Well bugger me. Up until last week System Shock 2 held the title of scariest game I've ever played, and with good reason. Great atmosphere, storyline and sound created one of the most dreaded universes to play in. As the title would suggest though, I'm not reviewing System Shock 2 but Condemned, now the scariest game I've ever played. Granted, my play experience was well thought out. I made sure I played the game in two sittings, alone, at night, on my projector (roughly 10'X10' image) with 5.1 surround blasting. And this did aid in my overall play experience, I have to admit. I don't believe the game would be any less scary, though, on a 27" analog tv with built-in speakers.
Horror games aren't very well known for their characters, and neither is Condemned. Other than the prologue there are only three real characters to interact with, only one of which you really get to know. The other two bark out threats or hint at plot; however beyond that don't serve any other purpose. I did begin to find a sort of kinship with the game, however. One of the later levels has you fighting alongside one of these characters, giving a much needed respite from wandering in the dark by your lonesy. At this point I became re-engaged with the game, as it added a new gameplay quality at just the right time. So, although Condemned may not have particularly good characters, their implementation is second to none.
The game wants to scare you. It doesn't want to do much else, but with any game you must have reliability in mechanics to achieve your goal. And damn near every mechanic in Condemned is beautiful. The control is your typical FPS 360 layout, with a unique head bob animation that I dug but may lead to nausea in others. Response time is quick, and the options allow you to configure mapping well enough for a console title. I was begging for a faster run option, but in the end, it added considerably to the horror element. Combat is intuitive and inventive. Also insane and incredible. Isometric even. The melee design is easy to understand but challenging to pull off. I've beaten the game twice now, and still struggle with timing out my blocks. In most other games, these would be horrendous controls. But here it works perfectly; it feels like a real fight. The enemies will fake you out, counter your blows, and jump at your face. In this timing is everything and you have to think fast otherwise you'll end up with a pipe indention on your face. When two or more enemies showed up, I tended to run and save myself the agony of being gang raped. This would lead to fantastic results: the firefights that ensued among enemies were always a pleasure to watch. If you play this game with the mindset of a practical character (which he seems to be) your enjoyment level will be elevated immensely.
Speaking of elevated, my sound system sure was when I played this. No sore spots to speak of. Every footstep, swing, impact, and deflection was realistically foleyed and never felt jarring or unsatisfying. The creepier enemies have some truly disturbing dialogue, as well as desperate cries and screams that make it feel as though you are really locked into an exchange with them. The music is underplayed but picks up during more intense scripted scenes, leading to a very cinematic audio experience. Some levels, such as one set in a department store, use the music impressively well. During this stage it felt as though Condemned took a wee in the corner of Bioshock's room. Not all four corners, just the one. But still, when you're having a sleep over at Bioshock's house, you gotta mark a little territory. Anyway the voice acting is solid, though not up there with stuff like, you know, Portal. But solid all the same. What the ambient audio cranked out is what got me most. A later level inside an isolated home feels downright nightmarish, complete with slamming shutters, footsteps both above and below, and the silent eerie howl of cold country wind. It made me realize that a game hasn't scared me this much using silence since Doom 3. The only difference is, in that game you had reliable guns...you're better off to sticking with melee in this one, as its the best way to get the most bang for your buck.
The scares themselves were rarely predictable, and I attribute this to the game's A.I. Enemies will hide, flank or just come out swinging with whatever object is readily available. Oftentimes, you'll get hit in the face when they do this, which tends to wake you up. Each enemy is a threat and none of them are really easy to take down (crawlers being the exception - the trade-off is they're one of the creepier enemies), leading to a quickening of the pulse and incorporating strategy with each encounter. Scripted scares mostly hit - sometimes they just confuse, but look neat in the process. The latter scenes reminded me heavily of F.E.A.R., which I believe this studio also worked on. Not a bad thing, just something that could have been developed more and in a less vague way. One scare in particular involving a body in a locker damn near killed me - and I knew about it beforehand. I had watched it on youtube (one of the main reasons I decided to play the game, actually) and it still got me a jumpin and a hollerin. I did that a lot during this game. Screamed and jumped. No other game since System Shock 2 has really done that for me. Movies, to be sure. Stuff like The Descent and The Mist had me by the balls, but truly scary games just haven't done that for me. Hell not even Silent Hill 2, and that's got the number three spot on my scary games list. I would say about every ten minutes of gametime I would jump an average of 2-3 times and scream at least one of those times. That is money well spent.
So, is it better than games like Half-Life? Well of course not. Most scary games have noticeable flaws (SS2 had bad animation and dated graphics, SH2 had bad controls and combat) but those flaws end up adding to the horror element. If you're looking for something to scare you and not do anything else, Condemned is your ticket to nightmareville. What it does it does to the letter, and if the subject matter interests you, and you are looking for a different way to kill things for a few hours, it will definitely fit the bill.
