One's I've Never Finished...Part 4

Condemned: Criminal Origins & Condemned 2

Condemned: Criminal Origins:
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Sega
Released (UK): Dec '05
Released (US): Nov '05

Condemned 2:
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Sega
Released (UK): Apr '08
Released (US): Mar '08

The Playstation is the console that most Survival Horror games were made for. Games such as Silent Hill and Project Zero were developed for the original Xbox occasionally but they sold more copies for the Sony console.
When the Xbox 360 was released Condemned: Criminal Origins was developed for it exclusively, meaning it wasn’t available for the PS2 or the PS3. The games sequel, Condemned 2 (with the sub-title Bloodshot in the U.S) was developed with both next-gen consoles in mind. A nice point to note is that Condemned 2 was released for both consoles at the same time (unlike Alone in the Dark).


What's it about?

Condemned: Criminal Origins:
You play as Ethan Thomas, an SCU agent with the FBI. Whilst investigating another murder by the Matchmaker, he's framed for killing the two police officers who were on scene with him.
Ethan comes across a man who he believes is the Matchmaker, a serial killer that has been tormenting the fictional Metro City. This man manages to get his hands on Ethans gun before killing the two officers in his way.
With the help of Rosa, the forensics expert at the lab and Malcom Vanhorn, an old friend of the Thomas family, Ethan goes about to find out why he is being framed. He later finds out that the Matchmaker has been spying on him through his apartment window after finding photographs of himself.
Later however, with the use of forensics, Ethan finds the matchmaker dead and he is not the guy who killed the cops or is he the guy who has been spying. A guy called Serial Killer X is the guy Ethan needs to stop. Serial Killer X stalks infamous serials beofre killing each one off and Ethan Thomas is the guy who needs to find out why.
The only problem is the epidemic causing people, especially drug addicts to go insane attacking everybody they come across.


Condemend 2:

Ethan Thomas has turned his life to the streets. After the events of Criminal Origins he quit the FBI and he now lives in the gutter with only Alcohol for company.
His old friend Malcom Vanhorn who was also in the original game has been killed, Killer X is still alive and the SCU want's Ethan back to find out what happened. The game is still set in Metro City where violence is still a way of life.
This time Serial Killer X has his eyes on the members of the "Oro" cult who use painful metal implants to develop psionic powers that allow them to influence and control the world.
It's these Oro members that are behind all the violence that occurs within the city.

There are a number of weapons that can be used in Condemned. Ethan can take Wood from the floor and metal pipes from the walls as well as the Pistol, Shotguns, Crowbars and Fire Axes that can be found round and about.

Another good quality this game has is the ability to process crime scenes a la Gil Grissom. Taking pictures of dead bodies and the evidence around them (Blood Smears, Tyre tracks etc) gives Rosa, the lab tech, the chance to analyse them for you.
The second game makes more use of this than the original however which makes the second game a bit more interesting and fun to play.


Why I never completed it

These games provide a lot of tension because there is a minimal use of music and all you can hear are the noises made by the various men and women who like to give Ethan a hard time.
In Condemned 2 you can hear some of them laughing which stops you in your tracks from time to time and the Mannequins that multiply behind you so you can't go back sends a chill down your spine.
Unfortunately, the game being a FPS means that there is a lot of action involved which is peeve of mine. It is defintely fitting of the Survival Horror title because it can be very scary.

I have tried to get into Condemned: Criminal Origins a couple of times and I got futher the second time but I still haven't complete it. The game didn't motivate me enough though I did enjoy it, the part I played anyway and I will try again, I'm just in no rush to do it.

The second game I was really getting into until I got stuck with the Doll boss. I then sold it because I needed the Money and I think I probably would buy it again. It's much cheaper now but I would probably wait until I finish Criminal Origins, if I do.

Is this the best Next-Gen Survival Horror?
Which is the best?