Condemned

One of the big games of ’05 has been F.E.A.R., an exercise in psychological horror for PC. More gruesome tales from creators Monolith are found in Condemned for Xbox 360.

Platform:
Xbox 360
Release Date:
2 December 2005
Publisher:
Sega
Genre:
Action

If you’ve seen and been impressed by the 1995 movie Se7en you already have a good idea what to expect from Condemned. Just like Brad Pitt’s character Detective David Mills, in Condemned FBI Agent Ethan Thomas goes on the trail of a serial killer. Because the game looks so spectacularly lifelike – its decrepit inner-city locations accounted for in gloomy detail – you’ll find it hard to escape the cloying atmosphere. Horror is more than a theme; it is broadcast from every garbage container and rusty nail.

Monolith demands that you view this world through the eyes of Ethan, meaning you cannot easily distance yourself from the experience. Consequently, every darkened corner illuminated by unsteady flashlight becomes a test of courage. Our FBI guy is capable of some basic self-defence moves for use in melee combat situations against drug addicts and insane homeless. ET can pick up and use many seemingly innocuous objects left lying around to bludgeon any assailants. Some of the attackers are so crazed they’ll often turn on each other so it’s wise to remember this strategy in tight situations. Fighting is an essential skill that you must learn, but ultimate success also relies on your patience with forensic tools. Lab technician Rosa, back at the Serial Crimes Unit, is only a phone-call away with clues based on your findings.

The game leads you by its cold sweaty hand throughout its 10 ‘episodes’, but you feel desperately alone in your fight for survival while trying to retain a hunter’s cool demeanor. It is a one-player journey into the heart of fear, enriched by the richness of the surround sound that you depend upon to track your assailants. The overall effect simply cannot be as dramatically realised on any other existing console, making it something of an Xbox 360 victory from the beginning. But even when larger, greater games emerge Condemned will most likely be remembered as a landmark encounter.

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SCREENSHOTS

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REVIEWS

On the whole, the reason you’ll sign up for the Condemned experience is to savour its unrelenting atmosphere. Everything looks photo-realistic, and Monolith has succeeded in transforming every day environments into eerie places you’d hate to go. The hairs on the back of your neck will stand on end, waiting for danger to erupt from the darkness. After beating off yet another swathe of rabid attackers you only ever get a few minutes to recapture your breath before it all kicks off again.