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Condemned - the official thread

U

u_neek

Junior Member
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FORMAT: 360
RELEASE DATE: Nov 22 (US), Dec 2 (Europe)
DEVELOPER: Monolith
PUBLISHER: Sega
AWESOME OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.condemnedgame.com/flash.php

boxshot_us_large.jpg


Condemned: Criminal Origins allows players to experience a heightened level of psychological tension as they use their instincts, forensic tools, and melee/firearms combat to track serial killers and bring them to justice. Gamers will play as Agent Thomas, an investigator in the FBI's Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through urban environments filled with sociopaths lurking on the periphery of humanity.

Presented in a first-person view for maximum visceral effect, this atmospheric thriller is best played with the surround-sound up and the lights off. Given the power of nextgeneration hardware, Condemned: Criminal Origins features photo-realistic backdrops, life-like physics, and highly sophisticated artificial intelligence. Weapons and ammunition are scarce, leaving the player vulnerable to a gallery of mentally deranged criminals. Careful detective work and precision reflexes are a player's primary means of survival. Inspired in part by the films of the psychological thriller sub-genre, Condemned: Criminal Origins maintains an intense, focused pace. Players can never be sure what waits around each corner.

- Next-generation lighting, mapping, and filtering techniques provide for environments of unprecedented detail and visual quality.
- Intelligent enemies respond strategically to your offensive and defensive maneuvers.
- High-level physics allow players to manipulate background items, which respond realistically when picked up, kicked, or bumped.
- A tightly wound story is backed with strong character development and major plot twists.
- Meticulously crafted 5.1 surround-sound will cue players to the location of offscreen enemies.

REVIEWS:
Gamespot (8.0): http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/adventure/condemned/review.html
IGN (8.7): http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/667/667802p1.html
1UP (8.0): http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3145784&did=1
RESET (Swedish Mag): 8/10
Super PLAY (Swedish mag): 9/10
EDGE: 6/10
Official UK Xbox 360 Magazine: 8/10
Official US Xbox Mag: 8.5/10
Game Informer: 8.75/10

AWESOME VIDEO PREVIEW (GameTrailers):
LQ: http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=8498&pl=game&type=wmv
HQ: http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=8497&pl=game&type=wmv

TONS OF SCREENS:
Xboxyde: http://www.xboxyde.com/news_2306_fr.html
 
I'm actually really interested in the look and feel of this game. They seem to have really nailed the atmosphere brilliantly and give a heavy mood to it. Definately wanna check it out when i get a 360 next year.

Cheers for the links :)
 
Pre-order is paid off. Can't wait to check out the game, though I'm a little disapointed with the forensics element of the game. Unfortunately because of the price of the game I'll probably trade it in the second I beat it.
 
Played a good 4-5 hours of it yesterday and I really want to be playing it right now but the whole 'work' thing is being obtrusive.

I can understand some of the lower scores but I can fully attribute them to people who just weren't the target audience.

It straddles this weird action / adventure line where its almost too actiony for the latter crowd and too slow and methodical for the actiony crowd. But if you're like me and you enjoy both then you'll probably love it.

Theres just something truely kinetic about the game things have actual weight to them and it goes a long way to make the gameworld feel 'there'.

Plus you know, having a junky go rip a sign off the wall and try to beat you to death with it helps too.

After like the first two tries and dying, I decided i'd wait near the sign and taser him before he could get to it...

Apparently no. He went and grabbed something else entirely since I was camping his sign and beat me with that.
 
How good is the "story" exactly? And are the plottwists cliché or cool?



Oh and please dont use examples or something spoiling pls :D
 
It's Monolith, so you really shouldn't expect novel quality stuff here. It's a little on the ridiculous CSI super science sort of mentality and i've only ever really gotten to the first minor plot twist which was cool but not all that unexpected.

It's adaquate. They do a pretty good job of using the forensic stuff to deliver exposition, sort of a combination of Halo's 'voice in your head' and Metroid Primes 'scan and read the text'.

So I don't think i can completely answer that till the end, which i hear gets confusing, but I will say the mood and atmosphere completely make up for any shortcomings in your typical 'it's a game, not a movie or a book' plot.
 
I had a MAJOR problem with the storyline. Here's what I wrote in my review...

