Condemned: Criminal Origins

 PC
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
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  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: 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, butI 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.    … Expand
  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. TiagoM.
    May 27, 2006
    9
    . It´s violent in a way that no other game was before.Dark raw and evil-scared me a lot. And the sound it makes when your head gets beated by a pipe is amazing and extremely real. The use of soft shadows is very good. FLAW: more questions than answers at the ending.
  4. northerndark
    Dec 23, 2013
    9
    the mannequin level... i remember beating this game twice and it still gave me the creeps.

    game seems slow, unresponding and somewhat lacking coherence but the atmosphere it has... except silent hill 2 and 3, this maybe the only game that really had me on the edge without resorting to cheap scare tactics like todays most of the "horror games" such as slender man, amnesia etc etc..
  5. PublicNuisance
    Feb 12, 2021
    8
    Condemned: Criminal Origins isn’t a perfect game but one thing it has ruined for me is melee combat because I find it to have the best melee combat system I have ever seen and nothing since has measured up in my opinion. So many games I have played where I wonder why I can’t pick up anything I see to use as a weapon because in a real life situation I imagine that is what I would beCondemned: Criminal Origins isn’t a perfect game but one thing it has ruined for me is melee combat because I find it to have the best melee combat system I have ever seen and nothing since has measured up in my opinion. So many games I have played where I wonder why I can’t pick up anything I see to use as a weapon because in a real life situation I imagine that is what I would be thinking is what is around me that I could use. In Condemned you can pick up 2x4’s; pipes; planks; doors; conduits; sledgehammers; axes; and many more items so you are never without a weapon. There are a few types of guns that you find throughout the game but at most they have one magazine worth of ammo so you go through them fairly quickly and don’t want to waste them. You also have a taser throughout most of the game that is good for one shot between charges and can help when facing multiple enemies. The parry system was great as each weapon has a different feel to it and different timing for blocking. One complaint I have is that you can only carry one weapon at a time. You also lose your weapons through each chapter which can make sense in ones that see you travelling a distance but sometimes one chapter starts off in the room next to the previous and in those cases I don’t see why I have to scrounge for a new weapon. You also can’t carry any health kits, they can only be consumed. A small nitpick I had was the walking speed up stairs. It was very slow. The axe and sledgehammer may have also been a tad under powered as some enemies could take multiple hits fro them to subdue when in real life would have caused a lot more damage. Same goes for the sub machine gun whose twenty round magazine needed to be emptied into some enemies to defeat them. Overall though despite the critiques I just made the game play was very fun and I consider it to be an example other games should attempt to perfect upon. There also little touches such as enemies may accidentally hit other enemies and if they do may start brawling with each other rather than fight you. Such is the loyalty you can expect from feral homeless crackheads you encounter in this game and was both enjoyable and believable.

    The graphics were great for it’s time. Condemned was released in 2006 and there were games such as F.E.A.R. which were released the previous year and were genre defining for visuals while Condemned was not. It was however above average and still enjoyable to look at for the most part fifteen years later writing this. The lighting; fire; object detail and shadows were all better than most for it’s time. There was also blood on weapons after a fight which was a great detail. The face; hair; and clothing detail is what I saw it lacked most in. Also the models for police officers all had the same face which struck me as a tad lazy. The sound effects were very well done. Hearing where some enemy is scurrying around in a dark basement but not quite seeing them is a great unnerving feeling. The voice acting was also top notch from all involved. The main story was overall fun and worthwhile. Basically the bit about following a serial killer who framed you for the murder of police officers in an effort to clear your name had me engaged and interested. The overarching story about the true motives of that killer and others involved started great but got a bit convoluted and wasn’t delved into enough to answer many questions.

