After playing condemned, i feel its only proper to write a bit of a review of it...
The game recently got a very warm welcome from the Xbox 360 community, and to be honest, the only reason i think it got that positive response was because they didn't have FEAR to compare it with...
How to make a game like Condemned: Criminal Origins
First, take a completely un-original idea that has very recently been a huge success on the PC. In Condemned's case - F.E.A.R
Then, instead of using this idea cleverly and originally, masking its origins with great level design and gameplay, follow F.E.A.R to the smallest detail...
I mean, litterally. It's a couple of hours of playing condemned before you even remember you're not just playing fear on an over-rated console. I mean, it goes as far as pretty much using the exact same sound effects. The first level is such a blatant copy of FEAR that i'm amazed the Xbox community couldn't see that it's FEAR simply from screenshots... Ah well..
Then, create a large number of cool weapons, place them just before huge, difficult fights but forget to give them ammo No, really... It does this. I picked up at least 4 guns in the game, that i only used once because NEVER throughout the whole game did i collect ammo for them...
Finally, add a repetative (although pretty scary to begin with) combat system, sweeten in with some cool blur effects and call it your own game
The combat system goes like this - pick up something from the evironment.. "anything" was the impression i got from all the hype, but in fact, the 'weapons' are very obvious items, placed specifically in locations near bad guys, rather than in realistic useful places.
Each weapon has invisible block, attack and weight values.
And that's how it works. You have to block an insanely fast attack from an enemy thats jumped out at you (im talking split-second reactions on a console.. doesn't work) and if you dont, you get butt-raped. quickload
You have to block an insanely fast attack from an enemy thats jumped out at you (im talking split-second reactions on a console.. doesn't work) and if you dont, you get butt-raped. quickload
You have to block an insanely fast attack from an enemy thats jumped out at you (im talking split-second reactions on a console.. doesn't work) and if you dont, you get butt-raped. quickload
You have to block an insanely fast attack from an enemy thats jumped out at you (im talking split-second reactions on a console.. doesn't work) and if you dont, you get butt-raped. quickload
You have to block an insanely fast attack from an enemy thats jumped out at you (im talking split-second reactions on a console.. doesn't work) and if you dont, you get butt-raped. quickload
Oh, did i mention that one of the game's flaws was that it allows you to quick save in the most perilous of times, without telling you that its a stupid place to save... In HL2 for example, you always 'know' when there are going to be hideous raping zombies coming after you. And you 'know' if you have enough health to deal with them...
In condemned you dont, and maybe that's a good thing since it adds a fear element to the game, but frankly, i found it outright annoying as i had to replay several section from the last autosave...
Anyways
You have to block an insanely fast attack from an enemy thats jumped out at you (im talking split-second reactions on a console.. doesn't work) and if you do, you then proceed to whack it across the chin with your makeshift weapon. Then then next hideous creature, and then the next one.. That was fun- oh wait, more. Then the next one, and the next one, and a few more after that, and another.. Oh look, a bad guy.
Must. Stop. Getting. Bored. Of. The. Same. Model. Used. For. Every. Bad. Guy. In. This. Level.
Yargh!
Sorry, but the only thing this game seemed to have going for itself was incredibly uber animation, and some very impressive AI (or maybe it wasn't, but every level was the same so they could have scripted the attacks ffs)
Not worth getting when it's released on to PC. Get F.E.A.R