The trick to making a good videogame sequel, in my opinion, is to carry over the best aspects of the previous game while tweaking any problems gamers had, and adding something new. Already Good + Fix Bad + New Feature = Good Sequel It seems basic enough. So in this equation, any problems ought to come from the new stuff, as developers have no way of knowing how gamers will react to it. But all too often, I find that developers stumble at the very first hurdle, dropping what made their first game good or unique. I’m not really sure who’s to blame when this happens. Did the developers completely miss what made their game good in the first place or think the new was better than what was already there? Or do publishers push to incorporate what’s popular to make more money? I’d personally rather a game do one things really well, even if it doesn’t appeal to the mass market, than do multiple things poorly.
That’s not to say I think Condemned 2: Bloodshot (seriously, why give it a subtitle if the number’s in the name?) is bad, just… Well, let’s take things methodically.
Condemned 2 picks up eleven months after the end of the first game. The madness affecting the homeless in the city has reached its boiling point, and is spilling out of the condemned areas into the mainstream. After receiving a message from Malcolm Vanhorn, the old man who offered questionable guidance in the previous title, the FBI’s Serial Crime Unit brings Ethan Thomas back into their fold, current drunk bum status notwithstanding. After tracking down Vanhorn, Ethan discovers that the antagonist from the first game, SKX, is still at large. And there may be an even greater force behind all the madness going on.
At its core, Condemned 2 hasn’t changed much. It remains a first-person psychological horror game where you use whatever you can get your hands on to take on the crazed enemies trying to kill you. But some systems have been tweaked. For one, the shift is more towards an action-orientation than survival horror. Guns & ammo are far more readily available. Ethan has also been using his homeless time to gain some new skills, as he can perform combos & chain attacks, & is far more efficient with just his fists. The investigation system has been massively overhauled. Players are actually expected to examine crime scenes & make inferences from the evidence presented, rather than just following button prompts. The game grades you on these sections, which awards various perks after the mission is over (ex. less damage from firearms). It even offers a simple stealth mechanic later on, where walking slowly allowed you to sneak up on enemies.
Narrative: From a technical standpoint, the story in Condemned 2 is better than previously. I mentioned in the last review that I found the story lacking in real meat in Criminal Origins. Bloodshot improves a little in this area. The storyline feels more coherent & better paced, & actually shows progression in a story arc rather than just chasing a killer through various creepy locales. I also enjoyed that it attempts to solve the unanswered questions from the last game, mainly why everyone’s going crazy & what Ethan has to do with it.
I found the characters much more fleshed out this time around. Ethan seems to have transferred his uptight attitude onto Dorland, a stick-in-the-mud agent who is clearly not shady, in exchange for something a bit more snarky. And frankly, more realistic. Although I find it hilarious that the FBI would automatically trust a disavowed agent with their equipment, I enjoyed Ethan’s personality more this time around. He reminds me of myself if I were just fed up with everything. Like he realizes that despite have hallucinations, he’s still the most sane person left on the planet. The supporting characters also have distinct personalities, & act like real people. Watching them interact was enjoyable.
But note that I said earlier “from a technical standpoint” the story is better. The major flaw in the story for me, & this is purely a matter of personal taste, is the whole cult conspiracy thing. I don’t mind stories taking a supernatural twist, but I felt the Oro cult just wasn’t handled well. I’ve never liked the cliché of a secret cult controlling the world. And why would a cult want to bring out people’s violent tendencies if it disrupts the system they’ve created to control the masses? Maybe if there was ever a Condemned 3 these problems could be ironed out, but that’s not likely to happen.
Overall, while the plot is better is some areas, it fumbles in others, leaving me feeling lukewarm. Score: 3
Mechanics: Certain aspects of Bloodshot have vastly improved, mainly the forensics. I loved the changes made to the investigations. It truly made me feel like I was playing a special agent. In general, they weren’t too difficult, but require the player to pay attention to the environment & use logic to piece things together. Some of the technology is still a little outlandish, though. How did I send a blood sample? Does my fancy tablet have one of those sensors like the blood sugar monitors?
I have mixed feelings about the changes to combat, however. While I appreciate Ethan being better able to defend himself, especially with the shift toward action, I didn’t find the combat as visceral as the first game — one of the best, most effective parts. In particular, I didn’t like the chain attack system. Enemies don’t stagger, so it’s almost impossible to chain attacks together without getting hit. I just ended up wailing on them until one of us died, which I feel goes against the purpose of the changes. I also felt the game leaned a little too much toward action, especially near the end.
