Brutal face beating taken to a new level
It should be mentioned up front that Condemned 2 is a graphic and truly scary game, which is definitely not for everyone. Now before you put your macho pants on and proclaim "I aint scared of no vidja game!" heed my words signor, this game is in my opinion one of the most frightening soiled pants-inducing games around.
Condemned 2: Bloodshot takes off where the original Condemned left off with disgruntled Serial Crimes Unit agent Ethan Thomas succumbing to alcoholism, sometimes leading to disturbing hallucinations, after leaving SCU. Ethan is soon contacted by SCU agents who ask for his assistence in investigating the death of Malcolm van Horn - a former friend/ mentor of Ethan's. The story of the game isn't it's strong point, yet at the same time it's not that bad. Character interaction seems very shallow and fake with characters showing very little emotion generally and only speaking to each other when they feel like blurting out some exposition on the thin plot. It serves it's purpose though and manages to string the set pieces together without being overly jarring.
Where this game really shines though is in it's ability to suck you in through it's gritty environments, phenomenal sound design and brilliant use of the first person perspective. Condemned 2 like it's predecessor is played entirely in first person however unlike many first person games there it little emphasis on guns which, until the later parts of the game, are seen sparsely. Instead focus is placed upon hand-to-hand combat... or pipe-to-face combat. Many items like bowling balls, pipes and bricks can be found lying around in the environment quite naturally and in areas you would expect to find such items. These items are then used as improvised weapons to fend off angry hobos and other opponents you might face. The feeling of swinging or throwing these objects feels good, probably too good. Weapons feel like they cause damage, have a weight to them and can inflict pain quite well. Ethan can also use his bare fists to cause pain to others to moderate effect but generally you want a cudgel of some sort in hand. Sounds that accompany these weapons are equally impressive - they don't feel like mere canned sound effects from the soundboard but the actual objects impacting various surfaces.
This is probably a good point to bring up the sound. The sound really does elevate this game from good to great with the crunching of the ground underfoot, the sound of approaching footsteps, the sound of hitting and being hit all really help in immersing you even further - if at all possible play this game with surround sound as it really adds another layer of tension and suspense when you can hear people in he distance or sneaking up on you.
Though this game does at time rely on stereotypical horror game tricks (closing a medical cabinet only to realise you've triggered an enemy to attack) the sheer immersion and mood of the game makes for a really scary experience. Additionally at certain points the environment will become covered in a black tar-like substance from which creatures crawl out of and attack in numbers.
Condemned 2 is one of the best horror games I've played in a while and though it's not going to everyones cup of tea it definitely had me gripped from start to end.
