Monolith has delivered what is pretty easily the most unique launch title for the 360 and also a game that serves as a fantastic showcase for the system's potential.  On top of that, it's scary as hell and most importantly: it's a pretty fun game.  Note that I said pretty fun, because the game's strength lies in the fact that it can absolutely draw you into its world and freak you out, not because of incredible gameplay.
 
As an FBI agent, Thomas shows up at a routine murder scene.  Some girl has been murdered, yadda yadda.  It's just a day in the life, until the killer shows up at the scene and starts playing with you.  I'm not going to spoil anything, but the end result is that you've been accused of murdering a few cops and you're on the run.  The only way to prove your innocence is to catch the real killer, of course.  It seems like kind of a ho-hum setup, but when you're there, as Agent Thomas, watching these events unfold before your eyes, it feels pretty intense.
 
From there, the real game begins.  Each level sees Thomas exploring one dilapidated area after another, following a linear path until he gets to the end.  Most of the game is spent exploring, tensely waiting for something to happen.  The game is at its best when you're absolutely sure something is about to happen, and then nothing does.  At least, nothing does until you let your guard down and then it throws something at you.  Simple things like exploring a bathroom become exercises in terror.  That said, it mostly throws the same things at you over and over again. 
 
The game, for the most part, stays away from the supernatural, so you're just fighting hobos and drug addicts throughout the game.  There are a few different types, and some behave differently than others, but it does get a little repetitive.  Combat is simple, relying almost entirely on melee.  Most objects can be grabbed from the environment and used as weaponry, but I found that in every level I was relying on the same weapon throughout.  They all have stats, such as range, speed and damage, but I prefer the highly-damaging slow weapons.  There's never a specific need for quick weapons, so I'd basically never switch weapons, especially because some of the heavier weapons, like the ax or sledgehammer, also serve as keys to get through certain areas (or walls, hehe).
 
Thomas also has a taser, which stuns foes long enough for you to get in a cheap shot or rip the weapon from their hands.  It has unlimited uses but needs to charge for perhaps 30 seconds before being fired again.  It is ridiculously useful, especially against enemies with firearms.  Did I say firearms?  There are guns in the game, and they're very powerful, but ammo is scarce.  In fact, you'll never find any; it's just what's in your gun.  Finding a shotgun with a full 5 shots will make you feel very powerful for a while, that's for sure.  Most of the game you'll feel pretty vulnerable, as just one hobo can do some serious damage (especially on the harder difficulty, which I highly recommend to all non-wimps), so it's nice to occasionally feel tough.

As a break from the action, you’ll occasionally need to search for evidence. Really, these segments are little more than interactive cut scenes, because the game tells you exactly where to look and exactly what tools to use. Even so, I very much enjoyed them. The illusion of discovery is there, even if your hand is held. If there’s a sequel, it would be nice to have a little more freedom, though.
 
What is scary for one person may not be to another, so it makes judging the fright factor difficult. Fortunately, Condemned features both kinds of scary: there are plenty of cheap “boo!” scares, one in particular actually caused me to cry out in surprise, but there’s also some psychological terror going on here. You’ll never look at mannequins the same way again, that’s for sure. Do yourself a favor and play this one in the dark and by yourself; it makes it exponentially scarier.

Visually, the game is a shining example of what next-generation systems are capable of. The use shadows and lighting add quite a bit to the already frightening environments. The various hobos you’ll encounter are amazingly animated, with realistic reactions to your bone crunching strikes. It’s a bit of a shame you’ll see these same wonder animations over and over again, but what’s here is great. Little details like individual teeth flying out of their mouths really highlights the brutality of the situation.

The audio, also, is incredible. Just because the 360 allows custom soundtracks in every game, that doesn’t mean you should always use them. To mix out on Condemned’s atmosphere “music” would ruin the experience. It’s mostly creepy noises with the occasional horror-style tune, but it all fits perfectly and changes tempo to fit the situation. Likewise, the noises made by your various foes are truly frightening.

Condemned clocks in at under 10 hours and there really isn’t much to do after the game is over. Throughout each level, there are 3 metal pieces and 6 bird corpses you can go back and find, as well as some extra Achievements like completing the game without firing a weapon. Even so, that’s not a particularly good reason to play it again.




Article By: Chris Hulik