Scary is not about startling you, it's about making you scared. And people are scared when there is a certain unknown, when the atmosphere creates a certain dread, and when the subject of fear gets inside your head and messes with it. Most horror games don't do this. However, Condemned: Criminal Origins for Xbox 360 is different. While it has it's share of jump moments, it creates a palpable sense of unease at the unknown, exacerbated by truly creepy imagery. It continually kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

•• Story ••
You play Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent hunting a serial killer whose murders he himself is accused of committing. So while Ethan runs around trying to find the real killer, he also has to avoid the FBI, hot on his trail. Not the most original story, certainly, but throw in some sci-fi elements, some mystery about our lead hero's past, and some seriously creepy supernatural stuff and you've got one excellent tale, certainly by video game standards. And what is it with dead birds everywhere.....?

My only complaint with the story is that it brings up more question than it answers. Many things remain shrouded in mystery and the ending is a cliffhanger, albeit a pretty satisfying one. This is obviously a franchise in the making and I look forward to the sequel.

•• Gameplay ••
The gameplay of Condemned: Criminal Origins is divided into separate things, expertly woven together. The first is a 1st person "shooter". I use the term in quotes, because there isn't much shooting going on. Ballistic weapons are few and far between in this game and when you do find one, it may or may not have any ammo. Instead, this is a 1st person melee game. Hand to hand combat with whatever objects you can find: Boards with nails, mannequin arms, pipes, rods, locker doors, desk tables, rebar, whatever. As well you can block attacks with these weapons if your timing is right.

Before you pick up an object (with the A button when you are near it), you are given a few stats on the weapon. This is not RPG level stats, but merely lets you know if the object you are about to pick up is better, faster, stronger than the one you are currently wielding. The weapons are all well balanced and none of them seems to be all-powerful. The point of the weapons is not to find a glamorous sword of destiny. Instead, the point is to have fun bashing monsters and street junkies with a locker door or fire axe.

The AI stands out as being quite good. While not perfect, the enemies will use variable tactics based on what you do. If you take away his weapon, he will go find another or try to duck under your swings and get you in a choke hold. If you attempt to hit, he'll block and then smack you back. The enemies run and hide until you get closer. And the less brain-powered ones will fight each other if one accidentally gets hit by another. While they will run if they think they are over-powered, they still tend to do dumb things like bum-rush you with a piece of wood after you've taken away their sub-machine gun and are firing at their head.

One of curious features is the ability to finish off your opponent with 1 of 4 finishing moves using the d-pad. This is a feature I used in the beginning just to see what it was, but there was no variation in it and as the enemies started coming in larger numbers, I didn't have the time to dedicate that much attention to on enemies when another swipe with the pipe or kick would do. An unnecessary feature, that I suspect had more depth, but got pared down to make the ship date. I would have cut it altogether, but it doesn't make the game worse.

The other part of the game is a simplified version of CSI or even a throwback to the old adventure games of yesteryear. As an FBI investigator, you have an arsenal of investigative tools such as black-lights and fingerprint lifters. When you enter an area that needs investigating, a small pop-up will appear telling you so. Hit the X button and the correct tool appears automatically. When you find the evidence you are supposed to find, the tools shines green and you can switch to a digital camera for upload over your phone to your friend Rosa at the Bureau. She's your eye in the sky and an important tool in progressing the story. This mechanism is a bit overly simple and there's rarely a challenge associated with the task since the proper tool is always used. It probably would have been better for the player to have to choose which tool to use, but I can also see why that would get frustrating and would inevitably result in the player just flipping through the tools until they found the one that did the trick. I didn't mind it the way it was as it kept the story and pacing moving along nicely.

And finally, the only other complaint I have is that the game is exceedingly dark. I mean pitch-freaking-black. You have a flashlight (and later some fire), but it obviously doesn't light up the whole area. The game isn't just dim, turn off said flashlight and your TV might as well be turned off. This makes the game exceedingly unnerving because of those jump out and go boo moments. But add to that the really scary things such as creepy imagery and supernatural weirdness in the department store and I dare you to play this game alone in the dark. If this paragraph seems wishy-washy, it's because I'm on the fence. While I enjoyed the mood it created, I felt it was just a bit too much darkness. I mean, the entire game is like that.

Many people complain that this game is too short. While the game can be completed in about 10 hours, doing so misses the point. You are an investigator, so you should investigate everything in the world. Look around, enjoy the game. Sure it's possible to blow through it in a few hours, but that's like scarfing down your favorite food in a few minutes. You've obviously missed the point of savoring something good.

•• Graphics ••
For those who think there are no Next-gen titles for the Xbox 360, I dare you to find a game that looks as good as this game does on a previous generation console. The models are complex and the animations fantastic. From the guys rushing on all fours to get you, to the street junkies shaking their hands in pain because you smacked them, the character models are smooth and delicious. The closing cutscene is a joy to behold. For the first time in any video game, I actually believed the anguish in the main character eyes. I was duly impressed.

But as good as the characters are, the environments are amazing. I can't even begin to describe the attention to detail here. Every environment is filled with objects wrapped in high definition textures that fit perfectly the environment they should be, but in a world that has let them deteriorate and become havens of crime. Department stores, barns, schools, all took on a cryptic, devastated hue. Blood on walls, sickening messages scrawled, busted doors and windows, ceiling tiles shattered on the floor. I was wandering around the environments marvelling at the details that went into creating these worlds.

•• Sound ••
Once again, kudos to the development team at Monolith. While there isn't much in the way of music, there is some serious ambient mood sounds. Banging shutters, wind through crevices, supernatural goings on, creepy echoes of my own footsteps. I'd kick over a glass or bucket and the resulting clatter would make me turn ready to fight a bad guy I was sure had just run in. And at one point when there is a noise upstairs, the bumping sound nearly made me jump out of my skin. I did a double-take when the objective of "go investigate the noise upstairs" appeared. You want me to go do what??

The voice-acting in Condemned: Criminal Origins is pretty good, especially by video game standards. While the main character is not the strongest actor, the supporting cast is top notch. I really enjoy seeing the developers pay the same attention to high-definition acting as they do high-definition textures.

•• Multiplayer ••
There is no multiplayer in this game. but like all Xbox 360 titles, the game is Live aware.

••Achievements ••
Achievements are a way of adding depth and re-playability to games that may not otherwise have any. You get a number of achievements just for completing the game and finding certain object, but if you are an objective junkie like I am, then you'll want to pick over every nook and cranny of the environments to make sure you pick up all the things you need to. I don't want to give any spoilers, but you'll know what I mean when you play. There are also achievements for different decisions you make so there is an incentive to play certain parts over again, so you can make a different decision. While I wouldn't say this adds much replay value, it did make me spend more time in the game while I was playing it trying to do different things. And that's the point

•• Parents Should Know ••
This game is rated M for Mature and this rating is deserved. There is much bludgeoning with weapons, blood and gore. Lots of it. The game also goes out of it's way to be scary and the language gets a little coarse with an F-bomb dropped here and there. I played this after the kids were safely ensconced in their innocent little beds. Please do likewise.

My Xbox Live gamertag: DryHeaves

Related reviews:

Xbox 360 Console - The Comprehensive Launch Review
Kameo: Elements of Power - The Best Xbox 360 Launch title

Recommended:
Yes