The horror genre in gaming has evolved steadily over the last few decades. Beginning with text-based games, evolving into rudimentary3D adventures likeAlone in the Dark, and then evolving into big-budget, technically-astounding games likeResident EvilandSilent Hill, the horror genre continues to grow year after year. But every so often, a bold new horror experience slips through the cracks, and theCondemnedseries is certainly an example of that.
Releasing in 2005 and 2008 respectively, the twoCondemnedgames were first-person horror titles that became instant cult classics. Heavily inspired by gritty, groundbreaking horror movies likeSaw,Seven, andSilence of the Lambs, theCondemnedseries put an emphasis on gore, tension, and realistic horror. With a perfectly horrifying visual style and some truly unique mechanics, theCondemnedseries still holds up today, although a remaster of both games wouldn’t hurt.
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Why The Condemned Series Deserves a Remaster
The first game in the series,Condemned: Criminal Origins, released in 2005 for the Xbox 360, and a year later for PC. Developed by Monolith, the studio now best known for itsMiddle Earth: Shadowgames,Condemned: Criminal Originsputs players in the boots of Ethan Thomas, a CSI agent that’s tasked with hunting down a man known as Serial Killer X, who’s framed him for murder. This job will see Ethan venture into a series of “condemned” apartment blocks, where violence is waiting round every corner.
The real draw ofCondemned: Criminal Originsis its realism and visceral nature. From a technical perspective,Condemned: Criminal Originscaptures its suspenseful atmosphere perfectly, with realistic lighting systems forcing the player to actually use their flashlight to navigate the environment. The brilliance of this system is only highlighted further withthe game’s surprisingly complex AI. ThroughoutCondemned, players will face off against a variety of human foes, all of which pose a significant threat and are capable of killing the player in just a few hits. Players need to use stealth and every tool at their disposal to get the drop on their foes, as the AI is easily capable of flanking the player and overwhelming them.
The brutal realism ofCondemned: Criminal Originsis reinforced even more via the game’s combat system. Usinga first-person perspective, players are forced to rely on melee combat to survive, and can even rip pipes and other weapons from their surroundings. This often leads to some incredibly intense fights, with players scrambling to find a weapon in the environment, all while being hunted down by violent, unrelenting enemies. The player can also occasionally find firearms, though ammo is extremely limited. In a particularly unique choice, both the player and the enemy AI can be killed with just one bullet, adding yet another layer of harsh realism to the game.
Being a CSI agent, the player can also investigate various crime scenes throughoutCondemned: Criminal Origins. Acting asenvironmental puzzles, these crime scenes task the player with collecting evidence from their surroundings, including fingerprints, blood samples, and fibers. Players will also occasionally have to inspect a body and record their various wounds and lacerations.
In 2008, a direct sequel namedCondemned 2: Bloodshotreleased onthe Xbox 360 and PS3. For the most part,Condemned 2plays pretty similarly to its predecessor, with a focus still on melee combat over ranged. However,Condemned 2introduced a new hand-to-hand combat system where players could use their fists to brutally defeat their opponents.Condemned 2also added gory environmental finishers, allowing players to ram their opponents' heads into walls or floors.
Despite having favorable reviews for both entries, theCondemnedseries has all but faded into obscurity in the decade since its last release. AlthoughCondemnedfeatures some of the most impressive atmospheric tension in any horror game series, and had a truly unique approach to first-person combat, not many current day gamers have played them, and with the second game being restricted to just PS3 and Xbox 360, it’s unlikely that anyone would go back now. So, with that in mind, remasters of bothCondemnedgames should be high up onthe list of priorities for Sega.
Condemned: Criminal OriginsandCondemned 2: Bloodshotare available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
