This is my first review so try not to be too hard on me.
Normally I don't like survival horror in games all that much. Games trying to include this never scare me the same way they scare most people. I found FEAR to be extremely repetitive and nonthreatening, Silent Hill 2 had a grind feel to it, and I just didn't feel the terror Doom 3 was suppose to bring (but I still enjoyed that game). I began to give up on the idea of horror in games since this was supposedly as good as it gets. That was until until I piked up Condemned. This game is a golden example of the genre done right.
Condemned is an first personshooter beat the living brain meats out of anything that moves with anything you can find game. The game begins as a cop by the name of Ethan Thomas who was sent to capture a serial killer. Unfortunately the criminal takes Ethan's gun, murders a few other cops, then has the blame placed on him. It's up to Ethan to track this serial killer in the most dangerous of criminal territory, all for the sake order to clear his name.
Condemned does an incredible job of making you feel vulnerable and making you constantly anticipate danger at any time. The game doesn't feature any genetic accedents or undead, but instead you must face human killers. Deranged, psychotic, bloodthirsty men in a gruesomely depressing city to match. The deeper you go into the city, the more demolished and forsaken it it becomes and the less ?human? everyone looks. It's truly disgusting, but that's the idea. The visual designing in the game is well done for it's context. There a variety of people, each one with a deranged look ranging from drugged up street criminals, to what voldo would look like if he was shorter and had leprosy. It even had women criminals, some of which remind me of Alma in her adult form. You can also travel through subway tunnels, basements, and an abandoned school and abandoned mall. I hate sewer levels since every good first person game feels the need to have them for some reason, but these sewers were actually scary and called for.
This game defines survival horror and meshes with action, by using anything you can find to drive into the skulls of anyone trying to attack you. The weapons you are given definitely don't make you feel as safe and secure like an shotgun or automatic weapon would. Here are some examples of weapons you must use for your survival. Wood with nails sticking out, pipes, sledgehammers, fire axes, paper cutters, and many more items that will be used to ferociously strive to survive. Mechanically speaking, a weapons damage is inversely proportional to the frequency in which you can attack with. For example, a pipe won't do as much damage as a sledgehammer, but you can attack with it a lot faster. You also have the ability to parry and counter attack, but so do your enemies. You can also use a taiser to parallelize an enemy, allowing you a free kill, but use it wisely because it has to recharge. A fully charged taiser is a relief in this game. You can find guns but they are rare with a realistic amount of ammunition as opposed to most games where there are enough weapons and ammunition lying around to supply an army. It's actually more fun to play without the guns, unless you're really in a rut. I seriously can't tell you how much fun it is to wedge old wood or paper cutters into peoples face's. In order to truly understand, you'd have to try it out for yourself.
I actually liked the ?snooty doors? that only accept certain weapons. I seriously don't understand what Yahtzee has against them. Allot of the games required a key or a lever to be pulled in order to open a door or gate to progress through the game. Instead of doing that, You have to use a certain weapon to unlock the door, and by unlock, I mean vigorously smash it open. It really feels cool, and you don't have to travel far to find the right weapon. Usually it's in the next room or in the same general are in the hand of some psychotic. I also like the idea of using your own weapon as a key and vise-versa.
In order to find the serial killer, You have to scan fingerprints and DNA samples to gather clues as to the whereabouts of the serial killer that framed you, then upload them to the one forensic scientist who still trust you. I can imagine why some people would find scanning items like that annoying but I liked it. It made me feel more like a good detective.
The story is pretty sick and disgusting, and when I say that, I mean marvelous. The serial killer you have been trying to chase is one of my favorite villains in terms of how messed up a villain's legacy can get. Near the end, the story does pretty stupid but it doesn't hurt the game too much. It make sup for it by having one hell of a final boss fight.
I can't complain much more than the end part of the story. The enemy designs were brilliant but that there facial animations felt a bit static and lazy. I was hoping that there would be a bunch of facial animations ranging from blood-boiling fury to the ?oh god, please spare me? look. I also wish there would be a multiplayer mode. I also didn't like fighting the serial killer himself. Even though the house was dark and the game expected you to look for him, I just stayed in one corner and beat him that way. This game would have brought much fear and fun to video game parties everywhere.