1up.com said:
Other more serious design issues have to do with the game's narrative continuity -- or rather, its total lack thereof. For a title that begins with such an impressive bang, so to speak, we're left with nothing but questions by the conclusion, even after watching both of the endings. Entire plot threads, intriguing crime-scene details, and cutscenes from previous chapters are disregarded at every turn like so much pulp fodder. What appears to be a clever and intentionally ambiguous storyline, possibly about the uncontrollable evil contained within "everyman," is nothing but a far-too accepting audience trying to justify why they've just spent 12 hours of their weekend binging through the game just to see the ending. You could argue that the story becomes more padded after you've unlocked a bunch of text files by digging around the levels for "metal pieces" and "dead birds" (completely arbitrary items you collect simply for the sake of collecting), but important story details shouldn't be optional bonuses a player needs to unlock.
Click to expand...
 
Gah, starting to get a total FEAR vibe from this game. Redundant environments, lacking narrative, one-trick pony gameplay, but memorable AI. At the very least the atmosphere looks intoxicating, but even Kasavin downplay's the puzzle creativity and implmentation as a defining trait.

For less than $60 I'd "JUMP IN", but it's looking more like a pass in the meantime.
 
Wow, I see why everyone is excited for this game. I wish this was more than a rental for me, it won't have enough replay value.

I think someone like this would be fun to play coop online or even have some people play as the killers. I'd love lurking around in the dark stalking my prey for 10 minutes or so.
 
all i gots to say is playing this (about 2 hrs in) with the surround sound turned up, on a 60 inch lcd, in the dark, is scaring the bejeezus out of me and my gf.

i jump everytime i bump into something...every little sound means you're either a klutz or there's a fella out there with a lead pipe for you.

i *love* the atmosphere. graphics are underrated too. voiceacting isn't all that bad either.
 
hellfire said:
all i gots to say is playing this (about 2 hrs in) with the surround sound turned up, on a 60 inch lcd, in the dark, is scaring the bejeezus out of me and my gf.

i jump everytime i bump into something...every little sound means you're either a klutz or there's a fella out there with a lead pipe for you.

i *love* the atmosphere. graphics are underrated too. voiceacting isn't all that bad either.
Click to expand...

My 5.1 reciever is in the shop and they told me 1-2 weeks (two weeks ending on tues). Worst timing ever >_< I'm gonna hold off playing Condemned and CoD2 until I can get it back so I really hope (fingers crossed) they actually get it fixed and back to me by tues/wed.
 
8.75 in Game Informer

-Concept: Hunt down serial
killers as a disgraced FBI agent in
a new take on the horror genre.

-Graphics: The enviornments
are stunning and look every bit
as impressive as you'd expect
from a next-gen game. The
character models look a bit rub-
bery though.

-Sound: Creepy, subtle music
and solid voice-acting bring
even more effectiveness to the
foreboding atmosphere.

-Playability: The combat is
brutal and viceral, and the foren-
sic tools are perfectly utilized to
spur the player foward.

-Entertainment: Guaranteed
to make you jump out of your
seat. Condemned points to great
things for the future of scary
games.

Replay Value: Moderate
 
congrats to monolith (and a poster who works for them here:D) for this game, it seems among the top titles for the launch (in terms of quality).. i've always liked monolith. now bring on FEAR port for xbox 360 so I can actually play it.
 
From the getgo I was really excited about this game. It seemed like it might become a fantastic game, filled with grim violence and dark, scary atmosphere. It was gonna be X-files meets Silence of the lambs, CSI and Seven.

But hell, I've totally lost all the hype I once had. It's the fact that you mainly fight with crowbars and etc that makes it lose out a lot in my book. I want my FBI-dude to have a gun, which he can RELOAD and use again. I really don't like shortrange weapons, which seems to be the main way of getting rid of those creepy hobos.

Maybe it's cause I expected a more "realistic" game when I first read about it. I imagined myself as an FBI-agent, hunting some twisted serial killer. I thought of sneaking through dark houses, with a GUN ready, and always tense from the possibility of the criminal standing behind a door in the next room. And if no one was there, I'd be able to search for whatever clues would be left by the perpetrator.

But these are just my ramblings. I'm sure the game's turned out fine, even though it's not what I hoped for.
 
trippingmartian said:
Um... I just picked this up this morning, and after playing 4 levels all I can say is WTF!?! Not my cup of tea...
Click to expand...

What don't you like about it. I picked it up yesterday, but haven't opened it yet.
 
thorns said:
congrats to monolith (and a poster who works for them here:D) for this game, it seems among the top titles for the launch (in terms of quality).. i've always liked monolith. now bring on FEAR port for xbox 360 so I can actually play it.
Click to expand...


