Condemned: Criminal Origins (2005 Video Game) User Reviews

Suspenseful from the beginning.

[Ultradeth · 8/10 · 19 November 2019]

I received an Xbox 360 on Christmas 2008 and Condemned: Criminal Origins was the first game I played for it. It had me from the get go, and I still play it from time to time. The combat is visceral and full of impact, a successful block leaves enemies open to attack, while at the same time not allowing the player to become complacent and swing wildly and make every fight a joke.

But what really appeals to me is the environments, every location is decrepit and ruined, it gives the city a wide, deserted feel, murky lighting and crumbling structure are plentiful, good places to hide or be killed.

On the other hand, the final level is a bit foolish, yet the ending is always the hardest part of a story. And the voice acting could be better.

Overall, it's a cult classic for good reason and a worthy addition to the horror game library.

Suspensfull and tense

[diabombe · 9/10 · 8 February 2021]

One of the best, if not the best, horror game I have played. Despite the very dated graphics, the game has plenty of good scares and tense moments. The story dragged a bit in the middle but picks up again in the end chapters. The melee focused combat is unique and pushes you into the enemy more, creating even more tense moments and adding some decent amount of skill as well. Overall, this game is a must for every horror game fan. Highly recommended.

PS: I originally wanted to post this on Steam, but then I forgot that the game is banned in Germany, so this review goes here instead. Just keep that in mind of you are in Germany and want to get this game.

getting chased by hobo

[fh147 · 9/10 · 8 April 2024]

I enjoyed this game the first person fighting has made it so enjoyable that I returned to this game every once in a while. I think this is my fifth playthrough.

At the sense into madness and killing so many hobos in one night that no other person have done you are a bigger hobo killer than winder itself.

There's something so satisfying about the combat. It's so basic, but just in the correct way you feel the great, the teeth the hit all the sound effects just go into making it feels so effective to hit the enemies and the story and dark themes. Just makes it feel like you're slowly walking into Hell it's a very enjoyable and thrilling game.

My biggest problem with the game is the sprint button because it feels like you just want to sprint all the time but the game is not letting you do it and level the sign can get very tedious when you're looking for the white item to open doors.

The game is very enjoyable and getting chased by hobo's can really make your feel tins.

awesome

[coolrex16 · 22 January 2006]

This game is scary, violent and extremely stylish. Ultra-slick visuals, awesome hand to hand combat and enemy AI to as close to real as possible, this game is most definitely one to pick up. The fully interactive elements are good and the actually playability of the game is very easy to pick up. The back drops are detailed and varied, characters look human and smooth and the plot is intriguing. A game to really get the Xenix 360 off the ground. Original and most of all, genuinely frightening. Every time an enemy jumps at you from around the corner your heart will skip a beat and seeing them running past in the background will most definitely send a shiver down your neck.

But it's the little attentions to detail that really make this game stand out, the use of lighting, awesome sound effects and the lack of music to create atmosphere are very good.

The cut scenes telling the story are well animated and voice acted. The plot itself is exceptionally intriguing, you actually want to know what has happened and how it's resolved.

Over all this is most definitely a must own title for the 360, one of many to come I hope.

Violent, creepy, and interesting. The PERFECT Survival Horror experience.

[insomniac_rod · 10/10 · 23 November 2008]

I keep in mind that IMDb is a website dedicated for movies. I love Horror movies specially so it's my mission to recommend this Video Game to everyone else who is into Horror Movies.

"Condemned" is not the typical Survival Horror because it's a first person experience where you don't necessary use common weapons such as guns; instead you are forced to attack possessed junkies and other dark characters with objects such as pipes, tubes, tools, and everything you find in deserted buildings, the subway, and even an abandoned furniture store.

Believe me, this game is not for the weak because it involves extreme violence that not many people can handle. But that's what makes this experience more terrifying: this is a game that could easily happen in real life so you can go figure how well done it was made.

The atmospheric music and sounds are extremely terrifying and will scare the crap out of you alone.

The f/x are also extremely well done and look very real. Expect plenty of gore, smashed heads, decapitations, body smashing, etc.

Overall, this was until 2005 the best Horror game produced for 360. Please buy it and give it the recognition it deserves.

Condemned to your Computer for 3 hours has it's effects.

