Condemned 2: Bloodshot
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Condemned 2: Bloodshot, released as Condemned 2 in Europe and Australia, is a first-person psychological thriller video game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega, it was released for both systems in North America and Australia in March 2008, and in Europe the following month. It is a sequel to the 2005 game Condemned: Criminal Origins.
In making Condemned 2, Monolith looked closely at the reception of the first game, focussing on what was popular amongst fans and critics and what was not. With this in mind, they specifically set out to correct the two most frequently criticized elements of the original; the implementation of the forensic tools and the lack of depth in the melee mechanics. At the same time, they attempted to enhance or expand upon every aspect of the original; from the graphics and cutscenes to the AI and overall gameplay and game mechanics. They also hoped to take the story in unexpected directions by making Thomas a much darker figure than in the previous title.
Condemned 2 was well received by critics, who praised the graphics, AI, sound design, atmosphere, overall improvements to the game from the original Condemned, and, especially, the enhancements to the combat system and the introduction of combos and chain attacks without betraying the core of the original. Critics lauded Monolith for listening to fans and attempting to address their grievances. Common points of criticism included the storyline, an overuse of firearms, and what was perceived as a pointless online multiplayer mode.
Set eleven months after the events of the first game, former FBI agent Ethan Thomas has become a violence-prone alcoholic plagued by hallucinations. As violence continues to escalate throughout the city of Metro, Thomas's former colleague, Rosa, elicits his reluctant assistance in tracking down the missing Malcolm Vanhorn. Learning that Leland Vanhorn (aka Serial Killer X) may still be alive, Thomas soon finds himself at the center of a vast conspiracy and must do all he can to evade the powerful cult that wants him dead at any cost.
Plot
It is 11 months since the events of Condemned: Criminal Origins. Ethan Thomas has resigned from the FBI and become a violence-prone alcoholic plagued by hallucinations. Meanwhile, the phenomenon causing violence and psychosis amongst Metro's vagrant population has gotten worse.
As the game begins, Malcolm Vanhorn is missing and Lt. Rosa convinces a reluctant Thomas to help find him. Narrowing Vanhorn's last location to a derelict hotel, Serial Crimes Unit (SCU) Director Ike Farrell dispatches Thomas, Cmdr. John Dorland, and Sgt. Pierce Le Rue to investigate. They find Vanhorn's mutilated body, and back at SCU, Rosa discovers that the thoracic cavity is exposed and the sternum is missing. She also notes that Vanhorn has unusual vocal cords. She links this back to Thomas's chest x-ray in his personnel file, which would have shown his vocal cords if the area wasn't redacted.
Why It's Once Again Condemned To Be A Good Game
- This is one of the very few Monolith sequels to be an actual improvement over the previous game, by further improving the features of the previous game.
- The story is good as it takes place 11 months after the previous game where you play as Thomas once again, only this time he's retired from the FBI and become a violence-prone alcoholic who is plagued by hallucinations.
- The fighting combat is more fleshed out than in the first game, as you can finally punch with your fists in this game without carrying any melee weapon.
- Combos are now possible in combat. Just like in a fighting game, when the right button sequence is hit you can perform combos. Adding further to the pugilistic menu, Ethan can also make use of new chain attacks. These involve QTE-like segments, that can be activated when the chain meter is full. Often the chain attacks help give you an edge against a difficult opponent.
- Not only can you still parry but you can also block this time around.
- You can now upgrade Ethan’s skills. Upgrades are rewarded based on how well the player does. And upgrades include increasing Ethan’s health meter, and more.
- There are more melee weapons to choose from, some of which will easily break.
- Melee weapons can also be thrown to hit enemies at long distances.
- There are also more firearms to choose from.
- The gunplay is more improved with the new addition of aiming down sights.
- There is far more enemy variety than in the previous game where you not only fight hobos, and criminals but also swat guys and monsters, unlike in the first game where you would mostly fight hobos.
- The hallucination sequences Ethan experiences throughout the game are well done.
- The cutscenes are great animated and look perfect.
- The graphics look amazing for 2008 standards, and still aged great to this day.
- The voice acting is top-notch, by the talents of André Sogliuzzo, Paul Eiding, Phil LaMarr, and Michael Bell.
- The investigation sequences are slightly more improved with each of them rewarding points that can be used for upgrades.
- The new fight clubs mode is satisfying to play.
- The finishing moves are now more brutal and violent as the enemies can now be grabbed and killed using environmental stuff.
- Sprinting is now way faster which can also be used as a shove attack.
- The famous bear chase sequence is one of the scariest parts of the game.
- It's overall a definite improvement over the predecessor.
- As always, the setting is dark and gritty
Bad Qualities
- For some odd reason, unlike the previous game, this one never got a PC release, the only way to play this is using an emulator.
- The game cover is still unsettling to look at.
- The game over screen when you get caught by the bear in the chase sequence is very terrifying to look at.
- Just like the previous game, the game shoves you into certain shootout sequences that are not fun.
Reception
Condemned 2: Bloodshot received "generally favorable reviews", with the Xbox 360 version holding a score of 80 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 76 reviews, and the PlayStation 3 version holds a score of 82 out of 100, based on 37 reviews.
Game Informer's Ben Reeves scored the PlayStation 3 version 8.75 out of 10 calling it "an atmospheric powerhouse" and "the best survival horror title of this generation." He especially praised the combat mechanics and level design, citing the bear chase as one of "the most memorable gaming moments of 2008. GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd scored the game 8.5 out of 10, praising the "thick, dreadful atmosphere" and citing "the most decrepit and decayed visual design in recent memory." He also praised the sound design, voice acting, score, weapon variety, depth of combat mechanics, and AI.
PSM3's Andrew Kelly scored the PlayStation 3 version 8.1 out of 10, calling it "incredibly well-designed." He was particularly impressed with how much the character animations and physics enhanced the feeling of combat. On the other hand, he was critical of the shooting mechanics and storyline. He concluded by calling it "one of the best action games on PS3. Eurogamer's Kristan Reed scored it 8 out of 10, calling it "a one-of-a-kind horror title" and seeing it as "improved in every area" from the first game. He was especially impressed with the atmosphere and environment. He was critical of multiplayer, which he found pointless, but he concluded, "Condemned 2 deserves hearty praise for improving on everything it did the first time around.
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