Condemned Criminal Origins
Condemned: Criminal Origins allows players to experience the unnatural, as they track down serial killers and bring them to justice. Play as Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent in the Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through detailed urban environments filled with sociopaths who lurk on the edge of humanity. Condemned maintains an intense, focused pace — Players can never be sure what waits around each corner. Meticulously crafted 5.1 surround-sound will cue players to the location of offscreen enemies Next-generation lighting, mapping, and filtering techniques provide for environments of unprecedented detail and visual quality
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Condemned 360 Review
I have to tip my hat to the creators of Condemned Criminal Origins for attempting something new from the shooter dominant genre of first person gaming. Being that this game was made in 2006, it certainly holds up very well. Both graphically and game play wise. There are things this game does very well, and things that may rub you the wrong way. I will detail both what I feel are the strengths and weaknesses of this title later. Within the first 15 minutes of the game you learn the following (spoiler free), you are an FBI agent who works serial killer cases, you are mid investigation with 2 other officers when the suspect drops on the scene. The 2 cops go one way, you go the other. The suspect then steals your gun and shoots down the other 2 cops. Because the murder was with your gun you are now a suspect on the run seeking to clear your name and bring the true killer to justice. As you play through the game there are sequences where you use various “forensic tools/technology” to gather clues, which advance the plot and the game. Don’t worry you do not have to choose which tool to use, an icon appears on the screen, you hit a button and the proper tool pops up. Using the tools to find the clues does not offer much of a challenge, though it is an interesting way of advancing the story, and you do feel like you are a detective. You then upload these clues via cell phone to your trusted contact at FBI headquarters who gives you updates on what the clues mean, further advancing the story and your investigation. As you follow the trail of the suspect you fight various “crazies” along the way, from raging homeless to biker street gang types a’ la “Akira” meets “Road Warrior”. The publishers claim the game features a “fully interactive environment”, what that really means is there are various objects you can use as weapons, from lead pipes and metal signs to pistols and shotguns. Ammo is non existent beyond what you find in a weapon, this game was not designed, nor is it meant to be played like a typical first person shooter. Which brings me to my major criticism with the game, which are the combat mechanics. The manner of engagement is swing/shoot your weapon or block. That’s it. Now some might say that mastering the combat in this game requires finesse and attention to detail, though I feel as though it rather un-refined and somewhat counter intuitive as far as timing your strikes/blocks (you attack this way 90% of the time as firearms are rare). Now this is by no means a deal breaker, it is fun to bash some heads, though once again the combat system generally feels somewhat sloppy. Though once again this is not an “action” centric title, what will keep you playing (and what keeps me playing) is the well executed story, you really do feel like you are in the thick of solving the case. What I am talking about here is called true game immersion, most games are pick up and play, though this title really grabbed me as the story is at the center. And if I may say so this game is actually quite light on the gore/extreme content, granted I would not suggest anyone under the age of about 16 to play this game, though by no means is the content “over the top”. So in summation the story gets five stars, the action gets three stars, for a 3.5 star average on the game (someone check my math please 
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5 Stars Great game!!
This game was better than I thought it would be. It ended way too quick. I wish there was more ammo for the guns though. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who likes a first shooter game or a horror game!
4 Stars Very Nice
I had actually bought this for a friend who wanted it over Live, but I have played and beat this game in the past.
Nice atmosphere, eriee surroundings and great melee combat through-out the game. Would definately recommend this game to any one who wants a really awesome SP experience; it was a launch/close to launch title for the 360.
The 2nd Condemned does a good follow up with the story and what not, but isn’t as good as the first. Find it cheap online or get it used and enjoy.
4 Stars Cheaply Creepy!
Condemned Criminal Origins was an Xbox 360 launch title that still holds up. It’s a very solid survival horror game with good combat mechanics. It’s no Resident Evil or Gears of War 2, but you can get this game for about $15 now. If you’ve ever wanted a blend between X-Files and Silent Hill, this is it.