I hear you bro. I want FEAR so bad on the XBox360 I can taste it. I have it for te PC but I'm spoiled by rlaxing on the couch. After sitting all day in front of a PC at work, the LAST thing I want to do is come home and the same thing. But I digress.

I picked it up yesterday, but won't have a console to play it on until tomorrow. I'll post my impressions then. ;)
 
Dracos said:
What don't you like about it. I picked it up yesterday, but haven't opened it yet.
Click to expand...
I guess I just thought there was going to be more to the game than blocking and swinging blunt weapons. This aspect of the gameplay isn't even as well done as Riddick. I honestly can't fathom how this game managed to get so many 8+ scores. The game is just so archaic. The maps are linear yet labyrinthine. There's no multiplayer to speak of. The adventure elements are just pure filler. AND this is the same developer who brought us FEAR! I guess my expectations were just higher than the reviewers'.
 
trippingmartian said:
I guess I just thought there was going to be more to the game than blocking and swinging blunt weapons. This aspect of the gameplay isn't even as well done as Riddick. I honestly can't fathom how this game managed to get so many 8+ scores. The game is just so archaic. The maps are linear yet labyrinthine. There's no multiplayer to speak of. The adventure elements are just pure filler. AND this is the same developer who brought us FEAR! I guess my expectations were just higher than the reviewers'.
Click to expand...
Well, if you were expecting an action/adventure game along the lines of Riddick, you're going to be disappointed because that's not what this game is.

It's really more of a survival/horror type game with heavier action elements and some (relatively superficial) CSI stuff thrown in. I think it works pretty well.

Also, I have to say that the game looks absolutely stunning. The character models are amazing, the textures, lighting, destructible environments ... everything is very impressively next-gen.
 
Also, I have to say that the game looks absolutely stunning. The character models are amazing, the textures, lighting, destructible environments ... everything is very impressively next-gen.
Click to expand...

Rhindle - aren't the physics in this game pretty sweet, too? I'm really looking forward to playing this game.
 
trippingmartian said:
I guess I just thought there was going to be more to the game than blocking and swinging blunt weapons. This aspect of the gameplay isn't even as well done as Riddick. I honestly can't fathom how this game managed to get so many 8+ scores. The game is just so archaic. The maps are linear yet labyrinthine. There's no multiplayer to speak of. The adventure elements are just pure filler. AND this is the same developer who brought us FEAR! I guess my expectations were just higher than the reviewers'.
Click to expand...

Damn.
 
I just beat it and got one of the endings... I'm left scratching my head. Seriously Monolith, wtf just happened. Other than that, great game.
 
Mommy, I don't want to play Condemned anymore. Man this game is freaky..playing it on an HD set with surround sound is just about enough to make me never want to play it again.

The game might not have tons of replay value, but at the snail's pace I'm going to be playing it, it'll take me long enough :D I'm loving the combat so far, and even though I've heard that the flaw is that it remains the same and gets old, if I'm freaked out beyond belief I won't have the sense to bitch about stale gameplay.
 
Fifty said:
Mommy, I don't want to play Condemned anymore. Man this game is freaky..playing it on an HD set with surround sound is just about enough to make me never want to play it again.

The game might not have tons of replay value, but at the snail's pace I'm going to be playing it, it'll take me long enough :D I'm loving the combat so far, and even though I've heard that the flaw is that it remains the same and gets old, if I'm freaked out beyond belief I won't have the sense to bitch about stale gameplay.
Click to expand...

Bought this game earlier this morning. Still haven't opened it. Waited until it got dark. I think I'll go play it now thanks. :D
 
It's pitch back, playing...and have already kinda peed myself.

Horrific game. Scariest experience I think I've ever had.
 
golem said:
haha condemned was wayy too freaky to play last night after a round of pgr3...
Click to expand...

I did the exact same thing. damn this game gets under your skin at 1am with al the lights off (and with very litte sleep to boot). The use of sound in this game is unnerving. I'm a big wossie when it comes to scary games, so I'll have to play this one in the daytime with my wife in the house. I'm not a huge fan of the combat, but it works good enough. Reallyl intense and gritty, but kinda frustrating. Mainly becuase this game already works my nerves then I'm asked to bludgeon some psychopath?! I can see how law enforment people who worked on creepy cases get burned/stressed out. :lol


Anyway, I'll try to put somemore time into this game tonight. I like it, but I can see how it may not be for everyone. Prety solid engine though........
 
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