Ethan Thomas returns from the original Condemned, but his life has gone considerably downhill. After the events in the first game, Ethan has become a homeless alcoholic, suffering from paranoid delusions and hallucinations. When it is learned that his old enemy, Serial Killer X is possibly still alive, Ethan is recruited to the Serial Crime Unit to investigate. What he and partner Rosa discover, however, goes far deeper than the twisted imagination of one killer.
GenreAction
Platforms xbox360
DEVELOPER Monolith Productions | PUBLISHER Codemasters | RELEASE DATE
Condemned 2: Bloodshot Reviews xbox360
gamechronicles.com review
Condemned 2: Bloodshot also gives you a wider variety of melee weapons to use this time around. You still can find the classic rebars, electrical conducts, crutches from the first title as well as new weapons such as toilet seats, prosthetic arms, foosball poles, bowling balls and my personal favorite, the broadsword.
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1up.com review
It has a few other problems as well: The story gets too caught up in its supernatural roots near the end and begins to lose its way, focusing too much on shooting (where the lack of duck and jump commands and enemy tactics really stand out). Also, the checkpoint system can be killer at times, forcing you to backtrack too much. And the few attempts at stealth do nothing. Most of the game, though, achieves its goal, keeping you off balance but entertained. Experiences like the grimy claustrophobia that comes from wearing a decades-old gas mask as flames lick around you or being caught in a tense chase through an old cabin will stick with you. With rock-solid gameplay and plenty of creeps, Bloodshot finds its soul by making your heart race.
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totallygn.com review
Graphics are particularly superb. Everything in the game, even the triggers for set pieces, look great and feel like they belong there. Sound production values are also top notch with the right sort of edgy music sparsely used so as to not over-egg the psych-horror pudding. Excellent voice acting and spot effects add a saw-toothed nervousness to the atmosphere too.
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cheatcc.com review
Of course, we have to talk about the story first: Condemned 2: Bloodshot picks up the story of former special investigator Ethan Thomas. Ethan has had a rough time since the events of the original Condemned, and now frequents bars and smells worse than a hobo. He is tormented by visions of the horrifying things he experienced as a member of the force, and can’t shake his bad memories. However, when a strange message is left for the current members of the special forces, Ethan Thomas is forced to once again enter the underworld, where "Influenced" enemies with super-human strength and an other-worldly passion attack with an other-worldly viciousness. The "Influenced" encompass a host of people who used to be human, but have since been claimed in a most sinister and heinous way. One of the best things about the story in Condemned 2: Bloodshot is that it always keeps you guessing. As soon as you think you have figured something out, a new piece of evidence surfaces or alliances shift, and you’re literally back to square one. While most games wait until the middle or end to reveal twists in the plot, Condemned 2: Bloodshot has its first significant plot twist right at the close of level one.
gamingexcellence.com review
They have also seen fit to make the health system a bit more forgiving. Now the health is broken up into three boxes that empty as you take damage. However if you can find some breathing space you will automatically heal up any damage in your current bar. So if an attack only takes a little bit of health you will heal to full but if it knocks you down to halfway through the second bar only that bar will be filled up. So while the medical kits aren’t as necessary you will still need to find them.
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gamernode.com review
Without spoiling too much, the game culminates in a far too typical way and ends up being so grandiose it seems they are deliberately trying to appeal to the mass market. I understand a series needs to evolve and I even thought the emphasis on gunplay near the end was a welcome addition to really kick some ass, but please don’t turn the series against itself. I really dig it.
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atomicgamer.com review
A slight drawback to all this added variety is we actually get less of the so-satisfying melee combat. The bloody fisticuffs are still the highlight of this series, and I found myself craving more of the visceral thrills provided by the no holds barred battles. I’m not knocking the new stuff; how can I complain when a new mechanic has Ethan swigging booze to steady his firearm aim? I just wish the solo campaign favored the blood-spraying brawling a bit more. Let’s be honest, what I’m really getting at is I wish the developers had used the time spent developing the tacked on multiplayer modes to perfectly polish the single player campaign. Taking the hobo fight online is fun, it’s just not nearly as rewarding as the story mode. And, when I look at a game like BioShock, so adamant on delivering a top tier single player game at the risk of alienating the multiplayer masses, I can’t help but feel Bloodshot would have benefited from a similar approach.
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consolemonster.com review
Whilst such a simple gameplay mechanic can sound rather timid and dull, it has been placed in such a surrounding that you will be thankful to have a piece of wood at the ready. Once again Monolith shines as a president for creating eerie yet beautiful environments which truly create an atmosphere which would scare a serial killer senseless. The clear attention to detail and ability to know just when to strike places Monolith as one of the best developers at creating set pieces in a game. Condemned is designed in such a fashion that you will find yourself relaxing at the moment when an enemy comes tearing through the wall and scares you half to death. The downfall of having so few bullets in weapons typically result in most of them being fired into the floor and ceilings in a fit of panic. Fans of F.E.A.R will know fully just what to expect.
