Video Games : Condemned Criminal Origins

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Binding: Video Game
Brand: Sega Of America, Inc.
EAN: 0010086680010
ESRB Age Rating: Mature
Label: Sega Of America, Inc.
Manufacturer: Sega Of America, Inc.
Model: 10086680010
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Sega Of America, Inc.
Release Date: June 15, 2006
Sales Rank: 1197
Studio: Sega Of America, Inc.

Features:

Weapons and ammunition are scarce, leaving the player vulnerable to the game's mentally deranged criminals
Careful detective work and precision reflexes are your primary means of survival
Intelligent enemies respond strategically to your offensive and defensive maneuvers
High-level physics allow players to manipulate background items, which respond realistically when picked up, kicked, or bumped
Tightly wound story, backed with strong character development and major plot twists

Accessories:

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Condemned: Criminal Origins allows players to experience the unnatural, as they track down serial killers and bring them to justice. Play as Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent in the Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through detailed urban environments filled with sociopaths who lurk on the edge of humanity. Condemned maintains an intense, focused pace -- Players can never be sure what waits around each corner. Meticulously crafted 5.1 surround-sound will cue players to the location of offscreen enemies Next-generation lighting, mapping, and filtering techniques provide for environments of unprecedented detail and visual quality

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- boring
could have been a good game, but too much time is wasted just running up & down corriders with nothing in them. maybe condemed 2 is better? I can never figure out why video game companies spend so much time and money on games that are just Boring

Rating:

- Fun Game
Very challenging, and nothing like I thought it would be from the cover. The story line is very good.

Rating:

- another csi investigation but great game
This game was creepy not scary but creepy, the effects were great the storyline was great. This was a mystirious game cause what if the underground is lurked with strange disfigured people and people that crawl i already no that bums live underground but what if everthing in this game is true, but otherwise this was a great fun game. It starts of with a detective to solve a murder from the hands of a phyco path but then 2 police officers got shot and killed by the phyco path murder'er, then the other police officers acused the detective of killing the 2 police office'rs but then things got worst, the detective and that other women had to solve crimes by not only the murder'er someone else was behind it all to, so as i continued the story the game started to get very interesting and very great it was like watching a horror movie and playing at the sametime, so back to what i was saying the there was'nt only one murder'er there was two causeing deaths, as the detective was solveing the murder case'es he was'nt alone there were creepy looking people that he had to fight over to succead his mission, through the game the detective was solveing pure evil and unsolved case'es quite sad to but this was a great game.

Rating:

- The Dark Path To Righteousness
Survival Horror. A lot of games claim to live up to this grand title. Few deliver. Condemned definitely frickin' delivers. You will be worried about your chances of survival. You'll be on your toes. Scared? Probably not. Tense? Definitely. Supplies are few enough and foes strong enough to really up the ante on you. There is no sense that "Oh, this is just another generic bad guy coming at me." No, you see everyone as a real threat--and they could be. A couple of badly-timed moves or a poor decision can lead you to a quick reload, no matter how many similar baddies you've downed. They can all kill you if you're not careful--hence, the anxiety I mentioned.

This is one of those games where you're torn between two ways of looking at it. Half of you is playing a video game. The other half is watching a creepy supernatural crime thriller. What some other reviewers--doubtlessly motivated by a sense of instant gratification--have described as "dull" or "repetitive" is--in reality--atmosphere and pacing. Your character moves slowly--you're always aware of your surroundings. There's no rushing through halls to engage the next enemy. Instead, you move cautiously about, checking dark corners with your flashlight, and listening intently for the sound of any footsteps that might alert you to the presence of a foe.

Really, this is an incredibly cinematic experience. If you're a quick enough cat to follow the story (reading reviews, it seems like not all are), you'll get sucked right in. There's a crime spree going on, and you're an FBI agent assigned to a serial killings division. The game picks up on your most recent case--a murdered woman posed with a mannequin in a rotting building. Get used to the decrepit surroundings. The entire game takes place in creepy urban (and one rural) locales.

