Review: Condemned 2: Bloodshot

Sorry for the prolonged absence. I was having a kick-ass spring break and playing some new games; Condemned 2: Bloodshot being one of them.

Plot: In Bloodshot, you take control of former SCU agent Ethan Thomas. He is now a raving alcoholic and his former co-workers come to get him and bring him aboard for one more mission. Also, SKX IS BACK! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN! All in all, the plot ended up being alright, if not a little insane. I found it odd that even the characters in the game noticed how odd the plot points were and explicitly stated this to Ethan. "It's pretty far-fetched, to be sure." Yes, yes it is, but at least it's executed well.

Graphics: The graphics were good, but were glitchy at points. For instance, when you get really close to a wall and the game runs a smooth 60 FPS. However, when you back away from said wall, the frame-rate chugs down to 30 FPS. It's not a huge issue, but it bugged me a bit. All of the trippy psychological effects and filters that are the series' hallmark look really good. There are some very minor clipping issues that are odd at times, but nothing too serious. Overall, the graphics are very good.

Movement, animations, and actions are good for the most part. One gripe I have is that every so often I could only pick up a desired weapon when standing in exactly the right place and looking in exactly the right direction. Again, this isn't a huge issue, but something that bothered me. your characters movements seem natural and fluid throughout. However, looking into a mirror and pressing either of the punch buttons results in a raucous amount of laughter erupting from anyone who sees it.

Combat: The combat is intuitive and well executed. Each fist is linked to one of the trigger buttons, or a forehand or backhand attack when holding a weapon. There is a combo system that has been implemented where you hit an opponent with a series of punches, an indicator appears, you hit your opponent, and then that hit is given a multiplier based on the type of combo that was executed. This is a good idea in theory, but some of the moves that are required to be used in order to complete are nigh impossible to do. Apparently there is a way to throw a hook in the game, and this is necessary for most of the combos, but it is never explained how to do so. Also, apparently there is a way to kick a man in the testicles in the later stages of the game. Again, it is never explained how to do this.

"Chain attacks" have been implemented. These are short quick-time events that do massive damage to your opponents. As you do more of these, the attacks require more trigger hits and are more brutal. Also, environmental kills are good, but not a truly large part of gameplay. There are some really good ones (Pneumatic press, hanging rebar, face through arcade machine), but there are also some really bland ones (generic table smash, generic wall smash).

Multi-Player seems like an odd addition to the game. It feels a bit out of place. Most battles involve 2 players dancing around each other, then another guy coming and bashing one of them in the back of the head, then those 2 guys dance for a bit. also the Crime Scene mode is just blatantly one-sided. It pits 4 SCU players with guns against 4 hobos with melee weapons. If that wasn't enough of an imbalance for you, 2 of the hobos are forced to carry around "evidence."
These are basically boxes that prevent you from attacking and make you move slower. also, it's round based as well so it's always 2v4 with the 4 having superior weapons. All in all, it just seems like an unnecessary addition.

Overall the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. Analyzing each portion individually brought my spirits down, but then I remembered how much fun I had in the 8 hour process of completing this game.

I give Condemned 2: Bloodshot 3 & 3/4 stars out of 5