Condemned 2: Simulating Hobo Beatdowns Since ’08!
July 18, 2008 11:45 pm Games for Fun
After hearing enough accounts about how “cool the bear is,” I figured it was time to man up and play some Condemned 2: Bloodshot (C2:B).
Let’s just jump right in. C2:B is much better than Condemned: Criminal Origins (C:CO). Gone are the repetitive door-axe and crowbar mechanics from C:CO. C2:B actually took me by surprise and put much more emphasis on melee and combos. Also, the cooler parts from C:CO have been retained, like using lots of environmental objects as melee weapons.
The melee system has been improved greatly from C:CO. In C2:B, you can do various “Attack Combos” which are followed up by a super damaging attack. I mainly used the one-two (left-right) punch, which is followed up by a 3x damage attack combo. Parrying and blocking then attacking are also followed by an extra damaging punch which rewards players for not turning the game into a slug-fest.
You can throw a hook as well by pressing down on the left stick, then attacking. I found that throwing hooks was a little awkward in normal combat though, and hardly used them. Apparently you can use hooks to disarm enemies, but I found that throwing my weapon was usually as effective. Plus, throwing a weapon at an enemy usually stuns them for a long enough time to get in close and pummel them. Oh, you can still kick enemies as well, but if you kick too many times in a row you get tired or something. Kicking wasn’t really effective either so I didn’t really use it that often.
Sprint has been added to C2:B, which should make the people who felt that C:CO was too slow feel better. Sprint works well and isn’t game breaking, although there were a few places where I just ran away from battles completely and was still able to progress. The only annoying thing about sprint is when you start going, hit a wall, and are unable to turn or alter course. So, you’ll be sitting there humping a wall while a drug addled man-bear-bum is calling you a “fucker” and molesting you with a bowling pin.
A few other mechanics were added. For example, now that Ethan Thomas is a drunken hobo super cop police man, you can find and drink bottles of alcohol which calm your nerves and allow you to shoot straighter. Since ammo is so precious in the Condemned series, you find yourself drinking everything you can get your greasy mitts on so you don’t waste a shot. Also, the weapons just look cooler in general. The artists did a great job with the weapon models, and the animators did a great job with the weapon animations.
A few other sweet updates: The taser is no longer an overpowered game-cheeser now. You actually have to find ammo for it and have a limited amount of uses. Locks no longer exist on cabinets and such. No doors are barred or need to be chopped down. The “collectibles” are much easier to find and are more interactive (turn the antenna on a TV with the right stick) and story related now, even if they were poorly acted. The forensic mechanics happen in scripted areas, but some gadgets can be used for secondary objectives throughout levels such as hunting down “sonic emitters” or taking photos of other evidence not integral to progression. In general the forensic mini-games are well executed.
The level design in C2:B is improved over C:CO for sure. Most levels just feel more cohesive and well thought out. More unique events play out than in C:CO, so each level feels new and advances the story. The level where you’re in SCU is notably scary. The lodge level has a great intro followed by a non linear bomb hunt. The doll factory level was scary and had some awesome enemies (the scary-ass exploding dolls). Near the end of the game, you get to pick up huge bums covered in metal with a magnet and drop into a dumpster. In general, C2:B has some pretty memorable moments, even if you’re still running around in mainly run-down and abandoned areas.
C2:B left me with far less head scratchers than C:CO but C2:B still had a few. For example, where’d the bear go? You get dragged out and left… and thats it. Then you’re disarming bombs? That part felt a little disjointed. In the SCU level, are you traveling through time, dimensions, or what? Some events aren’t really explained. Overall though, those instances are more forgivable than in C:CO.
Story-wise, C2:B is improved over C:CO. The entire series feels like I’m playing a bunch of episodes though. The ending of C:CO felt a little more complete, but in C2:B it’s clear there will be a sequel. The final level and ending are pretty unsatifying. I’m not terribly interested in the story much now anyway, since the whole Oro thing is pretty far fetched. I’ll go along with it in the next Condemned game though.
The art threw me for a loop as well. The character style in C2:B is much better. Well, at least Rosa looks like a chick now. She’s also a lot younger looking. Maybe Rosa ate Ethan’s good looks from the previous game. The male characters still suffer from shrunken head syndrome, but are more pleasing to look than in C:CO at least.
Multiplayer was just a chaotic punch fest. I ran around in a few maps and beat people with my fists, a few weapons, and decided I had enough. I tried to play some of the other game modes but couldn’t get into them.
There’s also the addition of the “Bloodshot Fight Club” which is a collection of mini levels. You basically just try to see how long you can survive in various situations or to practice combat. They’re actually pretty well done and don’t feel tacked on. I didn’t play them much though, only to get a few achievements I missed. Oh, and FPS mode was a nice end-game addition as well. Shooting the enemies with unlimited ammo (get a gold rating on the last level) was a lot of fun.
I feel like I’m leaving a bunch out but overall I thought the experience was pretty good. Much has improved in C2:B (mainly crappy things from C:CO) and much has stayed the same (mainly the good things from C:CO). It’ll be interesting to see how Monolith further enhances the melee system. I’m not really a fan of the story, but I am curious to see how it will end up. I don’t think this game is for everyone but if you’re into scary games or are into first person games and want to try something “different,” you should check this one out.