Misses
Short (6-9 hours)
Some scripted scenes are unclear
Plot could've used tightening
Combat can frustrate at times
Hits
Level design/locations are very effective
Gameplay never gets dull
Great atmosphere
Sound design strikes perfect balance
When the combat works, it works beautifully
Satisfying conclusion
Horror games aren't very well known for their characters, and neither is Condemned. Other than the prologue there are only three real characters to interact with, only one of which you really get to know. The other two bark out threats or hint at plot; however beyond that don't serve any other purpose. I did begin to find a sort of kinship with the game, however. One of the later levels has you fighting alongside one of these characters, giving a much needed respite from wandering in the dark by your lonesy. At this point I became re-engaged with the game, as it added a new gameplay quality at just the right time. So, although Condemned may not have particularly good characters, their implementation is second to none.
The game wants to scare you. It doesn't want to do much else, but with any game you must have reliability in mechanics to achieve your goal. And damn near every mechanic in Condemned is beautiful. The control is your typical FPS 360 layout, with a unique head bob animation that I dug but may lead to nausea in others. Response time is quick, and the options allow you to configure mapping well enough for a console title. I was begging for a faster run option, but in the end, it added considerably to the horror element. Combat is intuitive and inventive. Also insane and incredible. Isometric even. The melee design is easy to understand but challenging to pull off. I've beaten the game twice now, and still struggle with timing out my blocks. In most other games, these would be horrendous controls. But here it works perfectly; it feels like a real fight. The enemies will fake you out, counter your blows, and jump at your face. In this timing is everything and you have to think fast otherwise you'll end up with a pipe indention on your face. When two or more enemies showed up, I tended to run and save myself the agony of being gang raped. This would lead to fantastic results: the firefights that ensued among enemies were always a pleasure to watch. If you play this game with the mindset of a practical character (which he seems to be) your enjoyment level will be elevated immensely.
Speaking of elevated, my sound system sure was when I played this. No sore spots to speak of. Every footstep, swing, impact, and deflection was realistically foleyed and never felt jarring or unsatisfying. The creepier enemies have some truly disturbing dialogue, as well as desperate cries and screams that make it feel as though you are really locked into an exchange with them. The music is underplayed but picks up during more intense scripted scenes, leading to a very cinematic audio experience. Some levels, such as one set in a department store, use the music impressively well. During this stage it felt as though Condemned took a wee in the corner of Bioshock's room. Not all four corners, just the one. But still, when you're having a sleep over at Bioshock's house, you gotta mark a little territory. Anyway the voice acting is solid, though not up there with stuff like, you know, Portal. But solid all the same. What the ambient audio cranked out is what got me most. A later level inside an isolated home feels downright nightmarish, complete with slamming shutters, footsteps both above and below, and the silent eerie howl of cold country wind. It made me realize that a game hasn't scared me this much using silence since Doom 3. The only difference is, in that game you had reliable guns...you're better off to sticking with melee in this one, as its the best way to get the most bang for your buck.
The scares themselves were rarely predictable, and I attribute this to the game's A.I. Enemies will hide, flank or just come out swinging with whatever object is readily available. Oftentimes, you'll get hit in the face when they do this, which tends to wake you up. Each enemy is a threat and none of them are really easy to take down (crawlers being the exception - the trade-off is they're one of the creepier enemies), leading to a quickening of the pulse and incorporating strategy with each encounter. Scripted scares mostly hit - sometimes they just confuse, but look neat in the process. The latter scenes reminded me heavily of F.E.A.R., which I believe this studio also worked on. Not a bad thing, just something that could have been developed more and in a less vague way. One scare in particular involving a body in a locker damn near killed me - and I knew about it beforehand. I had watched it on youtube (one of the main reasons I decided to play the game, actually) and it still got me a jumpin and a hollerin. I did that a lot during this game. Screamed and jumped. No other game since System Shock 2 has really done that for me. Movies, to be sure. Stuff like The Descent and The Mist had me by the balls, but truly scary games just haven't done that for me. Hell not even Silent Hill 2, and that's got the number three spot on my scary games list. I would say about every ten minutes of gametime I would jump an average of 2-3 times and scream at least one of those times. That is money well spent.
So, is it better than games like Half-Life? Well of course not. Most scary games have noticeable flaws (SS2 had bad animation and dated graphics, SH2 had bad controls and combat) but those flaws end up adding to the horror element. If you're looking for something to scare you and not do anything else, Condemned is your ticket to nightmareville. What it does it does to the letter, and if the subject matter interests you, and you are looking for a different way to kill things for a few hours, it will definitely fit the bill.
Misses
Short (6-9 hours) Some scripted scenes are unclear Plot could've used tightening Combat can frustrate at timesHits
Level design/locations are very effective Gameplay never gets dull Great atmosphere Sound design strikes perfect balance When the combat works, it works beautifully Satisfying conclusion
