Condemned: Criminal Origins is a psychological survival horror game that focuses heavily on melee combat and crime scene investigation that was developed by Monolith Productions (the same people who developed F.E.A.R. and AvP 2 for the PC) and released in 2005, making it one of the launch games for the Xbox 360. Looking back at it now, it's not only obvious that it's a first generation game for a next generation system, but a game that was decided to be a next generation game most of the way through development, having a few last generation flaws be obvious to anyone who looks hard enough. Looking over that, it's a decent melee focused combat game that gives some good atmosphere, making it worth a look, considering how cheap it is now.
In Condemned, you take control of Ethan Thomas, a SCU agent (Serial Crime Unit), framed shortly after the investigation of a murder scene for a double homicide of the two cops who were investigating the scene with you. Before long, you come in contact with the real killer a few times and have to track him down to prove your innocence before your caught, unravelling a mystery surrounding the man that may or may not be connected to the random deaths of hundreds of birds and the sudden increase of violence between the homeless.
Right from the outset, the story should have been more developed. While not bad, it's the bare minimum required for a "cop wrongfully accused of something" plot outline, leaving much to be desired. A few bits and pieces are explained to you through text on loading screens, giving you a bit of backstory as to what is happening throughout the city slums you have to go through, but does nothing more to soften the blow of a few unanswered questions (what's up with the supernatural stuff?). This might not give the proper motivation for some players, but it's appropriate for what the game is trying to achieve and gives enough twists and turns for the fan of crime dramas.
The game has a melee focused combat system, with firearms being somewhat uncommon. This might turn some people off from the game, but is designed well, with weapons not only for fighting weapons, but as tools to help with environmental puzzles (a term witch i use loosely), such as axes cutting down certain doors and crowbars being used to destroy padlocks. Some weapons are prone to also being destroyed after a period of time, such as when you have to use guns to hit enemies when you run out of ammo. Enemies are a little more than basic AI that you can just kill. Since two or more guys can be attacking you at one time and can run an hide, it adds some strategy to the gameplay. There is also a taser than can stun your enemies momentarily, giving you some time to either get away to rest or get some health or give you the chance to finish them off.
Condemned also had crime scenes and areas for you to investigate, adding breaks to the combat. You have "instincts" that allow you to find clues as to who the man who killed your friends really is. These might not be much more than a way for the story to continue, but make you feel like your actually finding clues and following someone, at least giving you some motivation that the plot is lacking in some areas.
While the game has bland areas to walkthrough that you've come to know and hate, the game promised atmosphere and delivered. Every abandoned and condemned (get it?) area you come across feels appropriate, with destroyed equipment and bits and pieces of rubbish strewn across the ground. The sound also shines, with the buzz of flies around rubbish and the sounds of homeless people fighting and moving around in other parts of the levels, making you feel in the game.
Looking back at Condemned: Criminal Origins, it might not exactly stand out, but it delivers on what it promises, having good atmosphere and decent melee combat system. There's also a version out on the PC, which is pretty much the same. If you like games with mature themes and a dark atmosphere and don't have a lot of money, you could probably find a copy of this cheap and is definitely worth checking out.
The Good:
+The atmosphere makes the game feel actually scary, whitch is helped by the levels looking and feeling like actual condemned buildings.
+The melee combat feels exactly like it should.
+Enemies react like you would expect and require a little bit of strategy.
The Bad:
-Too many unanswered questions and the story feels like it went nowhere.
-The crime investigations are nothing more than a way to continue the plot.