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xbox360achievements.org review
No Synopsis Available
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gamezone.com review
Unfortunately the sense of satisfaction with the combat fads away when you encounter more than one enemy at a time. This was a problem with the first game and it is still an issue with the second game. When you get two or three enemies at a time trying to attack you the melee combat can become a dwindling battle against you. The melee combat just isn’t fast enough to take on more than one enemy at a time. The game does feature firearms that you can use, which are more frequent in this game than in part one, but you never seem to have one when you really need it. The best strategy when facing multiple thugs is to try and separate them into one-on-one encounters. The AI of the enemy isn’t always the brightest and you can sometimes get the enemies to fight each other instead of chasing after you. Just take it slow at times and use your weapons in melee combat wisely instead of rushing into combat swinging and punching away.
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extremegamer.ca review
Condemned 2 explores and expands upon the forensic area of the game. The forensic spots in the game help buffer the action so you can a few moments to rest. The foresnic spots help involve the player into the plot and keep them aware beyond punching and shooting. These spot move past simple point and clicking and add in an element where you have to use your common sense and determine aspects about a crime by examination. When you examine an area for example a dead body, you might be required to identify the body by zooming into the face and determine the victims age, and gender. You can even be asked to take photographs, or find trails of blood with a black UV light. When you find you evidence a drop down list pops up and you’ll have to pick from a list of choices. After each part of the forensic questions has been filled out, you submit your answers all at once. Adding an element without clear answers is pretty interesting in Condemned 2 that keeps the player attentive to their surroundings and the plotlines.
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gamers.at review
No Synopsis Available
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gamespot.com review
The general anxiety is further enhanced by the most decrepit and decayed visual design in recent memory. You can taste the dust in the air as you traverse Metro City’s dank environs, and the rough textures make every wall and object look gritty and run-down. The lighting is evocative and creepy, sometimes even more so when you turn on your flashlight in the darkest areas. The stylized effects that indicate a paranormal encounter are sometimes overdone, but for the most part, they set the right mood and parallel Ethan’s battle with the bottle. The sound is even better. The slams of metal against flesh are conveyed perfectly, as are the grunts and cries of your opponents. Furthermore, moments of silence contribute to the sense of fear, making the high quality of the scuffles and creaks that break up those moments even more memorable. In addition, the voice acting is fantastic, and the eerie, understated musical score sets the tone without getting in the way.
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gamingnexus.com review
Like the first game, the gimmick in Condemned is that practically everything is played from the first-person point of view. But this is not a first-person shooter (though there are guns found in the game), this is more of a traditional brawler (similar to Final Fight or Streets of Rage), only done from a first-person perspective and full of puzzles. The controls make sense, your fists are mapped to the left and right triggers and you can kick by using the right analog stick. On top of the fisticuffs, Ethan can (and should) pick up all sorts of weapon-like objects lying on the ground. I’m talking about everything from chunks of wood to wrenches to bed posts and so on. In total the game holds dozens of melee weapons, each with their pros and cons. Half of the fun of this game is playing around with everything in your environment.
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actiontrip.com review
One day, Ethan was just hanging around the bar, having a few drinks as usual. Suddenly, the hallucinations start kicking in. He gets thrown out into the street only to discover that something is causing city-wide violence and mass hysteria. That’s when it all begins. (All the bad guys have tar on their face. A sure fire recipe for creating horror – tar on faces. – Ed.)
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worthplaying.com review
Bloodshot leaves its roots in the shadows when it comes to usable weapons and the overall fighting system. Weapons vary by level; common weapons include bricks, electrical conduits, lead pipes and nail-studded two-by-fours; other exotic weapons include a bowling pin, deer antlers, foosball rod and even medieval axes. A variety of guns — a 9mm handgun, a shotgun and a sniper rifle — have been included as well, although accurately using them in tight spaces may prove to be more difficult than a player would expect. When using aimed mode, the weapon reacts in a very jittery way because of Ethan’s alcoholism; this can be temporarily fixed by the use of alcohol bottles, which can be picked up and imbibed throughout the game. All weapons can be used to bludgeon an enemy or be thrown from a distance to stun or instantly kill an enemy. All melee weapons last for a certain number of attacks and/or blocks and will emit a cracking noise just before it breaks and leaves Ethan with only his fists. With that said, Ethan can now punch and kick, so he’s capable of unleashing an arsenal of hard-hitting combos, both with his bare hands and while wielding weapons.
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ign.com review
The L and R triggers now throw your punches, slow and weighted, in succession. Pull them both at the same time and Ethan will block. Clicking in the right thumbstick activates a shunting kick that introduces your enemies to the floor if you hook their knees or back from behind. All up, it’s a flexible combat system that improves on the original game’s rather simplistic fisticuffs system. Of course, the real star of the combat system is the object-based melee attacks.
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nzgamer.com review
Overall, if the violence doesn’t put you off, Condemned 2 is a worthy purchase. If you’re a shooter fan, and are after a visceral, disturbing experience, then this is the game for you. While not all of its elements are totally up to scratch, the amount of ‘gasp’ moments packed in here make the trip worth taking.
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eurogamer.net review
No Synopsis Available
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