![]() The inherently limited range of melee weapons makes combat an intimate affair as death is never more than an arm’s length away. Repurposing inconspicuous items such as 2×4’s, pipes, school desks, and even mannequin arms into instruments of death becomes his DIY means of survival. Ethan’s fugitive status forces him to adopt a “behind enemy lines” survivalist mentality that weaponizes his surroundings. Monolith Productions does a terrific job of immersing players into this uncomfortably suffocating world. Making matters worse there is a mysterious wave of violence plaguing Metro City, somehow tied to Ethan’s case. Players take on the role of FBI agent Ethan Thomas who finds himself framed for murder by the very serial killer he’s hunting. Much like the films it emulates, the player is dropped into an unforgiving and filth-covered world. Channeling the aesthetic and brooding atmosphere of iconic horror films such as David Fincher’s Seven, Condemned’s most distinctly unique feature is its claustrophobia. So, what happens when the player is stripped of that empowerment and trades in their gun for a lead pipe? Developer Monolith Productions wasted little time in establishing Condemned: Criminal Origins defining tone, which holds up remarkably well 16 years after the game’s release. While necessary to the player’s survival, the inevitable firepower bestowed upon the player can be detrimental to the carefully crafted horror elements. The empowerment of arming the player has always been somewhat of a conundrum for the horror genre.
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