Brilliantly Disturbed

You're special agent Thomas of the FBI and you're shuffling slowly through a dim and grimy building; rats scurry underfoot, water drips from broken pipes in the deep shadows, and you're heading into the bowels of a broken tenement, as you march on to the scene of a grisly murder that reeks of a wild insanity.

Setting the mood.

Things begin naturally enough as you investigate the serial killer's latest handiwork, but the investigation turns to more immediate needs when you and the other officers realize the killer is still on the scene. The killer's presence and motives may be the least of your concerns though, as enemies lurk behind every corner, seemingly determined to maim, hunt, and murder all in their path. Their actions are psychotic and their motives unknown, but one thing is for certain; something is clearly amiss in this world, but it will take a terrifying journey to find out just what.

So begins Condemned: Criminal Origins, the frightening and refreshing first person adventure from Monolith. From these creepy beginnings launches a game teeming with deep player immersion, uncanny visuals, brutal combat, a twisting story that borders on psychotic, and an all around jaw-clenching, knuckle-whitening assault on the senses. In short, it's brilliantly disturbed and executed.

Something is clearly amiss in the world of
Condemned: Criminal Origins, but it will
take a terrifying journey to find out just what.

It Gets Its Claws into You
Condemned succeeds largely because if its ability to submerge the player into a world of gritty realism. The environments feel tangible, yet they could only exist in the tortured mind of a stark-raving lunatic. The dirt and filth and graffiti that are plastered on nearly every surface look so perfect that you're sure you could reach out a hand and feel the broken plaster on the walls, or the caked blood splattered on the door. It's this realism; this sense of immersion that builds the tension and fear throughout the game. The immediacy of the world pushes you into a state of taut awareness as you pass through silent halls and shattered rooms, yet even this heightened state doesn't prepare you for a madman bursting through a wall or from behind a door, shouting violent threats, grunting and screaming, and swinging a lead pipe like a murderous animal.

Decisions, decisions

The Gameplay
While the presentation for Condemned creates a wonderfully unnerving world, the intuitive and hard hitting gameplay mechanics cement the developer's goal to bring you into the world, to make Agent Thomas's experience your experience. Everything but the occasional cut-scene takes place from the first person perspective, and every action reflects that perspective. For example:

• Even the simple act of walking is met with a slight juggle or bob of the head and sound of moving feet. You can almost feel the shoulders and head move naturally as you move about, so no need to fear of the "floating head" sensation.
• Context sensitive actions take advantage of your viewpoint. You'll see your hands move out to grasp the rungs of the ladder, your head will twist and lower as you duck through a window or under a piece of police tape, your viewing area will tilt back as you lean back to prepare a shattering blow to a stuck door with a fire axe. Perhaps most visceral of all is the way your head snaps back and blood sprays in your eyes when you're struck by an enemy.

The combat of course works from the first person perspective as well. However, unlike most first person games, most of the combat is melee. You'll swing small pipes, 2x4s with nails, shovels, fire axes, sledgehammers, and whatever else is handy in the environment. Yes, there is the occasional gun to be used, but even that is done in a more natural way (by default, there is no targeting reticule, so aim carefully).

Mechanics wise, you'll use the Right Trigger to swing your weapon (or shoot if you using a gun), the Left Trigger to manually block an enemy's strike, the Left Shoulder Button to use your Taser, and you'll press down on the Right Thumbstick to kick, which is great for knocking someone back to get a little breathing room. You'll also have access to some nasty but effective finishing moves if you knock an opponent to their knees. Simply walk up to them and press in a direction on the D-Pad to lay them out, either by snapping their neck, bashing them to the ground, or laying a jaw-crunching haymaker or knee to their face.

Disturbing visions.

You'll also find some compelling variation in the enemy's reactions as they follow dynamic AI routines during a fight. Lay a crushing blow an enemy, but don't advance, and they may retreat to safe location (e.g. hiding behind a pillar). Knock a weapon out of their hands and they'll run off to rip out a piece of the environment to use against you. Smack an enemy into another and you'll likely see a fight break out between the two as they focus on each other instead of you.

In the quieter moments in Condemned, you'll use an arsenal of investigative technology to uncover clues. You may need to track an iridescent trail of fluid to find where an enemy snuck off to, use a UV light to uncover strangulation marks on a victim, take pictures of items in the serial killer's lair, and even use a device that tracks pungent odors to uncover the location of decaying birds (they're collectables).

Condemned: Criminal Origins brings a captivating and terrifying blend of thriller, survival-horror, and first person perspective together in a package that screams next-generation from start to finish. Turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and prepare to experience an assault on the senses that only Condemned can bring.

Article by Alex McLain