Condemned: Criminal Origins

 Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Nov 16, 2005
  • Also On: PC
Condemned: Criminal Origins Image
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 72 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 182 Ratings

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  • Summary: Condemned: Criminal Origins allows players to experience a heightened level of psychological tension as they use their instincts, forensic tools, and melee combat to hunt serial killers and bring them to justice. Agent Thomas, an FBI investigator in the Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), pursuesCondemned: Criminal Origins allows players to experience a heightened level of psychological tension as they use their instincts, forensic tools, and melee combat to hunt serial killers and bring them to justice. Agent Thomas, an FBI investigator in the Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), pursues relentless serial killer through detailed urban environments filled with deadly sociopaths lurking on the periphery of humanity. Presented in a first-person view for maximum visceral effect, Condemned: Criminal Origins is best played with the surround-sound up and the lights off. Given the power of next-generation hardware, this atmospheric thriller features photo-realistic backdrops, life-like physics, and highly sophisticated artificial intelligence. [Sega]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 72
  3. Negative: 0 out of 72
  1. Detroit Free Press
    100
    Though the game could be longer and could stand more diversity, the cold shivers that run down your spine while playing it are an undeniable rush.
  2. BonusStage
    90
    Not only does it do the normal "look at the pretty graphics" common in other 360 games, but it also has excellent and engrossing gameplay to back it up.
  3. Game Chronicles
    89
    More of an “experience” than a game. You’ll come away from each game session emotionally and physically exhausted and even a bit timid about walking across the dark room to flip the light switch.
  4. Next Level Gaming
    84
    A great break from the standard FPS, combining gadgets, thinking, searching and good old fashioned combat. This is a great game.
  5. GameSpot
    80
    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.
  6. AceGamez
    80
    Although at times the gameplay is monotonous and it doesn't feel like there's much to the game, Condemned makes up for all of this by being one of the scariest and atmospheric games ever made.
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Computer Games Magazine
    50
    The combination of slow pacing and boring, nondescript environments makes for too many dull stretches. [Feb 2006, p.86]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 72 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 48
  3. Negative: 4 out of 48
  1. Spaceacer2012
    Dec 28, 2017
    10
    This is one of my favorite games ever, along with the 2nd one. I play both once a year, and enjoy them every time. Still waiting for a 3rdThis is one of my favorite games ever, along with the 2nd one. I play both once a year, and enjoy them every time. Still waiting for a 3rd Condemned... please make it happen!… Expand
  2. BobA.
    Nov 22, 2005
    10
    I played this game for the first time and was blown away.
  4. hollowfication
    Jul 5, 2012
    10
    this game was overall most frighting game on 360 of all time i first bought my xbox 360 and i saw this game said hell why not i put it up ithis game was overall most frighting game on 360 of all time i first bought my xbox 360 and i saw this game said hell why not i put it up i thought it would be crummy but i was left jumping out of my chair heart pound from being scared out of my mind but even know when it look like your safe boom something scary come running up to you. either to kill you or scary **** when u open locker i suggested everyone to buy this game.

    if you want heart raising none stopping first person horror shooter game this up ur alley.    … Expand
  5. Bass
    Jun 21, 2006
    8
    Although not a perfect game, Condemned is a well executed and original survival horror that made a nice addition to the 360 launch line up. Although not a perfect game, Condemned is a well executed and original survival horror that made a nice addition to the 360 launch line up. Both graphics and audio are impressive and help to create a vivid and tense atmosphere, and there is a nice balance between exploration and FPS melee combat. However, whilst Condemned is by no means dull or unforgetable, you come away with the feeling that the title could have been so much more. The excellent presentation is slightly undermined by some repetitive gameplay and a at times unresponsive control system, and the sections where you must investigate and use your forensic equipment feel underdeveloped. With only 10 chapters its also a short game as well that can be finished in a weekend, but overall Condemned is an enjoyable and creepy experience that should satisfy both survival horror and FPS fans alike.… Expand
  6. BaronMonaco
    Feb 10, 2016
    8
    One of the first 360 games therefore it's obviously not a very good looking game but if you put it back in its context it looked average atOne of the first 360 games therefore it's obviously not a very good looking game but if you put it back in its context it looked average at the time. No major bugs during my playthrough only some minor problems with the hit box of some weapon but nothing serious and the game plays itself very well. In fact its melee fights are really impressive and I'm surprised no other games copied it you can really feel the strength of a punch with also realistic gun aiming where you can't headshot every bullet.

    The game offers a nice horrific story and most importantly in horror games a great mood, every location is spooky, great sound design, some jump scares a really good horror game. In hard difficulty it took me about 9 hours to finish the game (looking for collectibles in the mean time), it's a little short and it ends on a cliffhanger, I would have loved that the game offered a second part to its story, even more now that I know how Condemned 2 starts, there is clearly a blank space that could have been filled.

    All in all Condemned is a good horrific game with an original combat system, but a short length, average graphics and some minor hick-ups in the gameplay the defaults that doesn't make this game great.    … Expand
  7. ThyRavenWings
    Jul 18, 2013
    8
    This is one of the very few horror video games that i have ever been genuinely scared by. It's feels claustrophobic, you always have thisThis is one of the very few horror video games that i have ever been genuinely scared by. It's feels claustrophobic, you always have this creepy paranoid feeling that someone or something is just around the corner waiting to kill you, and a very dark and at times unsettling environment. This game also has what is probably the best use of detective skill ever. A true gem of a game.… Expand
  8. quentntarantado
    Sep 9, 2019
    0
    This is really horrible. I do not want to play this game. I'm glad i borrowed it before playing. Now I'm recommending that everyone save theirThis is really horrible. I do not want to play this game. I'm glad i borrowed it before playing. Now I'm recommending that everyone save their money and don't bother buy it. Truly awful. It is boring, tawdry, and the story is so derivative. The acting is third-rate, amateurish. The effects look like they were drawn using crayon. A piece of godawful trash.… Expand

See all 48 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2005
5
#5 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2005
5
#5 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2005