From a press release and the Game Informer article, here\'s what I\'ve collected on Condemned.
As a game, it\'s a pretty interesting take on the horror genre. You\'re a detective trailing serial killers. You\'re not a heavily armed space marine, so when you have to fight, you grab the board with the biggest nail and hope for the best.
Boss enounters are done with negative image coloring. With such dark environments, the stark contrast will surely up the intensity level....
Title: Condemned
Platform: Xbox 2, PlayStation 3, PC
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Sega
Cool Feature: In an elevator, players can search for fingerprints to discover what button was used by the serial killer they trail.
Cooler Feature: They’ll do it on the next generation of video game consoles.
We know Xbox 2 and PlayStation 3 are on the way, but the lack of solid release dates or big marketing campaigns have kept them out of sight and out of mind – until now.
Sega announced last week that it will publish the first-person horror game “Condemned” for the next generation of home consoles. Even better, “Condemned” is tentatively slated to ship before the year’s end.
The winter release date pertains specifically to the Xbox 2 system, likely to be the first out of the gates before Nintendo’s new offering and later, Sony’s PlayStation 3.
With current Xbox 2 development kits in hand, developer Monolith Productions is already taking advantage of the superior technology in tomorrow’s consoles. So far, the advancements amount to more realistic graphics and smarter artificial intelligence.
In “Condemned,” gamers step into the shoes of FBI agent Ethan Thomas, a detective from the Serial Crimes Unit. Thomas is following the trails of several notorious serial killers. The Torturer and The Bonecutter are Monolith’s answers to real life killers such as Jack The Ripper or Citizen X.
The heavy subject matter is made even creepier by Monolith’s insistence on rooting “Condemned” in reality.
“Sega expects ‘Condemned’ to engage the game player with visceral, in-your-face, urban combat and an unparalleled level of unpredictability," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice-president of entertainment marketing, Sega of America. "The atmospheric tension and cinematic qualities of ‘Condemned’ offer consumers the rich experience of a psychological thriller.”
Thomas explores dilapidated, forgotten parts of the urban world. He uses spy equipment to detect bodily fluids, fingerprints and other clues as he traces the steps of at least eight different serial killers.
Snooping through the filthy underbelly of society, Thomas takes in much of his surroundings. The game’s slow pace allows players to get up close with the realistic visuals being created by Monolith.
The developers took photos of the scariest places they could find in Seattle, and specific elements from their findings – a decaying door with its paint peeling and small dents from bullets or other unknown impacts – have been recreated virtually with a level of detail that rivals the real thing.
Lighting is also modeled realistically. In the distance, light from a flashlight grows weak and ineffective. If an enemy steps between the player and a bare, swinging light bulb, shadows are cast wildly around the environment.
“New leaps in technology are allowing our teams to create immersive game environments that are incredibly realistic,” said Samantha Ryan, CEO of Monolith Productions. “Monolith\'s goal with ‘Condemned’ is to combine a disturbing atmosphere with realistic physics, devious (artificial intelligence) and a sophisticated combat system.”
Enemies in the game are humans who have been estranged from society and now take up residence in the unsettling urban areas Thomas must endure.
These foes suffer from various stages of dementia. Some will charge the detective. Others will pick a fight if they can outnumber him or find a weapon more deadly than the one Thomas might have found nearby. Some enemies are so wrought with insanity that they will keep to themselves – mindless, huddled masses that won’t take to the offense without provocation.
Combat in “Condemned” focuses on hand-to-hand battles using at least 20 different melee weapons. The environments are largely interactive, so most objects within reach can be used as a weapon. This includes shovels, locker doors, boards and axes. Enemies try to drop shelves onto Thomas to crush him as he walks passed.
Because the game is based in reality, neither Thomas nor the humans around him will stand for more than a few shots to the head from a two-by-four.
The story unfolds within the context of the gameplay, and Thomas will piece together clues as to the locations of the different serial killers, their motivations and the overpowering force that warps the minds of the innocent and creates the mad inhabitants of this underworld.
“Condemned” is being developed for Xbox 2, PlayStation 3 and the PC. The game is not currently in development for Nintendo’s next generation hardware.
“Condemned” could ship as early as December 2005 as a launch title for Microsoft’s Xbox 2. A retail price and Entertainment Software Ratings Board rating have not been set.