    I played Condemned on Linux using Valve’s Proton. It never crashed on me. I did encounter one glitch where an enemy walked through a wall to attack me but observed no other issues. Alt-Tab didn’t work. The game allowed me to manually save whenever I wanted aside from during certain cut scenes and provided eight save slots for that. There are checkpoints you can sue as well if you want. There were twenty graphics settings to tweak as well as two AA options and six AF options. The game ran very well and had no major performance issues. Once in a while the frame rate did drop to the 50’s but only for a few seconds and that’s high enough to not cause an issue.

    Disk Space Used: 6.26 GB
    Game Engine: LithTech Jupiter Ex
    Game Version Played: 1.0

    Game Settings: Highest; 4x AA; 16X AF; Vsync on @ 1080P
    GPU Usage: 30-94 %
    VRAM Usage: 1119-1521 MB
    CPU Usage: 22-44 %
    RAM Usage: 3.2-4.3 GB
    Frame Rate: 50-144 FPS

    I loved Condemned back in 2006 and I love it now. The game play is great; story is good; voice acting and sound effects are great; if you enjoy melee combat you should buy this ASAP. I paid $49.99 CAD for it at retail when it launched and paid $5 CAD for it on Steam. It is still worth the $49.99 to me. I finished the game in six hours 40 minutes on the hard difficulty.

    My System:

    AMD FX-6100 | 16GB DDR3-1333 | MSI RX 580 8GB Gaming X | Mesa 20.3.4 | Samsung 870 QVO 1TB | Manjaro 20.2.1 | Mate 1.24.1 | Kernel 5.10.15-1-MANJARO | Proton 5.13-5    … Expand
  6. AlejoSierra
    Nov 3, 2014
    10
    I love this game, it have a good combat, the story is perfect, the tension and jump scares never ends, and you never know what is going on in this game.
  7. gaminglobster
    Jan 11, 2015
    8
    Truth be told: i'm a real chicken when it comes to horror games, even games that have a creepy atmosphere.
    But this game seems to make me cringe more often than sweat so i guess that's a good thing.
    Without more chatter let's talk more about this game. To begin with, this is one of those shooters that came just a little while before the fps-ify-everything era (from 2007-2009) which is    Truth be told: i'm a real chicken when it comes to horror games, even games that have a creepy atmosphere.
    But this game seems to make me cringe more often than sweat so i guess that's a good thing.
    Without more chatter let's talk more about this game.

    To begin with, this is one of those shooters that came just a little while before the fps-ify-everything era (from 2007-2009) which is ALSO a good thing.
    There isn't much to say about this game other than that it's a "kind of" atmospheric in the creepy sense and the shooting is satisfying at times. But what gets me glued to this game is the story, it gets more intersting as you go with just a simple murder to the mystery of.... well... i won't spoil anything :]

    Here are the pro's and con's of the day, you're welcome.

    Pros:

    1) The game manages to be interesting with it's storyline and quite scary at times

    Cons:

    1) To this day, the graphics are laughable

    I know, there isn't really much to be said, there are minor things that i could've wrote down but those things can't really change the game's rating by that much.