And that leads us to my biggest gripe about Bloodshot: it’s just not as scary. For a horror game, especially the follow-up to game that nailed the horror experience, that’s pretty damning. That’s not to say it didn’t have it’s moments. The beginning levels struck that same tension-riddled core as before. But toward the end it all fell apart. I think the problem was two-fold. Firstly, incorporating more action segments, thus necessitating making you more capable & less vulnerable, takes away the fear of the encounter. It removes the threat. Secondly, it lost the effective level design. You start out in these cramped, dilapidated buildings, & it feels just as good (ie. bad) as you remember. But then the levels open up. It loses its atmosphere. Bloodshot is at its best when I was nervously navigating the narrow halls of an old apartment, dreading the blind corners & just waiting for the next guy to literally jump out at me. Or when my only options were to run or die. But there just weren’t enough of those moments.
Because the horror element was such a letdown, despite the vastly improved forensics, I have to bring the score down. A scary game that’s not scary is no good. Score: 3
Aesthetics: Overall, I thought the presentation was good. The character models were still too blocky for my tastes, but hold up relatively well. The designs of the enemies were nice & varied, & you could tell just by looking what sort of of attack style they’d have. The environments were nicely done, in a horrible sort of way, & I liked that the locations varied. It was also nice to go to places that weren’t falling apart. However, I did notice that the lip syncing with Rosa would sometimes be off. Not sure if that was a problem with my game loading or what.
The sound design was definitely the best in this area. The voice acting is far improved, particularly for Rosa. I don’t think any of the actors from the first game reprised their role. The game also shows understanding in how to use sound, or lack thereof, to build atmosphere. I don’t think there’s any music in the game. Just the ambient sounds of creaking buildings or scurrying enemies.
Overall, while not the prettiest game by today’s standards, it knows how to set the mood through visuals & sounds. Score: 4
Replay Value: Average. You can replay any level once you’ve completed it, & after beating the game for the first time you unlock FPS mode, which gives you unlimited ammo when you replay the game. However, unless you’re trying to get a higher rating, there’s not much reason to go back. There’s also a multiplayer aspect, but I didn’t mess with that. Score: 3
Breakdown
Final Score: 3
Final Word: Overall, I don’t feel that Condemned 2: Bloodshot was as good as its predecessor. Although improving in certain areas, it lost what made it truly unique. When the game is trying to scare you, it’s fantastic, but it lacks the same punch, making it hard to recommend for horror game enthusiasts.
–Â GamerDame
Consoles: PS3 & 360
Rating: M
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publishers: Sega & Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Release Date: March 11, 2008
The characters are average. Ethan doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but I felt he reacted like a normal person would to the stuff going on around him. The other characters don’t leave a lasting impact, though they serve their purposes well enough. I did find myself intrigued about SKX, especially when the game reveals the motives behind his crimes, which is good for aiding the mystery of the game. But as I stated before, they didn’t utilize it well. When we actually meet him, he seems so interesting, but that’s the only time he talks to us. This is one of the few times I think notes or audio logs would’ve been useful. The game does show what he’s been doing, but it would’ve bolstered the story if we caught little snippets from his mind as we went. And it may come up in the sequel, but it never answers why he’s chosen to do what he does. He just went crazy & it’s related to the demon-things, & somehow Ethan’s part of it but didn’t know but the government did.
I felt that the forensics portions were laughable & poorly utilized, & not for the reasons in my intro. The game always prompts you when to use the tools, & you can’t use them any other time. They try to explain this by saying Ethan has a sixth sense for when evidence is nearby, which I’m fine with, but it doesn’t make for engaging gameplay. It doesn’t help that the game automatically selects the right tool & tells you exactly where to use it at. And then it tells you what the clues mean, almost treating me like an idiot. Gee, all these faces are crossed out with black x’s, & they just happen to all be killers. I wonder what that could mean?
The sound design is also nice in some areas but bad in others. The ambient noises are spot on. The music adds to the creepy atmosphere, & more than once my own footsteps through debris scared the crap out of me. I liked that you can usually hear enemies before you see them, both adding to the atmosphere & letting you know to get ready to fight. Some of the acting is okay. Greg Grunberg does a decent job as Ethan’s voice, & for the most part sounds believable. Peter Jacobs did a good crazy person’s voice as SKX (interestingly, he did several voices for the game that all sound different). But Rosa’s voice, Kimberli Colbourne, always sounded flat. Funnily, in the closing scene when she writes to Ethan that she’d wired by says he can trust her, her “acting” doesn’t sound different from her usual voice.
GamerDame 