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Condemned (Xbox 360) | 
 enlarge | From: Sega
Category: Video Games
List Price: £49.99
Buy Used: £6.99
You Save: £43.00 (86%)
New (3) Used (15) from £6.99
Rating:  44 reviews
Sales Rank: 902
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: horror-action-games
Media: Video Game
Number Of Items: 1
Age: 18 - 18 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5060004766512
ASIN: B000BQ5IVE
Release Date: November 25, 2005
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Hardly played
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| Customer Reviews: Read 39 more reviews...
 Bored.... May 8, 2008
JOHN 117 (GB)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Good graphics, good atmosphere
BUT EVERY LEVEL IS THE SAME AND THE WEAPONS ARE RUBBISH
 A stunning, violent, masterpiece April 10, 2008
DAvE (UK, Leeds)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Who'd have thought a lack of ammo would add to a game's enjoyment? But because of this you are forced to think about how you are going to tackle the horrors that you face (this one element is so sadly lacking in so many others fps games).
It is the best horror survival type game I've played, far better in every way than any of the Resident Evil games, which are clumsy and stiff by comparison (the reason I never bothered to finish one). Making it fps corrects all that stupid manoeuvring difficulty RE had.
The AI is outstanding. I just can't play any more fps where AI consists of - idiots see you, idiotically run at you, you kill them or they kill you. In condemned, the people that want to harm you are concerned about themselves, will run away and hide, will choose a better weapon, if they can find one, etc. You do feel like you are in a real world rather than a game.
I can't recommend this game enough, it is a stunning, very violent, horror masterpiece.
Where the darkness reaches, the Condemned are waiting... April 3, 2008
A. Russ (Derbyshire)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
It has been several years now since I first played Condemned: Criminal Origins, and from the moment I first slammed the game into my 360 drive and turned off the lights I found myself in for a hell of a ride.
I won't go into the story, as the plot is what makes the game so dark and twisted. What I will say is that Condemned is essentially a police detectives' hunt for a serial killer, where there is no element of comedy or cheap jokes, and all the action remains depressing, violent and gritty.
Graphically the game seems to follow along the lines of FEAR; a similar game engine is used. Upon its release Condemned was the first game to really show the power of the 360, with the character models looking unbelievably good at the time, and still looking pretty awesome today, even with games like Gears of War around. Lighting is spectacular, with shadows flickering and causing you to spin around at the slightest movement in aprehension for an attack from the enemy. However, the most notable problem with the graphical design of the game is the degree to which many of the rooms seem to be, at least partly, identical. Whilst it doesn't particularly damage the game, seeing the same style of room multiple times can become a little dull.
The gameplay is pretty intense. Whilst it isn't as fast playing as most FPS, the AI is so realistic that it couldn't possibly be: whilst the ability to sprint exists, you can only do so for about 15 seconds before you stop to catch your breath, giving the criminals around you a chance to batter you to the ground. Because of this you are forced to slowly check the rooms/ halls, move forward and pray that there isn't a criminal lurking in the shadows around you. The actual combat is incredibly different from most FPS; whilst there are firearms in the game, the ammunition and variation is limited. The majority of the combat is spent with various melee weapons, ranging from locker doors to steel pipes, sledgehammers to paper-cutters. Which weapon you have does make a difference, and it will take some time to work out which weapon is best matched for your style of play. The enemies you encounter are also smart enough to realise if you remove their weapons, they have to try and tackle you to the ground. Failing this they will retrieve any weapons around them, in the same way that you can. It's slower gameplay than most, but it also has a more realistic and intense feel to it.
Whilst combat makes up the majority of Condemned, the second slice of the gameplay revolves around the CSI-style investigations you carry out. Within the story there are times when you must investigate an area for blood-trails, identify finger prints etc. and forward them - via a modified cell phone - to your lab contact. Hints appear on-screen to assist the player in knowing when it is neccessary to use tools, however the problem is that tools are automatically chosen for you. Therefore there is little room for acting like a real agent; you can't cycle through your tools and work out which one you need, adding to the length of such investigations. Once your part of the investigation is complete, a report is forwarded back to you by your lab contact. It's an interesting experience that generally pays off, and it gives a bit of variation to constant brutality.
Condemned also features some incredible sound and music. Whilst there is nothing that will make you break out in emotional tears, the atmosphere is generally conveyed through the scraping sounds, eerie screeches and quiet melodic effects that keep you on edge. Enemies yell at you when they see you, and will scream if you sneak up on them. Weapons sound quite sickening, especially when you bring - say - a sledgehammer to the side of somebody's skull.
The game is quite length, roughly around 10-15 hours depending on the difficulty you play it. Unfortunately it isn't the type of game that will neccessarily scare you as much as it did when you first played it, as on the second time around there is nothing that has changed - enemies will still exist in the same areas etc.
Whilst a little outdated, Condemned: Criminal Origins is still a game I would have to recommend. If you enjoy sick, twisted horrors then this game is for you. If not, you probably won't enjoy it. It gives you enough chills and thrills to keep you playing until the end, and a fantastic plot that makes you want to find out more and more. And with Condemend 2 being released on the 4th April, it's a neccessity to play this if you are planning on getting it's sequel.
Great setting, good art, bad gameplay January 18, 2008
C/C++ programmer (UK)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you like gruesome serial killer series on t.v. and the idea of a game where you track them down, then the setting is perfect for you. However, there is no getting past the repetitive gameplay. If you found Bioshock even slightly repetitive, then I recommend you don't bother. And although it's very grim and downbeat, it's not actually that scary.
There is also an annoying inconsistency of the entire game - you (a disgraced *detective*) spend the whole game tracking down someone who is killing people (approximately 10 victims!) and in the process you have to beat to death (with blunt objects, mi'lord) approximately 200 people!!!
I couldn't help wondering if a detective would have started to get a bit worried after the first 6 corpses...
Superb! October 17, 2007
Mr. A. R. Castor (London, England)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Resident Evil 4 set the benchmark for games of these genre on the gamecube, it was simply superb, but I cant believe this one passed me by.
The settings are stunning,the storyline compelling but sometimes confusing. Basically, youre playing a film.
The deserted department store with mannequins that whisper to you when you walk past them and also some that come to life are amazing, so is the ambience with the dreary slow motion quiet music, its creepy.
The shut-down school has noises from the past of kids in the playground, its creepy.
This game will make you jump, especially if you have a few speakers behind you on 5.1 surround. Its superb. The enemies are evil looking, it scares you constantly, and my girlfriend watched me play it for a month (2 hours a day maximum!) and was totally engrossed.
When you reach the house, following the numbers to find a riddle from room to room is compelling, using an ultra violet scanner.
Considering this was a 1st release for the 360, its up there with the best of them. If I had a complaint, it would be that these type of games all have the same type of brickwork corridoor maze type passages which get a bit tedious if you become a bit lost.
Also, the new york underground network is amazing, and atmospheric.
You HAVE to have 1080 high definition and 5.1 surround for this game, it makes it so much better.
Its on the classics range now, and rightly so. A classic game. Buy it!
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