A decently enjoyable spooky romp. I got very tense at points, even if the game is never all that scary. It is an almost 15 year old game, and it shows its age sometimes. It looks about as good as you could expect from 2005, the combat is satisfying if janky at times, with weapons sometimes landing a hit when it feels out of reach and vice versa, but hitting the face of some poor bastard with a sledgehammer and it making a shower of blood and broken teeth is quite rewarding. I am particularly fond of the voice acting, with the game only having a grand total of 4 voice actors, with everyone except for Thomas' VA making a titanic amount of random enemy and other character voices, as well as sfx. It just amazes me how flexible the voice actors were. I should try the sequel, even though I heard it isn't as good as this one

I love grindhouse-type horror; the whole game looks dirty, deranged, rotten. Does a great job building ambiance, sound design takes a very important role in delivering the creep factor, and thus building a very stressing, scary and tense atmosphere; in addition, the creative and disturbing enemy designs. Such is the case of the mall level, in which you're on edge constantly as you're being stalked by mannequin-like enemies that blend with the background, keeping you on your toes at all times expecting combat at any minute, not to mention the sounds, music and ambiance that makes this particular level the scariest and my favorite in the whole game.

Condemned was such a great game, I love the fact that this is a 360 launch title, and came at a time in which horror games were great but suffered from wonky controls in general. Controller scheme is kinda uncomfortable but in all fairness you can adjust it however suits you best.

Although it seems that controls and graphics have aged, Condemned is still a great horror game, a very unique and creative one that deviates from the typical horror styles. One of the best horror games I have played, I'd really like a revival of the series either with a remake or a 3rd entry, it's such a creative piece of horror to let it die just like that.

I didn't expect much but the AI really impressed. The hobos tried to stay hidden and prepare surprise attacks, but also often started infighting after accidentally hitting each other. The levels could be described as very cramped and linear, but the way they looped around and were set in dark and seedy dumpsended up turning that into a positive thing. The audio was also very atmospheric.

What wasn't great was the final chapter. That's where the linearity became too apparent and the combat got repetitive, and the last fight especially was an unenjoyable difficulty spike because of the arena it was set in.

It's fair to say that I wouldn't be a fan of horror games if it wasn't for Condemned: Criminal Origins. This game has not aged well in any aspect, from its depiction of endless hordes of violent homeless people terrorizing a city to its sluggish gamefeel. However, Condemned's oppressive atmosphere and decaying cityscapes are still quite unique - I can still think of a handful of images that have stayed with me for years - and its world and story are still amazing, particularly its ambiguous ending. I strongly recommend it to those who are likely to enjoy it. Though there are certainly some rough edges, this is still a great (and quite influential) game, and one of my favorites in its genre.

Seven years after I attempted my first playthrough of Condemned: Criminal Origins, I've finally finished it. In doing so, I have to say Condemned brings some really interesting ideas to the table with its melee combat system and narrative; on the other hand, Condemned has certainly aged in some ungraceful ways including plenty of performance issues, goofy collectibles, clunky hit detection, and its CSI mechanics being nothing but cheap (but still entertaining) gimmicks.

For an Xbox 360 launch title, Criminal Origins suffices as an intriguing combat-centered horror experience, which never outstays its welcome in its relatively short, yet sweet story. If you're wanting to experience a classic horror title, definitely give this a shot on later Xbox systems which somewhat negate some of the performance issues found on the 360.

The atmosphere and tension this game is able to induce is extraordinary. It doesn't have many jumpscares, but the ones that are in the game have been executed masterfully with fantastic buildups.

It doesn't have the mechanics popular in horror games right now where the protagonist is completely helpless. The protagonist can actually fight back instead of just hiding and running. The player is given access to a plethora of melee weapons from metal pipes to wooden boards all of which have a similar moveset with different stats. There are numerous types of guns available but they are very rare. Fighting the enemies is quite satisfying. At it's best it feels like a brutal dance between the enemy and the player as you block the enemy at the right moment and attack them when they are stunned. The combat does get a little repetitive by the time you reach the last 2 levels though and some weapons with low block rating feel iffy.

Now the bad part : The story. The story in condemned is complete dogshit. The writing is incomprehensible and the voice acting is just as atrocious. You can pretty much ignore most of it as the strong atmosphere itself is enough to carry you through 90% of the game. Condemned completely shit the bed in the final level unfortunately. The last level is completely in the dark, out in the open, filled to the brim with tanky enemies and completely throws everything condemned had established up until then in terms of game design out the window. I hated it. Oh and the last boss is trash as well.

Overall I'm positive about the game.