[Margera4445 · 10/10 · 28 October 2007]

When you buy a game such as Condemned, you'd expect the same stuff different genre. But when you install the game to your computer or pop it into your XBOX 360, you start to realize that you were terribly mistaken.

Condemned Criminal Origins takes the guy we loved as the Doctor who's neck was punctured in Hollow Man, Greg Grunberg, and puts him in the world where being fat and puffy is an okay thing. C:CO, because i don't wan't to spell it out for the rest of this review, is a horror/adventure game where you take on the role of the SCU FBI Agent Ethan Thomas. Agent Thomas arrives at a crime scene late one night in a city I can only assume is New York in an old, dilapidated building with criminals and druggies running amok. You enter the crime scene, a grisly sight of faceless mannequins, a man-doll with a disfigured face, and a young woman, half-naked and strangled to death. After investigating the scene awhile, one of the officers smells smoke and decides to check it out. This decision will launch the game into the horror side, which is good for developers and bad for you so don't forget to thank that fat detective who doesn't know the phrase "Curiosity killed the fat detective." I rated the graphics at an eight for remaining to stay at a reasonable frame rate while drugged up crazies rushed at me with a plethora of weapons from pipes to axes to electrical outlets. The reason for lowness in graphical score was because the characters were way to puffy to be really taken seriously. It almost looks as if the **PD has not only beefed up the officers, but it looks like the bulletproof vests have been hitting the Kevlar a little to hard. Strange considering that two shots to the tummy did both the puffy officers in later in the game. Ethan Thomas' face almost reminds me of the guy from Doom 3. That being said, he still looks like a 49 year old man with a 34 year old voice.

Sound wasn't bad. I would rate it at a 9 for creativity. After announcing you are a federal agent in the beginning of the first mission, a man replies "F**K You!". It actually sounds like he is coming from the back of the room. I haven't heard that type of sound since Half Life 2.

The Concept of the game is what i've been really itching to get to. Don't let the front cover deceive you, it's nothing like SAW. In fact SAW probably kicks the drugged up stuffing out of this game then hits it repeatedly with kicks to the skull. But, we ain't reviewing SAW. The Concept is automatically given a 10. Why you ask? Because it is scarier than Silent Hill. Silent Hill... Nothing beat Silent Hill until this glory hit the game shelves. This game was banned in Germany. Let's see Harry Mason pull off a ban. This game is scary as hell, but maintains a curiosity level that Silent Hill managed to destroy after the first 6 minutes of game play. I will admit that Silent Hill had it's moments, But C:CO had it's moments and then some. If your into getting the crap kicked out of you with a lead pipe or getting scared after a bad guy pops out and smacks you in the dum-diddly-do-ha, then this game is for you. I was freaked out and I stared at the Valtiel from Silent Hill 3 for an hour babbling something along the lines of "What The Flip is going on here." I hope you took your tetanus shot, because this game with hit you with a rusty metal-nailed board until your ass hurts from jumping so many times. If you bought this game, you made the correct choice. You didn't? Quit playing Half Life 2 and Silent Hill and Go buy this game. You don't need a twitchy-headed knock-off monster to tell you that. Peace! FINAL RATING: Max Payne+CSI+Minority Report+Methamphetamines = one kick ass game! Just don't forget to turn your lights out!

This truly scared me!!

[Kezzizzle · 10/10 · 24 November 2006]

Well, i haven't found a film thats managed to scare the life out of me...so who would've thought a video game would ACTUALLY make me genuinely terrified! I absolutely loved this game, and I completed it 100% (yes, it was abit difficult to find all of the metal pieces and the birds, and pick up and use every weapon - but it's possible).

The first level just gives you a real taste of whats to come...you will jump out of your skin so many times, it will start to hurt...the game is never in light...it's always dark, and you've always got the torch to help guide you. At points in this game, I wouldn't do it alone...I had to have someone in private chat with me (360 owners will know what i mean).

I was so scared, this game really frightened me, but in such a good way! I enjoy being made jump and made to feel terrified when I watch a film or whatever...and I think because you are this person in the game, it just makes it scary...it's you who is there, you are controlling this person...you are making the decisions....it's amazing! Everyone who I spoke to, who has this game, agrees that this is quite disturbing and not for the faint hearted...it was reviewed in the official xbox magazine as being the scariest game ever! beating the likes of resident evil and F.E.A.R etc.

