TODAY IN REVIEW

Good evening ladies and gents, this edition of today in review I will be reviewing CONDEMNED: CRIMINAL ORIGINS.

Summary: You play as Agent Ethan Thomas an FBI investigator in the Serial Crimes unit(SCU). His assignments is tracking down, and pursuing a relentless serial killer through Condemned buildings, factories, and subways systems. Your ultimate goal is to capture a thug that stole your gun, and gunned down two of your fellow law officers, while on a routine muder investigation. If that not bad enough, he happens to be a serial killer with a sick sense of humor. Along the way you will learn to use your forensic tools to follow clues to capture a madman thats plays his own twisted version of cat and mouse.

Graphics: 7.9 out of 10
There are couple of problems with this game......I have read numerous reviews on this game and I would have to say some of these reviewer had to be paid by MS. For one the graphic are good not great....There is a sparce amount of special effects for one...Nothing that would make your jaw drop. Condemned: Criminal Oigins does an excellent job with its bump mapping and textures......The subway level shows some minimal graphical flares: the dirt on the tiles of the subway wall...how easy it was to read the ads on the wall.....and the rust and dirt that polluted the subway signs and walls. Ok.....this is were this game become a bit of a pain.......About 95% of the games is played in an almost pitch dark eniveriment...As Ethan Thomas you have a flash light to guide you........Now you may ask whats wrong with that?... Well a few things: First the beam og light that is emmitted from your flash light is so weak and you spend a good chunk of time walking around in circles........its pretty hard to find a little passage way in the dark????especailly when they are numurous......Why have an NEXT GENERATION GAME Played 95% in the dark that makes no sense.....at all. You can not really see why its next gereration. Now do not get me wrong....They are some gerogous parts of the game, but most of these next generation moments comes or is more appericated in areas that where well light....Condemned: Criminal Origins...do at moments do play like a next generation game...The graphics are crip reminestent of Chornicles of Riddeck for the Xbox but with a little more detail....and higher resolution if your are fortunate enough to own a HDTV/LCD/LCOS/HD montior....But I believe that more could have been done...Such as being next Gen. the flash light should of felt and ack like a flash light.....Do not deminish the games grimy looks by hideing it in darkness...I think the dark ever where theme was over done it took a good chunk out of game play and sometimes affected emmersion... Warning its best to view this game in HD..thru a normal television it looks just ok...I think that the current XBOX can do just as good...HD brings out the quailty of the game.


Sound: 8.5 out of 10
The audio of CCO is very good. If you are luckly enought to own a 5.1 Dolby Digtal surround system you would be in for a tremandous treat. I perfer the sound over the graphic. Do not get me wrong the graphics is very good but nothing next generation. The sound utlize the power of the 360 pretty efficiantly. Being that this is a very mooding game the sounds picks up for the flaws in the graphic department. You can hear the audio cues coming from the correct side of your speakers. If there is someone creeping from the left you will hear it thru your left speakers. There is not too much music, pre-say. But the overall sound effects is CCO biggest strenght.

Replay Value: 5 out of 10
I have one great big problems when a new System is debut. My personal gripe is the fact that about 99% of the first batch of games seems like it is always lacking something. I this case CCO has ablsoulty no replay value what so ever. you play it for about 20 hours and beat it, you are done. There is no real incentive to play this game again. At least there was none for me. It feels very short, and the overall story felt like it was cut short to be able to come out at systems debut. There are a few games like this. Madden, Tiger Woods, Call of duty, just to name a few. Why can we not get at least three-five great games when a new system comes out. Why do all the games feel as if they were rushed.


Overall Score: 8.10 out of 10

RENT OR BUY: I would reccomand that you first RENT this before you buy it or wait at least till you can get a pre-own for less than $30.00.

LAST WORD:
I like this game it was fairly entertaining and somewhat engaging, the fact being that once it is beaten there is no real reson to go back. Most importantly I feel the game does not do anything that simply blows you away. If you lack an HD montior you will be in for a disapointment. If you have and HD television and 5.1 Dolby Digtal surround sound CCO would give you a good 20 hours of visual and audio treat. But please do not get your hope up, because this game is not for everyone. The pase is somewhat slow and the malee combat gets fairly repative, and so does your enemies. There really is no real challenge. And most of all, I can see the levels that are pitch dark being a BIG BLOW to a lot of people, shit because it was a big blow to me. Why be a Next Generation title and do not really show what your are truly capable of. I want graphic that makes my eyes tears.













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