    In other words this game gets the score: "I can dig it"    … Expand
  8. RagingPoet
    Nov 2, 2017
    8
    Intense visceral combat, dark atmosphere and several jumpscares make for great thrilling experience. The game borrows greatly from movies and TV-shows about serial killers and converts it into a gameplay surprisingly good. Although, I really didn't like mystical elements in the plot, it felt that story would be much better if it was grounded in reality.
  9. S0pun
    Oct 20, 2019
    10
    Очень странная игра и при этом нечестно сложная. Спасает все атмосфера, декорации и сюжет(правда он настолько размыт, что нужно ждать обзора Зулина с объяснениями).
  10. mr-NachoMen
    Dec 22, 2018
    9
    Being heavily inspired by films like Se7en and Silence of the Lambs, Condemned Criminal Origins is a superb horror game conceived by Monolith Productions.
    The story about a police called Ethan Thomas who end off being involve into the homicide of two of his partners and now he must clean his name and capture the suspect called serial killer X while fighting demented criminals and other    Being heavily inspired by films like Se7en and Silence of the Lambs, Condemned Criminal Origins is a superb horror game conceived by Monolith Productions.
    The story about a police called Ethan Thomas who end off being involve into the homicide of two of his partners and now he must clean his name and capture the suspect called serial killer X while fighting demented criminals and other paranormal stuff.
    A first person shooter which is heavily focus into melee combat is brutal. The player can use almost everything in the environment to fight back like: Hammers, bats, locker doors, pipes, etc. There are fire weapons in the game but they have little ammo and you can't reload the only ammo you have is the one that comes with the gun so make every shot count but you can switch them into a melee weapon if ammo runs out. Every single weapon has an indicator that informs you how strong the weapon is or if is heavy or not to take advantage in combat, eventually those weapons will break.
    There will be segments were you will use forensic tools to solve some crime scenes or to collect evidence that will unwrap more hints from the plot (this segments will not affect the overall gameplay and they are mostly scripted) but it's a nice touch.
    The music is tens, it will make you fell that someone will jump in front of you to attack. The sound design is visceral, while in combat or performing some finishing moves you will hear the enemy bones break and they sound way to real, i forgot to mention that you can use a teaser gun to incapacitate an enemy make him drop his weapon.
    Such like in F.E.A.R. the enemy AI is impressive, if an enemy is injured he will run trying to escape, in other occasions if they lose their weapon they will go looking for another one, they can pretend that they will attack you so you drop your guard down, they can hide to perform some "surprise attacks" and if your find yourself fighting against two ore more you can always confuse them so they can harm each other.
    The levels and the overall appeal of the game is creepy and dreadful you will be wondering if there's someone watching you. The game uses the "jump scare" mechanic, but, it is well implemented so you will never expect it when it comes, these jump scares come from the least expected moments... but they work really good.
    At the end, this is a great horror game with creepy and dark environments, dreadful music, gruesome sound design and a brutal melee combat system. I really find it hard to not recommend this game. so... go ahead and grab it on steam it's really cheap and believe me... you will enjoy it.    … Expand
  11. JinntheMGTOW
    Jan 16, 2019
    10
    Haters are gonna hate. I still can't believe that this game is so underrated and I can't understand that Sega or Microsoft doesn't sell this game on Xbox1. (It's backward comparability)

    Story, gameplay, control(a lot slow, but it doesn't matter) are rocks.