You will periodically make use of your forensic tools to discover evidence and advance the story. Since it wouldn't be too exciting to spend time in a lab just to process it, you're equipped with a neat set of tools. Half of them work to identify evidence, and the other half collect said evidence. Once you've collected it, it's sent via cellphone to a lab and processed in mere moments (okay, so you have to stretch your suspension of disbelief for that). You're then briefed by your Bureau forensic nerd on what you've discovered.

But you're not just any FBI agent, as you find out. You have certain talents. You have visions. Sometimes, you'll see the past, other times, the future--and sometimes you'll see things you didn't think existed. These vision sequences are the best moments in the game. You'll hear whispers muttering your name and the lights will seem to shine out brighter (think The Green Mile). Sometimes the visions are even quite useful. They'll show you where you need to look for evidence--if you pay attention--and give you clues about the story.

This is the first game since Resident Evil that managed weapons properly. I could never abide games that bill themselves as "Survival Horror" and then give you a machine gun with 300 rounds five times per level, or let you carry one of every offensive weapon you encounter.

In this game, you have one weapon. That's all you can carry with you. What you take is up to you--you'll find various implements laying around. Each has strengths and weaknesses. There are firearms, but (and get this) you can't reload them. Whatever ammo is in them is all you get. I LIKE this. It really adds an element of danger when you check your revolver and realize you only have one bullet. The best part is--and this is unlike any other game I've ever played--you will KEEP that revolver with the one bullet over any melee weapon laying around. Trust me. You'll want the power and range. And don't worry--one bullet is useful, if you aim it properly. One bullet in the right spot will take down most enemies in the game. It's realistic like that.

The only mechanic that's a chore to master is blocking. It's not like usual--hold down a button and be blocking the whole time, no sir. When you hit the block button, you will block for half a second, then lower your weapon. If the block is poorly timed, you'll take full damage. This really adds to the tension of a fight scene. There's no way to be sure you're protected from an incoming attack. You're always on your toes.

I agree that this game is a little short. I finished it the same day I purchased it. Still, that didn't seem to detract too much from my experience. I was just as satisfied at the roll of the credits than if I'd just seen a top-notch thriller in a theater somewhere.

Oh, and let me say that the ending is actually worth the time you spend playing. It's a good five-minute-long scene, with a moral choice thrown in the middle (I won't spoil it, but here's a hint: to shoot or not to shoot, that is the question.)

Allow me to reiterate one more time the power of the atmosphere in this game. During the next-to-last level, as I was making my way through the home of a serial killer, I kept realizing I was doing two things: holding my breath so I could hear better, and wondering out loud just how messed up this killer was.

If you come into this game expecting a first-person shooter, forget it. It's first-person, but it's no shooter. Likewise, don't expect an RPG or anything. This is one of those games that's hard to categorize. The gameplay is different enough from most of its contemporaries that it falls into a category all its own. I made a comparison to Resident Evil before, so let's run with that. Imagine Resident Evil. Now make all the bad guys criminals and crackheads. Next, reduce the inventory space to a single item (don't worry; you don't need more than that). Finally, change the perspective to first-person. Throw in just a splash of futuristic CSI. Bam. Condemned.

Rating:

- A little on the short side, but still worth the money, or at least a rental if you're cheap.
This game, is one of those games, that reminds me why I still play video games. The graphics may seem outdated to elitists but I find them to be great. The sound effects are spot on, it could be something falling over making you turn around, or your own footsteps making you wonder if someone is following you, either way it will leave you spooked. The use of lighting is fantastic, it never gets old when you're walking around and all of the sudden an enemy pops out of a dark corner, and I swear I couldn't see him before. The A.I. is awesome. One of the scariest moments in the game was when I was walking in a subway and there's what looks to be a homeless guy sleeping on a bench, and he jumps up and charges me with an axe! There were several moments in this game that made me yell oh god! The developers effectively build suspense until all of the sudden someone pops up or shoots you through a window or something. Best of all is the combat, some of the situations were so intense I literally felt like I was fighting for my life, partly due to the first person perspective I think. I have to say, this brings that terror of the Silent Hill series together with realism and better, more innovative combat. Best of all, I bought this used for $14.99. Best 15 bucks I've spent in a while.


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