If you want to jump out of your skin...and witness some pleasing and gory scenes...get this! Play it in the dark...it makes it all the more terrifying!

XBOX 360's best launch title

[amadeuseisenberg · 10/10 · 30 June 2021]

This is basically F. E. A. R.'s survival horror brother, as opposed to the action horror. Made by the same company, made on the same engine and also came out the same year. And just like in F. E. A. R., the AI in this game is unbeaten by anything out there. There are many great things about the AI and I especially like the enemy's ability to hide, which can really catch you off guard sometimes.

This game focuses on melee combat, instead of F. E. A. R.'s gunplay. The melee combat can get pretty satisfying when you get the hang of it and the animation for the enemies is amazing. Few games also manage to make finding a simple firearm with ammo in it as satisfying as Condemned. I also recommend playing the game without the taser, as it makes the game much more interesting and exhilarating when you don't constantly cheat and take the easy way out of a tough situation with the taser, like I've seen most players do...and instead just forget about it completely. There are many intense battles throughtout the game, but the most memorable ones can be the firefights. The feeling of trying to figure out how to deal with an enemy who's armed with a gun when you only have a melee weapon...made even better when you know the location of a gun to pick up and try to get to it. And the rare gun vs. Gun battles.

The story is very interesting. And the characters are good. I only don't care much for the Rosa character. She's fine for most of the story, but at one point she really stumbled into a hole when she told the main character that very few people can tell her to shut up and get away with it after he tells her to be quiet when she calls him during an intense hiding moment, almost getting him caught. That's Karen-level attitude.

The game also has top class voice acting that shines especially when enemies are yelling with enraged voices in the distance. The game has great voice acting throughout, but the enemies during gameplay outshine everyone.

Condemned: Criminal Origins is without a doubt the best Xbox 360 launch title, as nothing else in the lineup comes close to it. Truly an essential purchase for anyone buying at launch!

Perfect Action/Horror Game

[wrightsma911 · 4 February 2006]

I think this game is simply amazing. It mixes the action and horror genres beautifully in one, including gore, moments that will make you jump and disturbing images and implications as well as melee and firearm combat. There is a whole aresenal of weapons out there, mostly melee, but truth be told, in a game such as this, I believe it is more fun using fire axes, sledgehammers and crowbars as weapons other then a measly pistol or shotgun. Plus, the ability to search for evidence at the crime scenes adds a little extra spice in the game. The storyline as well is very interesting and keeps you on the edge. Although I did run into a few technicalities, the game is definitely a buy for Xbox 360. 9/10.

Explore the dark side of the human mind

[Wolfdemon · 30 April 2006]

When I bought the Xbox 360 sometime ago, one of the first games I wanted to get is Condemned: Criminal Origins. When I played it, it was awesome. It was a nice change from all the other FPS games I played. I tell you why in my review of Condemned: Criminal Origins.

Plot: Condemned stars Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent/forensic scientist. While investigating a murder, Ethan encounters a mysterious mass murderer dubbed "Serial Killer X". Soon enough SKX frames him for murder. Ethan must enter the horror and darkness of the criminal mind in order to clear his name and catch the real killer. 5/5

Graphics: The graphics are dark, literally dark and not dark in tone although its that as well. Everything in this game looks very real, from the characters to the graffiti on the wall. Sega and Monolith truly brings out the darkness of Condemned. 5/5

Sound: The sounds of Condemned are right up there with Doom 3. Anywhere you go, you would hear the psychopaths taunt you and the ambient sounds alone will truly creep you out. 5/5

Gameplay: Here's where the difference comes in: although Condemned does have guns, you won't any extra ammo anywhere. The game is focused on mêlée combat. Blunt objects range from pipes to 2x4s. The most innovative feature in Condemned is the use of the cutting edge forensic technology in Ethan's disposal. Find anything like blood, fingerprints, etc. The psychos Ethan will face are truly intelligent, they can find weapons, hide, and even grab you. A true challenge indeed. 5/5

Condemned: Criminal Origins was definitely worthy for the Xbox 360 launch day. If you like survival horror games or first person shooters or both, then buy Condemned: Criminal Origin if you dare.

Final Review: 5/5