    I prefer this game than Outlast,which was just flee game. I recommend this for anyone who has a thirst for Horror.
  12. PortalToH3LL
    Dec 16, 2018
    8
    The game is a genre of action horror from the 1st person with RPG elements. Interesting and addictive. The graphics look good for both 2006. There are engine bugs, but they do not spoil the overall impression of the game. Especially fun bugs flying and dancing break corpses.
  13. GlovvX2
    Jul 25, 2019
    9
    Its not perfect game, but definitely my favorite horror. Graphics is much better than f.e.a.r graphics (both games made in the same year). Some levels looks like copy pasted, but music is GREAT!!!
  14. SewAwOw
    Sep 16, 2021
    8
    Отличный триллер с элементами хоррора. Местами пугает, графика неплохая, атмосфера страха и разрухи передана отлично, и музыка помогает в нее погрузиться, Monolith умеют в атмосферные игры. Интересно реализован поиск улик, сам сюжет держит в постоянном напряжении, до последнего не понимаешь что происходит. Боевка в основном милишная, стволы попадаются редко и патронов всегда в дефиците,Отличный триллер с элементами хоррора. Местами пугает, графика неплохая, атмосфера страха и разрухи передана отлично, и музыка помогает в нее погрузиться, Monolith умеют в атмосферные игры. Интересно реализован поиск улик, сам сюжет держит в постоянном напряжении, до последнего не понимаешь что происходит. Боевка в основном милишная, стволы попадаются редко и патронов всегда в дефиците, махач в ближнем бою сделан просто (есть удар, блок и пинок), но оно и к лучшему, выглядит реалистично. Игра понравилась, чем-то даже напоминает F.E.A.R. от этой же студии, только с палками вместо пушек))… Expand
  15. warfighter5gok
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    okay...interesting..this is horror and action game
    but hard....i will buy condemned 2
    i don't have xbox 360 :D kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
  16. DAVlD
    Mar 27, 2023
    10
    An absolute must-play if you enjoy horror-puzzle-shooter. 10/10 atmosphere.
  17. The_D4RknesS
    Apr 11, 2023
    10
    fantastic game! a great story, horror but without the use of supernatural creatures, great interaction with the setting, good physics, a lot of blood and everything bad that can come out of the human der. is not for nothing which was produced by the same developer as F.E.A.R. This game is too immersive!! Atmosphere 10/10 .
    The only detail I didn't like was the heavy combat and no    fantastic game! a great story, horror but without the use of supernatural creatures, great interaction with the setting, good physics, a lot of blood and everything bad that can come out of the human der. is not for nothing which was produced by the same developer as F.E.A.R. This game is too immersive!! Atmosphere 10/10 .
    The only detail I didn't like was the heavy combat and no fluidity at all!    … Expand
  18. Thexder
    Jul 19, 2022
    8
    This game's first impression isn't too good. The levels are very drab; of course this is partially on purpose -- the game wants you to feel all the decay of its locations -- but some of the textures are so "illegible" that you can't even know what they represent, even for a 2005 game. And the geometry of such levels isn't inspiring either -- too many small rectangular rooms, especially inThis game's first impression isn't too good. The levels are very drab; of course this is partially on purpose -- the game wants you to feel all the decay of its locations -- but some of the textures are so "illegible" that you can't even know what they represent, even for a 2005 game. And the geometry of such levels isn't inspiring either -- too many small rectangular rooms, especially in the first level, connected in strings which feel like a huge, twisted corridor.

    On the other hand, using small rooms with lots of sharp turns provide plenty of opportunities for enemies to scare the heck out of you in close combat. You see, most of the combat is melee, using pipes, axes and whatever you find around, and your walking speed is rather slow. When you find a firearm, usually with just a few rounds, you cherish it, and save those precious bullets for just the right occasion. This is actually a bit annoying -- you can only carry ONE weapon at a time, forcing you sometimes to go backwards to find a better weapon if your runs out -- but adds to the tension. Also, the AI of enemies is interesting -- they sometimes hold back and wait for you behind corners (sometimes pathetically, but it actually fits their rotted-brain profiles), which forces you to be even more careful.

    Talking about tension, the star of the game is the sound design -- it is always just noticeable, adding plenty of atmosphere and keeping you on your toes even if nothing is actually happening on screen. This is more of a horror game, with action and some investigation thrown in.

    Yes, the investigation bits: the gadgets are quite smart (a later level uses the UV flashlight to a nice effect), and submitting info to your lab companion provides a natural way to get a little exposition for the story. They were quite easy, but very enjoyable.

    Unhappily, the story is slightly muddled; there are some nice ideas, but many threads are left dangling, and the end feels a bit contrived. Also, the plot suffers from "why-the-heck-is-this-intelligent-character-doing-that?", which is very common in all media, to be honest.

    All in all, an enjoyable game, which deserved better level design and a more fleshed out story.

    Score: 75/100.    … Expand
  19. KolesAdlerov
    Jul 5, 2022
    9
    One of the two founders (with Cthulhu:DCotE) of the modern first-person horror genre with the philosophy of maniacs, brutal melee and legs! Stunning style and tension. Even the mystical trash does work a bit. Let yourself get into the role and do not use the taser, guys.