Story 8/10
The story is creepy, fairly well told, and fairly well acted. You’re a detective that tracks down serial killers and there’s something in the air that’s harmful to birds and driving people a little crazy. By harmful to birds, I mean their brains explode. By driving people a little crazy, I mean turning them into raving homicidal maniacs. There are a few other characters that help you in your investigation and the plot thickens as the story progresses. The story is a bit convoluted at times, but it does pull you into the game’s world.
Graphics 6/10
The game was a launch title so the graphics are dated. But, most of the game takes place in darkly lit rooms, so you don’t really notice. However, the graphics are good enough to creep you out.
Gameplay 8/10
For a survival horror game, the combat is very good! It’s much better than the Japanese Survival Horror games (minus Resident Evil 4). Most of the combat takes place with melee weapons like boards with nails in them, pipes, or sledge hammers. If an enemy attacks, you can deflect its blow with a well timed block, allowing you to land a counterattack. You can also play aggressively by attacking enemies and moving back and forth to dodge their swings. Overall, the combat is very satisfying and the animations are great. You can find guns with very limited ammo and head shots are lethal. Expect to fight 1-4 enemies at a time, so watch your back!
Sound 8/10
The sound effects and music set the mood really well. You hear psychotic whispers and shuffling footsteps followed by maniacal shrieks as some psycho runs out of the darkness and tries to cut your face off.
Levels 6/10
The level designs are good, imaginative, and very creepy. You can get lost, but it’s pretty easy to get ‘unlost’ if you pay attention.
Replay Value 5/10
You can replay the game to find collectibles and get achievements. There are also 2 different endings and different difficulty levels.
Scary 8/10
Condemned is one of the scarier games out there and it even rivals Silent Hill Homecoming. Having a maniac run out of the darkness, trying to crush your skull with a lead pipe, is pretty scary.
Condemned is Rated M for language, blood, gore, mature themes, and shouldn’t be played by kids. This isn’t a zombie fantasy game, it deals with psychotic criminals and mutilated victims.
Overall, if you want a scary game for a very cheap price, this one delivers. The gameplay is good, the story is ok, and it is Very Scary.
5 Stars One of my current favorite 360 games
I’m one of those casual gamers who likes to play once or twice a week. And my favorite type of game is thrillers with killing involved. So when I saw this game, I decided almost immediately to buy it because it seemed to have a good storyline plus it got great reviews. Turns out, it does have a good storyline and the other reviews are correct. This is a great game!!
So what’s the game all about? Basically, you play as an investigator who is trying to solve a case of a serial killer who does some pretty weird stuff. As the storyline moves along a bit, some weird stuff happens to your own character. You must solve the case while killing anyone who gets in your way.
Let’s talk about the positives first: As I mentioned above, the storyline is pretty good. It gives some meaning to an otherwise general killing game. Also, the game is pretty scary. Now, I’m a lover of horror movies and I don’t get spooked all that easy but playing this at night-Woo! It can be terrifying. In each level, there are tons of rooms to check out. There are also creepy guys (and some girls) walking around that you must kill. In order to kill these guys, you must grab a weapon. Different types of weapons can be found throughout the game. Some more common ones are pipes, boards with nails in them, and conduits. You also can find sledgehammers, axes, and guns on occasion.
In order to solve the case, you must look for clues. The game shows you exactly when you’re in an area that a clue is located in. Then you must find the clue, either collect it or take a picture of it, and then send the info off to Rosa who is in a lab somewhere processing the info. Each clue puts you a step further to solving the mystery.
And now for the negatives: One thing that frustrates me is that while hitting the bad guys with your weapon, you also have to block. It may sound easy but you have to perfect your timing because if you block one second before the guy hits you, the block won’t count and your health will go down. This can be a pain when you don’t have much health left and one hit will kill you. If you perfect your timing, you should be fine but sometimes the bad guys trick you and don’t hit you when you think they will.
Overall, this is a great game with a great storyline. Would I recommend it? If you like killing games, definitely. If your considering getting this for a child, don’t even bother. There’s a high amount of cursing and violence.
