Well, it’s less creepy then the last picture at least
Monolith Productions has one very diverse lineup of games. From their take on classic spy movies with: No One Lives Forever, to Tron 2.0 . In 2005 and 6 they switched to horror with FEAR and Condemned: Criminal Origins. Interestingly enough, they missed the mark with FEAR (which I talked about earlier), but came close to a bulls-eye with Condemned.
Condemned is a first person title but unlike Undying, it had a greater focus on close range combat. Players could pick up random items lying around to use against the army of insane hobos that were after them. The basic fighting system in play allowed players to block and counter attack which enemies could do as well.
Condemned is another example of a horror game that didn’t cut corners when it came to combat. Fighting the enemies became a chaotic in-your-face experience as the enemies rushed the player to try and take them down. While there were guns available, ammo was always limited and the player could not rely solely on them. Since different weapons had different attributes, you had to make sure you had the right weapon for the job. Larger weapons would hit harder, but were slower and harder to block with for example.
The enemies themselves also played into the atmosphere. The majority of the enemies in Condemned were homeless people driven insane by an unknown force. Many enemies wandered around talking incoherently or fighting each other before the player showed up. In some places, random muttering would be the only warning you would have before being attacked.
It wasn’t uncommon for enemies to curse and scream at the player while trying to kill them. One of the best areas was in a destroyed department store where mannequins were scattered around. Some of the mannequins were actually enemies posing to ambush the player once their back was turn.
Graphics play a huge role in setting the tone of a game and Condemned had a great style. Like Silent Hill 2, the environments were decrepit, run-down and looked like what you would expect to find on the wrong side of the tracks. Many levels took place in areas with narrow corridors which helped further give the feeling of isolation to the player. When the game did throw normal, clean looking areas at the player, it did a good job of showing the contrast in scenes.
The creepiest part of Condemned and why it earned a place on this list came near the end of the game. Without spoiling the plot too much, the player is looking for a master killer called “Serial Killer X”, who framed the player and is killing other serial killers. The main character learned that X was hold up at of course: a lone house in the middle of nowhere.
When the player arrived, they find that the house is abandoned and they have to search all over the place for any clues. What makes this part work is that it really takes the atmosphere up several notches. The player could look around and see how the house has fallen into disrepair and there is no combat at the start. Random noises from the house can be heard as the player wandered around. You can just tell that something big is going to happen, which raised the tension level farther. Then the player entered the basement and things got crazy.
The player gets attacked by freaks crawling on the ground towards the player. The best part is that they keep spawning as long as the player is in the basement. Forcing you to search frantically for the clue you need while dealing with the freaks.
Condemned did well enough for a sequel. While the sequel did expand the combat system and add more adventure style gameplay to the mix, it did downplay the horror. Once again, the designers attempted to explain what was going on and removed the mystique of the first game.
The proceedings went into “jumping the shark” territory when cults, super powers and giant hobo monsters made an appearance. The final level lost a lot of the atmosphere earned from the first game. By making it a siege on the enemy base and played out more like a first person shooter without any adventure elements.
The Condemned series is one of my favorites, for its combination of combat, horror and exploration. I would love for Monolith to continue the series with the improvements of #2, but with the atmosphere of the first game. And Condemned would have topped this list if not for my final game, which scared my remaining feelings of fear out of me.
Up Next: Climbed Aboard the Dreamweaver Train
