Ethan Thomas is back, a little worse for all the hell the poor guy has gone through in the first game. For those who have not been introduced to our hero yet, Ethan Thomas is the unstable and disgraced Serial Crimes Unit investigator. Once again he finds himself in the facing off against some really horrific enemies, and in the vein of standard heart stopping horror films, several scares that will have you jumping in your seat as you guide the character through this hellish world. There will be more than once that an overwhelming feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, or terrifying; will send a shuddering fear through you.

Over all the game has upped it’s quality in story, looks and sound making it a block buster of a sequel. Even with the occasional video stutter while some areas load are not enough to steal away the fun of this game.

Those of us that have played the original Condemned for the Xbox 360 launch will be right at home playing the character Ethan Thomas in Condemned 2 Blood Shot on what ever platform you play it on, while moving along through the adventure and dealing with the supernatural. Let me tell you, there is just something about black goo creatures pulling themselves out of the walls to come out and attack you. That is darn right freaky.

A few rough patches poke the game in the eye, but as I noted not enough to really take away from the game itself, some of the new game play mechanics are just brilliant, it’s just the gunplay mechanics that I had a bit of problems with. It just does not seem right, or maybe I just stink at the gunplay, the hand to hand (And clubbing weapons attacks are great though.) Oh the melee weapons are oh so creative, a prosthetic limb? What morbid fun is that? The fighting hand to hand has improved putting the beat down on your opponents with uppercuts, and one, two punches and best of all once they fall to their knees you can finish them off with the assistance of the environment. Just try bashing their heads into a convenient TV.

Evidence gathering is back again and seems much improved from the original. In the original game, it was rather dumbed down, all you really had to do was push a button on the controller and the correct tool would be chosen and then just point and shoot and the evidence is gathered. I applaud the designers for having some faith in the consumer of their product to be brighter than a two watt light bulb. In Blood Shot, the player is required to look around the scene, and based on the details answer some puzzling questions; choose the correct tool for the job. This makes the games investigative aspects much more immersive in my opinion

The graphical look to the game is not spectacular, but they are darn good. The graphics are dark and foreboding, a real gritty feel is here, and too comes a more aggressive representation of both violence and adult themes. Sounds are suitably creepy, and the music achieves the effect of almost not being there, it’s so well meshed to the game you almost don’t notice it, at least until the designers want you too, then you jump out of your skin with a sudden music stab, or subtle musical build that leads in the next horrific nerve wrenching event in the game.

Some of the key points to the game are highlighted here,

• New vicious combo attacks and over-the-top finishing moves including bare-fisted combat, grappling, bone breaking and neck snapping

• Online gaming for up to eight players, with three unique modes for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

• The arsenal is expanded to include items taken straight from the environment like tire irons, bricks, toilet seats, antlers, foos ball sticks, flaming 2x4s, mannequin arms and mop buckets.

• Massive gunplay is made possible by powerful projectile-based weapons like the submachine-gun, crossbow, shotgun, Uzi, 9MM, and .45 caliber pistol .Gritty environments with secondary objectives and multiple path solutions

• Smart and devious enemies featuring realistic AI behavior...befriend them and they might fight on your side

Multiplayer is here, but I do not really feel like there is anything special to set this apart in the multiplayer realm. Condemned 2 Blood Shot stands on its ultimate single player experience as a first person survival horror romp more than its multiplayer experience by a long shot.

This is a bunch of horrific fun for your PS3 that should be played in the dark, be prepared and make sure not to have a full bladder when playing! Condemned 2 Blood Shot. A true gamer’s game.

Have fun, play games

Edwin Millheim