first one too. You have to kill him and the tramp from the start in the Bowling Alley later on, when they’ve been turned.
They mayor was killed by SKX because she was an Oro member. He cut her up to find out how the mechanical parts worked (he’d already killed for the larynx with another character). The knight guy was just another looter/psycho.
> Townsend
I didn’t notice the guy from the doll level in the bowling level, but I’ll take your word for it. I understood that the mayor was an Oro member, but not why SKX decided to carry her head around. And the Magic Man level seemed like something that was supposed to be longer but they ran out of time (very convenient for the protagonist to suddenly know who that guy is at the end of the bowling alley).
I dunno. Felt very disjointed to me.
If you look at the back cover (though the PAL version) there’s a pic of the tramp with the glasses. But he’s got the metal bits in his face. His reappearence is blink or you’ll miss it. He’s killed off just like any other character really (like that piercing guy who beats you at the start).
The tramp right at the very start is the same guy later on in the bowling alley that keeps stuttering “Hey friend!” You basically have to kill him to pass, so you can’t miss him. Unless you’re paying real close attention, both are really easy to miss.
Thomas knew who the Magic Man because he was one of the killers he failed to catch pre-Condemned. He knew SKX would finish the killing the killers and there’s evidence in the bowling alley that MM is the next victim. Yet, he bizarrely finds him in the next level!
How he knows the location is anybody’s guess!
http://racooncitytimes.blogspot.com/2008/04/condemned-2-bloodshot-review.html
I think the combat was vastly improved, adn the bear section was intense. however it was a frankly stupid plot that leaves nothing to the imagination and i finished it in 3 hours.
it has a nice aesthetic, and tries something different. but its really mediocre at best, i can say with absolute certainty i will never play it again, but i will the original. which i hated but now view in a much better light after this terrible sequel.
At first ,I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced…well…bread…
And THEN….Well…What the Hell was up with the levels/locals/etc…?
It turned into the whole FEAR thing mentioned earlier, (office combat anyone?) and then the WOODS…?
Bear..? WTF does a bear have to do with this ….?And WHY would THAT be the thing that EVERY reviewer thought was so great??
And,I swear to GOD….I am going to write/design a game where EVERY LEVEL is one that ends where you have to ‘fight the Powerful Boss—in a Giant Chamber—Around a Giand ,Super Powerful MACHINE–That is ABOUT TO BLOW UP—” It’ll be really cool AND original..
Now I’m gonna go play 13 ,Half Life(any including the Portal game too ) Resist Fallo’Man,oh..yeah…and Redneck Rampage….