Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, 2008)

You’re drunk, you’re angry, and you’re sleeping in the streets of a city ready to tear itself apart — welcome back, Ethan Thomas. It’s been six months since the ex–FBI agent tracked down Serial Killer X through Condemned’s blend of horror and first-person gameplay — and if you’ve come to the sequel seeking answers to that spooky cliffhanger ending, you’ll get some…but nowhere near enough.
As homicidal homeless people assaulted us with scavenged weapons and vulgarity, we defended ourselves with wooden and aluminum bats, toilet seats, flaming 2x4s…and we won’t reveal any more, since finding new weapons is part of the fun. Plus, the new combo-based fisticuffs system offers hooks, blocks, one-two combos – it’s like (Bum)Fight Night.
Being an ex–FBI agent, you’re always armed with investigative toys such as UV lamps and spectrometers. The forensic segments are less “find what the designers left you” and more open to observation and interpretation. Is that blood-spray pattern the result of blunt trauma or a gunshot? Was the victim dragged away or did they crawl under their own power? A little ambiguity helps you feel like you’re really working the case — a little Encyclopedia Brown to go with the Sugar Ray Leonard.
Condemned 2’s finest creation, however, is atmosphere. The dilapidated world looks disgustingly tangible — piles of trash litter the offices, factories, and streets, while frostings of rust and filth cover nearly ever surface. Silence proves to be the game’s greatest weapon, creating a hyper-aware environment that is terrifying in its lack of ambience. We tried to play this game in the dark but didn’t last long, thanks to multiple scream-like-a-six-year-old-gir​l moments, including one while exploring a derelict building: We approached a mirrored medicine cabinet, hoping to find some health kits inside, only to spot an enemy running up behind our reflection. Instinct took over. And while we squeezed our eyes shut a lot, Condemned 2 depicts its gore unflinchingly. We’ll spare you the spoilers, but the game’s Mature rating lands somewhere below the torture porn of Hostel…but not by much.
Unfortunately, there’s an uneven quality to Condemned 2; some elements just lack polish. Voice acting is hit and miss (swear words are clumsily delivered — and someone fire that newscaster!), there’s some inconsistency among objects (climb this scaffold and smash that TV, but not others), and you’re a slave to checkpoint saves instead of being able to save when and where you want. Plus, Ethan’s hallucinations are sometimes used to set up unfair fights — when it’s too dark or blurry to see your attacker or your possible exits, frustration sets in fast. Perhaps worst of all, fans will get some interesting answers to their lingering questions (Haven’t played the first game? You’ll want to…), but Condemned 2’s deeply unsatisfying final battle and end cinematic shamelessly set up a third game. We’d look forward to it if we could walk away from this one feeling fulfilled.
Condemned 2 was designed to mess with your head, and boy, does it succeed. We’re glad we got the chance to return to Metro City, but the old town has changed — in some ways for the better, but a little for the worse.

If you played the first Condemned game you will definately love this game. The action and suspense is still there along with all the unexpected scares. It provides a great continuation from the cliffhanger ending of the previous game. This game focuses a bit more on gun play as opposed to melee combat from the first but nonetheless still works well.


I still believe this is one underrated horror game and hope more people are able to find this hidden gem. I've never had so many moments where I jump scared from the intense quiet then random monster popping out of nowhere scenes like I have with the Condemned series. This game isn't as fast paced as you would expect from a first person shooter type game but that's what builds the suspense. Do yourself a favor and pick this game up, you will probably be able to find it at a very cheap price anywhere you look.

Condemned 2 for the Xbox 360:

Pros: Weapons selection
Graphics CG
Combo & Block moves
Ability to access files/evidence many times
Throwing weapons both straight ahead but also VERTICALLY!

Cons: Darkness (even adjusted)
Inability to skip Cutscenes
Confusing Navigation points (no clear directions)
No cheats
Game progression was too slow
Tutorial was spaced throughout entire first level, not all at once


Basically you wake up in an alley, hung over. You flip off a Homeless man and off you go!

Your drunk (required), ticked off and powerful! You have to stay drunk to stay powerful! If you don't drink enough then your not strong, and your fighting abilities are hindered. Reaction time is dependant on blood alcohol level.

This was a decent game but not anything special. I wouldn't buy it again, in fact we sold our copy after the first run through.

NOT A GAME FOR KIDS! This is strictly an ADULT game.

If it came down to it, would you be willing to rip your toilet seat off of its hinges to beat down a frenzied meth addict? You'd better be prepared to answer 'yes' to that question if you're going to take a swing at Condemned 2: Bloodshot. The sequel to Monolith and SEGA's Xbox 360 launch title returns to the seedy underworld for more first-person melee combat with a hint of horror. Ok, it's more than a hint. Condemned 2 offers up the same formula that made the first game a success and tackles every criticism levelled at the franchise with success in most areas. It's not the perfect sequel, but it'll do for those of us that found the first a refreshing alternative to the standard first-person formula.

Condemned 2 picks up several months after the first game ended. Ethan Thomas, our unlikely hero, has fallen on hard times since leaving his job as an SCU agent. The alcoholic stupor he lives in has taken its toll and this game finds him battling demons both real and imaginary. Things are bad for Mr. Thomas. Not quite Leaving Las Vegas bad, but the sauce has become such a part of his life that he can't hold a gun steady without first downing a bottle. It's a sad state of affairs, but an interesting gameplay mechanic to be sure.

I'm going to start off by saying if you were a fan of the first, you will undoubtedly be a fan of this one. If you have never played the first, but like games that involve a lot of gore, violence, strategy, and loads of fist to fist combat, then look no further. It takes what was good about the first one and adds many, many new features. There are new combo attacks, new weapons, new enemies, new investigating features, and much more. As the game progresses, the enemies slowly get stronger, smarter, and better. You also get upgrades as the game goes along, such as armor and brass knuckles. You can also now sprint up and down stairs, opposed to the first one where you couldn't. There are side objectives along with the main objectives which adds to the openness of the game, along with multiple routes to the objective instead of just one route. If you beat condemned criminal origins, you should be able to pick up the controller immediately and start playing bloodshot without a problem. All of the new features and combo moves are very easy to learn, and the first 5 or 10 minutes of the game pauses every now and then to explain how to do a certain move or perform a certain task. I highly recommend this game. If you have never played the first, I suggest maybe picking that one up and beating it first so that this game may be a little easier and more understandable, but definitely not necessary. Pick this game up now, you won't regret it.