    Gameplay: combat mechanics 7/10 combat logic [godmode in some animations] 8/10 atmosphere [bad textures] 9/10    One of the two founders (with Cthulhu:DCotE) of the modern first-person horror genre with the philosophy of maniacs, brutal melee and legs! Stunning style and tension. Even the mystical trash does work a bit. Let yourself get into the role and do not use the taser, guys.

    Gameplay:
    combat mechanics 7/10
    combat logic [godmode in some animations] 8/10
    atmosphere [bad textures] 9/10
    Gameplay as immersive horror 9/10

    Story 7/10

    Graphics [all-brown, low-res, bad UI] 7/10

    Sounds & music 8/10

    .
    The very last Monolith production. RIP, king of FPS development.    … Expand
  20. MaxieZeus
    Jul 23, 2023
    8
    One of the standout features of Condemned: Criminal Origins is its visceral and intense melee combat system. Players take on the role of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent investigating a series of brutal crimes. Armed with only a flashlight and a variety of improvised melee weapons, the combat is up-close and personal, which adds a sense of urgency and vulnerability. Each strike and parry feelsOne of the standout features of Condemned: Criminal Origins is its visceral and intense melee combat system. Players take on the role of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent investigating a series of brutal crimes. Armed with only a flashlight and a variety of improvised melee weapons, the combat is up-close and personal, which adds a sense of urgency and vulnerability. Each strike and parry feels weighty and impactful, creating a gratifying experience as players fend off deranged enemies.

    Moreover, the combat mechanics are easy to grasp but require skillful execution, making the encounters challenging yet rewarding. The game encourages players to adapt to different enemy types and their attack patterns, leading to engaging and strategic combat scenarios. This combat system adds an element of realism to the game, as players must rely on their wits and reflexes to survive, further intensifying the sense of fear and tension.

    The game's environments play a crucial role in building a haunting and unsettling atmosphere. From abandoned buildings and dark alleyways to eerie crime scenes, every location is meticulously crafted to evoke a feeling of dread. The use of lighting and sound design is exceptional, creating an immersive experience that keeps players on their toes. The absence of traditional weapons also heightens the sense of vulnerability, making every encounter a nerve-wracking experience.

    Condemned: Criminal Origins masterfully employs psychological horror elements to create scares that go beyond simple jump scares. The game makes excellent use of audio cues and subtle visual details to build suspense and anticipation. The unsettling ambiance, combined with the game's dark and twisted storyline, keeps players immersed in a world where the line between reality and nightmare blurs.

    However, despite its remarkable achievements in atmosphere and gameplay, the conclusion of Condemned: Criminal Origins falls short of expectations for some players. As the story unfolds and Ethan delves deeper into the mystery, the plot takes an unexpected turn towards the supernatural. This shift may leave some players feeling disconnected from the grounded and gritty crime investigation they were initially immersed in. The introduction of paranormal elements dilutes the impact of the more psychological horror elements that were present earlier in the game.

    Despite its somewhat disappointing ending, Condemned: Criminal Origins remains a standout horror experience that sets itself apart with its exceptional melee combat, chilling environments, and psychological scares. The game's ability to keep players on edge throughout their investigation is a testament to its immersive storytelling and effective horror elements. While the supernatural twist may not resonate with all players, the overall journey into the darkest corners of the human psyche is one that will leave a lasting impression on anyone brave enough to venture into its chilling world.    … Expand
  21. Pmstz
    Jan 30, 2023
    8
    Excellent and exciting, dark and violent melee horror/action game
    One of the best;

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. GameSpot
    81
    This first-person action game hits you like a sledgehammer with its astounding, stunningly creepy presentation, but it sacrifices opportunities for more shocks and surprises by settling for repetition.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    85
    Condemned: Criminal Origins isn't a long game and it only has one game mode, but it's an unforgettable experience while it lasts.
    Read full review
  3. Cheat Code Central
    88
    CCO has all of the gameplay, story, visuals and atmosphere that you could possibly want in a mystery game and I think does them all to a proverbial "t".
    Read full review
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