Condemned: Criminal Origins

[Chone]

I recently got this game, I was really anxious to play a game similar to F.E.A.R. (a horror shooter if you will), so Condemned struck me as ideal, made by the same developer and in a horror setting even if its not exactly a shooter (its more of a first person horror action game)

I'm now hooked on the game :) I highly recommend anyone with a mac-intel, PC or Xbox360 to give Condemned a try.

It has got to be the most atmospheric shooter I've played in a long time, even more so than F.E.A.R., and the combat is so damn fun, the guns in the game are so boring compared to the incredible melee weapons.

The atmosphere is incredible, with a nice computer the graphics are really nice and the storytelling techniques, much like F.E.A.R., are awesome, the game is also much scarier than FEAR, I don't know about you but I'm way more terrified about psychopath serial killers than ghosts. You won't pee your pants (well, maybe) but the game definitely unsettles you at moments and never lets go, there is not a single moment where the tension drops. Its awesome :)

If you get this game, you must play in the dark, alone, sound cranked up (with headphones preferably) and if you play it on PC, the "Fullscreen FX" options MUST be turned on as well as shadows.

I've heard its short and it indeed is (I'm already at Chapter 7 out of 10 and I got the game on Wednesday) but so far I already feel it was worth the purchase.

So for those mac-intel owners (save macbook and mac mini), those with good gaming rigs or a Xbox360, I highly recommend Condemned.

I'm playing on a 3.2GHZ P4 machine with 2GB RAM and a 6800XT and it runs fine at 1024x768, 2X AA and a few other options, on my MacBook Pro it ran well at more or less the same settings.

[pcypert]

It's a good one...dismissed because it was short and a couple other minor faults...it's a great game though for what it is...particularly if you can find it used or on sale.

Paul

[Suture]

I completed the demo version on the XBox 360. I was especially impressed with the use of 5.1 audio.

[MacRumorUser]

Yep this was the 'launch gem'.

It wasnt really dismissed because it received a good share of critical acclaim, just that it was out marketed at lauch by other titles.

The game imho is actually better than F.E.A.R. It has more originality, is far scarier and the story is actually very good. It's like SEVEN meets 'The Damned' ....


You can get it on budget 'classic' label now and it's well worth picking up.

[Suture]

You can get it on budget 'classic' label now and it's well worth picking up.

Cool, I think I'll go look for it next time I'm at Gamestop.

[TheGimp]

Of all the 360 lauch games, this was the one that impressed me the most in the gfx and snd deptartment as well as in the overall design. Its themes are abominable to be sure, but anything that immersive, atmospheric, and with such superb control deserves high marks. The story was very good for the genre, though as good as it was, if I could have pushed a magic button and made this game disappear from the aerth for good, I'd have considered myself to be doing the world a favor. The creepiness starts to really pick up somewhere in the second chapter (no spoiler, just my opinion, others disagree) and the sense impending doom, which constantly threatens to upset one's resolve, never relents.

I'm glad to find out this game is available on mac-intel, as I never finished the campaign but sold my xbox 360 a year ago and am planning to upgrade my mac to a macbook pro in the coming year.

Anyone who has played both 360 and mac-intel versions, please report on performance here (along with specs).

[Piarco]

I thought it was ok. The setting/mood was great, and I did jump a couple of times, but the ending was unsatisfactory and all in all it was damn short. Great for rental, not for purchase. Zero replay value in it methinks...

[MacRumorUser]

Everyone says how short it was. And yet it took me about 10 months to finish :D

I played it incrementally - due to having a load of other games - and thought it was great.

The ending as with all these style games was a small bit dissapointing, only because everything was such a massive build up. But it was still better than F.E.A.R's very dissapointing ending.

The sound is probably the scariest ambient soundtrack I've ever heard.

I really loved the CSI parts of the game and I hope that Monolith make a Condemned sequel.

[TheGimp]

Everyone says how short it was. And yet it took me about 10 months to finish :D

I played it incrementally - due to having a load of other games - and thought it was great.

......
The sound is probably the scariest ambient soundtrack I've ever heard.
.....



Same was true for me, I played it one chapter at a time. Also, I forgot to mention that a pair of Sennheiser HD600 headphones (connected to my sony 26" XBR lcd hdtv via component) helped more than anything to immerse me, so I recommend high quality phones or surround sound to create that 'seal' that locks in all Condemn's juicy pulp and keeps everything sane out. Also, over an hour of tweaking the visual settings on my TV really paid off (more so than with say, Perfect Dark Zero or COD3). Less of an FPS than an FPHS, control in Condemned with the 360 controller was perfect, so I hope some shareware dev has figured out how to use those with macs.

[2nyRiggz]

I don't know about scary but the game was good. The combat got kind of annoying but the atmosphere of the game is good...it was a real treat at times to smack someone with a pipe.



Bless