Condemned: Criminal Origins
Posted February 23, 2006
Rather than bore you with the general details about the back story in Condemned: Criminal Origins, I'll point you to the fantastic review written by our own Mike Flacy. I'll try to concentrate more on my experiences with the game within each zone that we normally touch on during our reviews.
Graphics:
It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the graphics in Condemned finally fit the next-gen expectations, so there isn't much I can say to tell you the same. But what I can say is how I felt the graphics sucked me into the world even further, especially when dealing with the gritty realism when clocking a guy in the head and seeing pieces of pink matter fly and get stuck to my weapon
of choice.
Additionally, the dark grimy details that the developers included further increased my enjoyment; the mildewed shower stalls, the dirt crusted floors and the charred remains of the school library all envelope the player to bring about the sense of realism into the game.
The only nitpick is the overly plastisised character models during cut scenes. But it's as they say, as the technology advances and we get closer to reality in games, it's going to be the minor details that the human eye sees that can throw something off kilter. They nailed the wrinkles and facial tweaks, but the shiny skin threw the graphics off a little.
Audio:
Near total immersion is the best way I can describe the audio in Condemned. If more games could utilize the subtle use of surround sound like Monolith did here, then the next generation of games will be an amazing time to be a gamer. Amid dead silence of a dilapidated department store, windows break in the distance, footsteps can be heard, and the crunch of a skull smashed with a cloths rack all come through in crystal clear 5.1 Digital surround.
Subtlety is the name if the game here, because at times I had no idea that the in game music was making me personally get worked into a state of confusion until it was too late. Both I and Ethan were lost in what was happening onscreen, and when a game can make a player forget that they're actually just playing a game then that is proof that we've entered the next generation.
Sure the voice acting isn't top notch, but for the most part the game doesn't rely too heavily on the voice work. Yes the plot moves forward via cell phone calls and some shiny cut scenes, but it's during those moments when you can step back and tell yourself it's only a game.
Conclusion:
Twice now in recent memory have I caught myself playing a game literally on the edge of my seat, leaning deeper into the game. The first game to do that in recent times was Resident Evil 4, and now Condemned is added to that distinguished list. It's was a combination of a lot of things that caused this to happen; the tight intuitive controls, the gritty and disturbing visuals and audio which at times was disorienting and at other times subtle enough to cause me to whip my head around at the slightest noise in my house.
While the short overall play time may turn some players off (I was done in just over 9 hours), it is one game that is actually worth of being called next generation. As the new consoles roll out, I hope that more and more developers can come up with more original titles which cross boundaries and start to make players more immersed in games, rather than just playing a game. Highly Recommended.
Graphics:
It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the graphics in Condemned finally fit the next-gen expectations, so there isn't much I can say to tell you the same. But what I can say is how I felt the graphics sucked me into the world even further, especially when dealing with the gritty realism when clocking a guy in the head and seeing pieces of pink matter fly and get stuck to my weapon
of choice. Additionally, the dark grimy details that the developers included further increased my enjoyment; the mildewed shower stalls, the dirt crusted floors and the charred remains of the school library all envelope the player to bring about the sense of realism into the game.
The only nitpick is the overly plastisised character models during cut scenes. But it's as they say, as the technology advances and we get closer to reality in games, it's going to be the minor details that the human eye sees that can throw something off kilter. They nailed the wrinkles and facial tweaks, but the shiny skin threw the graphics off a little.
Audio:
Near total immersion is the best way I can describe the audio in Condemned. If more games could utilize the subtle use of surround sound like Monolith did here, then the next generation of games will be an amazing time to be a gamer. Amid dead silence of a dilapidated department store, windows break in the distance, footsteps can be heard, and the crunch of a skull smashed with a cloths rack all come through in crystal clear 5.1 Digital surround.
Subtlety is the name if the game here, because at times I had no idea that the in game music was making me personally get worked into a state of confusion until it was too late. Both I and Ethan were lost in what was happening onscreen, and when a game can make a player forget that they're actually just playing a game then that is proof that we've entered the next generation.
Sure the voice acting isn't top notch, but for the most part the game doesn't rely too heavily on the voice work. Yes the plot moves forward via cell phone calls and some shiny cut scenes, but it's during those moments when you can step back and tell yourself it's only a game.
Conclusion:
Twice now in recent memory have I caught myself playing a game literally on the edge of my seat, leaning deeper into the game. The first game to do that in recent times was Resident Evil 4, and now Condemned is added to that distinguished list. It's was a combination of a lot of things that caused this to happen; the tight intuitive controls, the gritty and disturbing visuals and audio which at times was disorienting and at other times subtle enough to cause me to whip my head around at the slightest noise in my house.
While the short overall play time may turn some players off (I was done in just over 9 hours), it is one game that is actually worth of being called next generation. As the new consoles roll out, I hope that more and more developers can come up with more original titles which cross boundaries and start to make players more immersed in games, rather than just playing a game. Highly Recommended.