Condemned: Criminal Origins

 PC
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
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  1. PC Gamer
    73
    Condemned maintains an atmosphere of danger and suspense for a respectably long time, but unlike distinguished games that leap beyond the cliches of their genres(such as "Indigo Prophecy), it doesn't do quite enough to elevate itself into the realm of true greatness. [Jun 2006, p.50]
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  2. 3DAvenue
    70
    This isn't a run-n-gun type of FPS, it is an FPS that will have you creeping around quietly and cautiously, while you nervously check your anemic ammo supply around every corner, looking swiftly behind you to see if that rolling tin trash can was the result of an oversized rat, or a stalking drugged out psycho planning an attack, even if you as the gamer has no idea why it is everyone wants to kill you.
  3. GamePro
    70
    Condemned is intense, but it's more of an elaborate tech demo or proof of concept than a truly fleshed-out game.
  5. PC Format
    67
    Great sound and visuals, but unremittingly repetitive gameplay. [July 2006, p.101]
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  6. GameCritics
    65
    While by no means a terrible game, and not even a bad one, this is a game designed to increase the overall amount of sadness in the world, and for that reason alone, and despite its many high points, I can't recommend that anyone play it. Ever.
  7. Eurogamer
    60
    Perhaps more importantly is the inexplicable disappearance of dead bodies. Literally five seconds after they've flopped heavily to the ground, apparently not man enough to withstand a nail-filled 2-by-4 in the cranium, they - *ping* - vanish.
  8. Computer Games Magazine
    60
    It's still over too quickly, and there's little explanation why you're running around these ruined buildings beating up drug addicts. [Sept. 2006, p.76]
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Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best PC Game of 2006
33
#33 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
16
#16 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 241 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 152 out of 241
  2. Mixed: 73 out of 241
  3. Negative: 16 out of 241
  1. LeeWolfgang
    Oct 2, 2008
    9
    I have no damn clue why F.E.A.R. gets all this love from so many people when there's this awesome game to be proud of. Condemned:I have no damn clue why F.E.A.R. gets all this love from so many people when there's this awesome game to be proud of. Condemned: Criminal Origins, is the scariest game anyone will ever play. Unlike in any other horror game, you actually have to fight for your life instead of experience second-long hallucinations of random dead things. It's not actually scary to me, but that's just because I'm kind of stone-nerved.
    Many people say there isn't much story involved. There's a huge story involved, really. It's just at the end then it gets weird. In the loading screens, it gave a description of why people were brain hemorrhaging and become mentally ill. But then at the end you fight a ninja with metal pegs in his body and then the killing stops. That's the only really pointless thing about the story.
    Regardless of whether or not someone thinks of the story, the realistic gameplay, great sound, and effects make up for that and the fact that it's based on that abysmal Lithtech engine.
    The hallucinations the player experiences are done really well and show how he is undergoing brain hemorrhaging as well and is able to fight it off, though it takes over in some places to hype you up.
    It suffers some plot holes (I'll let you use my flashlight while yours is broken and walk around in the dark, Agent Thomas), but they're few and far between.
    The best implementation in this game, though, is that it's almost entirely based on melee combat. And that's done very well.
    The texturing is kind of low-resolution but the excellent effects and everything else make up for it. It's kind of slow, hence it's on an awful engine (though it's thoroughly improved), but everything is realistic as can be expected from a console launch title port.    … Full Review »
  2. JonathanB.
    May 19, 2006
    8
    An exciting, dark and violent melee action game that feels very much like commiting murder, over and over and over again. Pretty grim.
  3. MohammedN.
    Apr 21, 2006
    7
    A great hand-to-hand action game from Sega. Pity the game is short and the replay value is weak.
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