Verdict: I'd seriously recommend this game for anyone who wants a good scare. If the games mentioned in the opening scared you, then I'd tell you to pick up the game once you finish reading this review. Even if you still want an action game then I'd recommend this just for something with a new demented twist.
Normally I don't like survival horror in games all that much. Games trying to include this never scare me the same way they scare most people. I found FEAR to be extremely repetitive and nonthreatening, Silent Hill 2 had a grind feel to it, and I just didn't feel the terror Doom 3 was suppose to bring (but I still enjoyed that game). I began to give up on the idea of horror in games since this was supposedly as good as it gets. That was until until I piked up Condemned. This game is a golden example of the genre done right.
Condemned is an first person
Condemned does an incredible job of making you feel vulnerable and making you constantly anticipate danger at any time. The game doesn't feature any genetic accedents or undead, but instead you must face human killers. Deranged, psychotic, bloodthirsty men in a gruesomely depressing city to match. The deeper you go into the city, the more demolished and forsaken it it becomes and the less ?human? everyone looks. It's truly disgusting, but that's the idea. The visual designing in the game is well done for it's context. There a variety of people, each one with a deranged look ranging from drugged up street criminals, to what voldo would look like if he was shorter and had leprosy. It even had women criminals, some of which remind me of Alma in her adult form. You can also travel through subway tunnels, basements, and an abandoned school and abandoned mall. I hate sewer levels since every good first person game feels the need to have them for some reason, but these sewers were actually scary and called for.
This game defines survival horror and meshes with action, by using anything you can find to drive into the skulls of anyone trying to attack you. The weapons you are given definitely don't make you feel as safe and secure like an shotgun or automatic weapon would. Here are some examples of weapons you must use for your survival. Wood with nails sticking out, pipes, sledgehammers, fire axes, paper cutters, and many more items that will be used to ferociously strive to survive. Mechanically speaking, a weapons damage is inversely proportional to the frequency in which you can attack with. For example, a pipe won't do as much damage as a sledgehammer, but you can attack with it a lot faster. You also have the ability to parry and counter attack, but so do your enemies. You can also use a taiser to parallelize an enemy, allowing you a free kill, but use it wisely because it has to recharge. A fully charged taiser is a relief in this game. You can find guns but they are rare with a realistic amount of ammunition as opposed to most games where there are enough weapons and ammunition lying around to supply an army. It's actually more fun to play without the guns, unless you're really in a rut. I seriously can't tell you how much fun it is to wedge old wood or paper cutters into peoples face's. In order to truly understand, you'd have to try it out for yourself.
I actually liked the ?snooty doors? that only accept certain weapons. I seriously don't understand what Yahtzee has against them. Allot of the games required a key or a lever to be pulled in order to open a door or gate to progress through the game. Instead of doing that, You have to use a certain weapon to unlock the door, and by unlock, I mean vigorously smash it open. It really feels cool, and you don't have to travel far to find the right weapon. Usually it's in the next room or in the same general are in the hand of some psychotic. I also like the idea of using your own weapon as a key and vise-versa.
In order to find the serial killer, You have to scan fingerprints and DNA samples to gather clues as to the whereabouts of the serial killer that framed you, then upload them to the one forensic scientist who still trust you. I can imagine why some people would find scanning items like that annoying but I liked it. It made me feel more like a good detective.
The story is pretty sick and disgusting, and when I say that, I mean marvelous. The serial killer you have been trying to chase is one of my favorite villains in terms of how messed up a villain's legacy can get. Near the end, the story does pretty stupid but it doesn't hurt the game too much. It make sup for it by having one hell of a final boss fight.
I can't complain much more than the end part of the story. The enemy designs were brilliant but that there facial animations felt a bit static and lazy. I was hoping that there would be a bunch of facial animations ranging from blood-boiling fury to the ?oh god, please spare me? look. I also wish there would be a multiplayer mode. I also didn't like fighting the serial killer himself. Even though the house was dark and the game expected you to look for him, I just stayed in one corner and beat him that way. This game would have brought much fear and fun to video game parties everywhere.
Verdict: I'd seriously recommend this game for anyone who wants a good scare. If the games mentioned in the opening scared you, then I'd tell you to pick up the game once you finish reading this review. Even if you still want an action game then I'd recommend this just for something with a new demented twist.
