GameSpy: Condemned 2: Bloodshot - Page 1

By Patrick Joynt | Mar 24, 2008

Can Sega's bloody sequel provide the answers we're looking for?

Condemned 2: Bloodshot is half of a perfect sequel, expertly building on the horror and sense of fear of Condemned: Criminal Origins. The improved core gameplay systems of combat and forensics layer on top of a fresh array of utterly horrifying levels and terrifying enemies. Monolith knows how to build an atmosphere of rising panic like no other developer.

Just Let Me Live!

Condemned 2 continues the story of Ethan Thomas, special agent, 11 months after the events of the first Condemned. The PS3 version is no better or worse than the 360 version, although without the backstory of the original you might find yourself a bit confused by the story.

The back of the box says Ethan has crawled deep into a bottle and has no interest in coming back out, but the SCU needs its demon-killer. The city is in trouble, the kind of occult trouble only Thomas can solve. But Thomas' conflict with his former teammates (excluding the still-helpful, still-trusting Lieutenant Rosa) could prove to be as big an issue as the city's rising tide of madness.

What works about this story is that it serves as a very loose framework to excuse taking Ethan to any place in or around Metro City the designers could think of making scary. Picture the Bloodshot team sitting around saying "Let's see, magic is sort of scary, trash compactors are scary, clowns are scary... let's build levels around them." A young, fresh designer says "What about dolls?" and the whole room nods. "Dolls, yes, put them on the list." And then this incredibly gifted group of designers puts together a nice handful of levels that are off-the-charts scary, especially since you're in first-person and generally don't have a gun.

Combat is almost always resolved through brutal melee smashes rather than the detached convenience of gunplay. You can always swing your left or right fist, kick, charge and throw an elbow, or string together combos. A few other abilities help mix up your bare-handed fighting style, but you should really come to Condemned 2 for the bare-knuckle fighting and stay for the weapons.

Weapons, as in the original, are everywhere. Meaningfully but comprehensibly separated by damage, reach, speed, and condition, each weapon can easily be compared to the one in your hand as you wander the dark ruins of the worst parts of Metro City. That makes it easy to make snap judgments about what to use to defend yourself (before the weapon quickly breaks from use). Being able to rip pipes from walls or pick up bowling balls from the lane help build that desperate sense of "whatever it takes," and Bloodshot blows the doors off with choices.

Options include rebars, bent rebars, steam pipes, bowling balls, particularly crafty saws, pistol whippings, two-by-fours with or without nails (or burnt, or on fire), gumball machines, and a whole lot more. And these are just the ones we can bring up without spoiling the game for you. The ability to throw weapons works perfectly, since the weapons hit with the impact you'd expect. Throw a bowling ball at an enemy to see what we mean. We really dig the weapons in Bloodshot.

You will find yourself with guns more often than in Condemned, especially in later levels. The balance between melee and ranged still feels very good, and Monolith definitely knows its shooters. Although the enemy AI isn't up to F.E.A.R. standards, the same fake-outs and fast footwork that made the AI such a fantastic opponent in Condemned is here in Bloodshot, and just as dangerous with a gun.