Despite concluding with several dangling plot threads (ensuring we got a rubbish sequel), my recent replay of Monolith Productions’ Condemned: Criminal Origins reminded me of everything I loved about the game when I played it in 2006: the seemingly ordinary characters thrown into horrific situations; the everyday locations that feel familiar yet terrifying; the slow, methodical approach to combat; the risk-reward system with weapon choice, and the simple entry tool design to progression. Despite lacking any focus on stealth, it had me often thinking about the equally methodical and deliberately-paced Alien Isolation (which is a good thing, if you were wondering).

Despite strong horror vibes, Condemned: Criminal Origins is still a brawler at heart.

Condemned: Criminal Origins places you in the boots or Ethan Thomas – a Serial Crimes Unit (SCU) investigator in the fictional Metro City – who has had a rough time as of late, with several promising investigations progressing to an advanced stage before the suspected killer disappears or turns up dead. Ethan, distinctly stocky but otherwise unremarkable, is backed up by his knowledgeable but nervous forensic specialist Rosa, who guides him through the use of several investigative tools that’ll you’ll use to follow blood trails, collect DNA samples, photograph prints, and solve murders as you progress. You arrive at a derelict apartment block housing the latest victim of the “Matchmaker” and kick off a surreal 48-hours of violent melee brawls through the worst parts of Metro City.

For first-time players, the first-person perspective seems at odds with the sedate pace Ethan traverses the environment - moving from a lumbering stride to a (very) light jog when you “sprint”. Ethan moves like an ox, however, given his ability to absorb and dish out blows, it fits the character design and is an essential component of the melee combat system that emphasizes careful positioning, observation, and timing. While there are some fast-moving foes, the majority of melee combat – using blunt or sharp objects you can find or rip from the environment – is a methodical back-and-forth dance of blocks, parries, kicks, and strikes. Typically, you want to kite enemies to ensure you’re facing one at a time (or clump them together to strike each other as they swing wildly), as blocking requires precise timing and your follow up strike plays out depending on the weapon characteristics (damage, speed, block, and reach).


Investigations in the first game are simplistic diversions or trails to follow - something that could be rectified in a remake.

At the time of release, many described Condemned: Criminal Origins as a “hobo beating simulator” and it’s hard to argue their point. Crazed and violent addicts or vagrants serve as your primary foes, weapon blows feel fantastic, and the animations – for the time – were brilliant. It’s not that there are so many you can't learn attack patterns after a fight or two, but they ensured watching a brawl play out is always entertaining. Enemies duck and bob, block your blows, feint then lash out, before finally crashing to the ground or into objects in an exaggerated manner the Havok physics engine was renowned for. Inflicting enough damage can leave them in a stunned state, ready for Ethan to dish out one of four brutal finishers that suggested a considerable amount of suppressed rage.

Some of the melee weapons – specifically the heavy and unwieldy fire axe, sledgehammer, shovel, and crowbar – also serve as entry tools, required to open specific doors or lockers to progress. Couple that with the one-weapon limit and you’ll often have to swap out a weapon you're most comfortable with. It’s a distinctly “gamey” mechanic but makes Condemned: Criminal Origins feel more grounded than its horror contemporaries. Despite being far rarer than their melee counterparts, observant players can find pistols, shotguns, and rifles scattered around some locations. Two or three bullets are a guaranteed kill (and that includes you if you get too close) but you need to be willing to hold your nerve and aim at charging enemies. As there’s no reloading – the number of bullets in the clip is all you get – it’s a risky proposition that can leave you swinging the ineffectual butt of a gun. Finally, you have a recharging taser (great for stunning and disarming a single foe), and a kick to interrupt strikes, but these are of limited use if you find yourself mobbed.


Firearms are not as rare as they first seem, but as you're limited to the bullets in the clip, you'll be relying on melee weapons more often than not.

When you’re not in combat, you’ll be slowly exploring rundown environments ranging from the aforementioned apartment block, a metro station, a department store (with enemies dressed as mannequins hiding among mannequins), a fire-damaged library, a secondary school, and a multi-story rural farmhouse. For those familiar with Monolith Productions’ prior game, F.E.A.R., you’ll appreciate their ability to make everyday locations horrifying. Think grime-caked walls, flickering or non-existent lighting (never turn off your flashlight), unsettling ambient audio, uncomfortably loud footsteps, the distant ramblings of your manic foes, and the odd serial killer victim to find (or parts of them). If you pay attention, you’ll realize Monolith Productions’ get a lot of use out of limited real estate and reused assets – often sending you to every corner of a location and back – but I was usually too busy looking out for enemies hiding around corners or crawling along the ceiling to notice.

Complementing the visuals and audio, the enemy AI goes a long way towards creating tense encounters and scares. Enemies who spot you might first run to cover and wait to ambush you, flee when they’re severely injured and run back into the fray when you’re engaging another enemy, or simply move around erratically. There are scripted sequences designed to catch you off guard, however, the unscripted scares are more effective. I've been scanning a crime scene for evidence only to look up a find an enemy watching me, while on several occasions I decided to look behind me, only to find a foe slowly walking towards me in complete silence, weapon ready. Despite a combat-heavy finale, Condemned: Criminal Origins retains strong horror elements for 90% of its playtime.


Just like 2005's F.E.A.R., Condemned: Criminal Origins does a great job of making ordinary places feel terrifying.

So, returning to the title, why a remake and not just a remaster? Like many mid- to late-2000s games, Condemned: Criminal Origins could certainly benefit from an upscaled resolution, some refined post-processing effects, and a more stable framerate, but the bigger problem is that the game wrote itself into a corner. Despite drawing on some classic films for its serial-killer-hunting-other-serial-killers plot, notably Silence of the Lambs and Seven, the final chapter and ending sequence reveal a mysterious cult is behind the madness and violence, undermining the motivations of Serial Killer X – whom you pursue the majority of the game – and ensuring your gruelling experience feels meaningless in light of a looming greater threat. These loose ends resulted in the 2009 release of an inconsistent and incoherent sequel.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot had a few good ideas that could be salvaged and retrofitted into the original, specifically the expanded investigation mechanics that required the player actually report on details and a more complex brawling system that allowed you to use your bare fists if needed. However, it turned Ethan into a painfully-generic, gruff, foul-mouthed, unlikeable protagonist; introduced cliched villains; had far too many shooting sequences; touched on the “Criminal Origins” subtitle in the first game in the most cringeworthy way; and it ultimately culminates in head-popping shouting-matches during the finale. Maybe there are some who enjoyed the direction the series took, but I consider it in the same vein as F.E.A.R. 2 (though not quite as bad as the abysmal F.E.A.R. 3) – all part of the focus-tested idiocy that blighted the end of the last generation, rather than sequels building on what fans liked about the original.

Condemned: Criminal Origins represents a great example of slow-burn, methodical horror that is too rare these days (it’s been 6-years, so where is my Alien Isolation sequel Creative Assembly?). I feel a remake – incorporating some refined gameplay elements of the sequel, while mercilessly excising the cult/sci-fi component of the narrative – would be the right path forward to rejuvenate the IP and, hopefully, set up some good sequels.

Note: If you’ve not yet played Condemned: Criminal Origins, you can pick it up cheaply on Steam and the Xbox 360 version is available digitally and backward-compatible on the Xbox One.