Condemned 2: Bloodshot

Giant Bomb

This game is all raw nerves and bloody fists, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll find plenty of it in the equally damaging Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Condemned 2: Bloodshot.

Game Chronicles

At the end of the blood soaked night, I was very impressed with the Condemned 2. Monolith continues to be an unstoppable force in psychological terror.

Play Magazine

Not only is this the best first-person adventure I've played but it's the most brutal, skillfully detailed and paced as well. [Apr 2008, p.50]

1UP

Most of the game, though, achieves its goal, keeping you off balance but entertained. Experiences like the grimy claustrophobia that comes from wearing a decades-old gas mask as flames lick around you or being caught in a tense chase through an old cabin will stick with you. With rock-solid gameplay and plenty of creeps, Bloodshot finds its soul by making your heart race.

GameShark

The combat engine has been dramatically improved, making every fight a unique experience.

Totally360

An unsettling horror-laden rollercoaster ride of a game, and possibly a contender for "best sequel of the year so far". Don't play it alone at night without a change of underwear!

AtomicGamer

Minor gripes aside, this one's an extremely satisfying ride, especially in light of the criminal lack of survival horror titles on the Xbox 360.

Console Monster

Not only are the environments detailed and fitting the style of gameplay, but the character models are superb and show a great range of emotion, especially during the many cutscenes placed throughout each level.

Team Xbox

The kind of logical thinking it requires of you in the forensic mode is unheard of in action games.

GamerNode

It's an unbridled one-of-a-kind mature ride with scant a boring moment in its 11 mission single-player campaign. Multiplayer is welcome, but ultimately passable.

Cheat Code Central

It has enjoyable gameplay, an engaging story, some freaky visuals, and super-effective sound. And while it is the single player mode that stands out as the best part of this title, the multiplayer is not too shabby either.

AceGamez

However, given SEGA's approach to criticism held against the first instalment, the final chapter in this series has the potential to reach a near-perfect balance if handled correctly.

GamingExcellence

That said, Condemned 2 is still a heck of an experience that should be played by any who are fans of survival horror type games.

MEGamers

Playing or even watching someone play this game is a unique experience. It is like...you are watching a very disturbingly scary horror flick.

Game Informer

Probably the best survival horror title we’ve seen this generation. The online multiplayer modes aren’t going to blow your mind, but they are a thoughtful addition. It’s got a higher level of action than its predecessor, and some gorgeous horror backdrops.

Play.tm

If you were a fan of the first then this is an improvement on that in almost every aspect and you will love them all, however if you hated the first one then chances are you won't take to the sequel either as it is very similar in most aspects.

Xbox360Achievements

The entire presentation is much more professional looking this time around. It's still one of the premier gaming series for chills and thrills.

Extreme Gamer

Condemned 2: Bloodshot takes everything the original game offered and expands on the gameplay with new combat mechanics and upgraded forensics spots.

GameZone

The melee combat is a unique system that works amazingly well in one on one combat. The disturbing and unsettling storyline will also please anyone looking for a “survival” horror game for the 360.

Games Master UK

Brutal, shocking, gruesome - a horrific adventure let down by iffy level design. [Apr 2008, p.78]

Pelit (Finland)

Quotation forthcoming. [Apr 2008]

Gamers.at

Whether you like the intense gore-level of Condemned 2: Bloodshot or not, the newest nightmare of alcohol-addict Ethan Thomas is a worthy sequel to its predecessor. Most of those issues which were criticized in Condemned: Criminal Origins were eliminated, for instance the shallow forensic investigations or the unvaried melee-fights. But the improvements have also been creating new problems, such as the gun-fights, which do not deliver as much fun as the rest of the game does.

Kombo

Condemned 2: Bloodshot improves on its predecessor in several key areas. The gameplay -- the melee-based action to the crime-scene investigation puzzles -- is far more polished and well- thought-out this time.

ZTGameDomain

A perfect example of how to make a sequel. Sega and Monolith have fixed everything that was wrong with the original and made it an all around better game. The entertaining story and genuinely creepy atmosphere is well worth the price of admission and the substantial story mode is satisfying and challenging.

GameSpot

This horror-themed sequel's thrilling set pieces and bloody combat are remarkably satisfying but not for the faint of heart.

PTGamers

Condemned 2: Bloodshot is the ideal sequel. Monolith fixes most of the problems of the first game, expands the good points and offers a more intense atmosphere.

PALGN

While it maintains the atmosphere of the original title, the silly sci-fi twist of the second half of the game prevents it from reaching the white-knuckled heights of atmospheric tension that Condemned: Criminal Origins thrived on.

Gaming Nexus

With its improved combat system, fantastic graphics, cool levels and fun crime scene instigation, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is easy to recommend to anybody that enjoyed the original.

Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

Above all, it’s well worth just for its incredible atmosphere of pure tension, with the help of the technical side of things that work “for” the game instead of enslaving it. The first person action has an even more physical approach than in the original game and delivers a more “personal” experience. [Apr 2008]

IGN AU

Unique to a fault. It's adventurous, dark, silly, and it'll keep you up at night whether you want it to or not.

ActionTrip

The game does, however, take a significant step forward in terms of first-person combat realism.

Worth Playing

This game was intended to scare the pants off of you and gross you out, and Bloodshot definitely does that. It gives other games high expectations to live up to, and it's an instant classic for any horror fan.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

One of the nastiest experiences you are ever going to have in a game, but in a good way.

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

If Condemned was the starter, this is the main course. Gory, dark and great. [Apr 2008, p.64]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

With rock-solid gameplay and plenty of creeps, Bloodshot finds its soul by making your heart race. [Apr 2008, p.74]

NZGamer

Overall, if the violence doesn’t put you off, Condemned 2 is a worthy purchase. If you’re a shooter fan, and are after a visceral, disturbing experience, then this is the game for you.

MS Xbox World

I've enjoyed playing Condemned 2 as the style of play is really unlike any other game on Xbox 360 (bar the original). The first person viewpoint really puts you in the game, and the slow pacing makes things a lot more tense and engaging.

360 Gamer Magazine UK

The first-person mêlée combat is just downright exceptional as is Condemned 2’s often overwhelmingly grotesque atmosphere.

Gameplayer

Not quite as special as the original, but still impossible to ignore.

Gamer.nl

Condemned 2 is a pleasant but also frightening game in which the gameplay feels quite fresh. The fighting system works great and the murder investigations are a good way to involve the player into the storyline. Unfortunately the game doesn't stay as fun as the first few missions.

VideoGamer

It's the audio that steals the show though.

Total Video Games

What it is however is a stylish first person title that successfully blends hard-hitting combat with thought provoking mental challenges. It's brutal, atmospheric, tense, and scary as hell - we love it.

Gamers' Temple

Condemned 2 is still a unique horror game with some nice enhancements but fans of the first game may not enjoy the new story direction.

Gameplanet

The first level of the game does a great job of introducing you to the world of Condemned. This game has thick (and I mean thick) atmosphere. Almost every level oozes with evil, tension and fear.

Wired

Condemned 2: Bloodshot has plenty of creepy moments, but it favors action over atmosphere. To that end it performs very well, and even throws in some juicy plot twists and a cliffhanger ending. But I miss the tension of the original, just the same.

Boomtown

Even the fast turning speed with beautiful motion blur seems to add to the sometimes frantic feel of the game.

IGN

As a sequel, the game doesn't have the originality the first had going for it and, as such, the shortcomings are more noticeable. The gameplay improvements are strong enough to overshadow these for the most part and you're still left with a wild ride.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

An all-out assault on the brain, a gruesome spectacle to behold. A horrific beauty has once again been born by Monolith. [Mar 2008, p.87]

X360 Magazine UK

Condemned 2 takes every weakness from the original and desperately attempts to eradicte it. It can become difficult to take, but persevere. It's worth it. [Apr 2008, p.76]

GameTap

Quite possibly the ugliest game I've ever played--literally. I tip my hat to the developers at Monolith Productions for crafting a consistently dark, dirty, dilapidated, and decayed (and a host of other "d" words) world for both Condemned titles.

GameTrailers

The anything-is-a-weapon aesthetic is still ace, but the combat system is too unwieldy when tackling multiple foes. It’s a game of ups and downs, but horror fans will be more than satisfied with its bleak and gloomy disposition.

Official Xbox Magazine

Condemned 2 was designed to mess with your head, and boy, does it succeed. We’re glad we got the chance to return to Metro City, but the old town has changed — in some ways for the better, but a little for the worse.

GameDaily

There aren't too many multiplayer options, and the single player game could be longer, but Condemned 2 is still a terrifying sequel.

Talk Xbox

All things told Condemned 2 is a good sequel that does manage to do the first game justice on most counts.

games(TM)

With this same level of investigating, the original would have birthed a classic horror videogame not a cult title. [Apr 2008, p.102]

Eurogamer

Condemned 2 deserves hearty praise for improving on everything it did first time around. The melee combat is brutally intense, the investigations play a bigger part, the visuals are top-notch, and the whole thing's wrapped up with engaging narrative.

Gamervision

A major improvement of its predecessor, and is well worth the price of admission, considering the amount of bloody fun to be had.

Kikizo

Bloodshot is a very solid title with excellent visuals, engrossing sound, engaging forensics, and intense hand to hand combat.

Planet Xbox 360

It’s by no means better than the original, but it does produce a similar play through of exhilaration that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.

Deeko

Condemned's instruments of brutality may be blunt, but the game itself is not - despite what the inclusion of such frivolities as thugs attired in medieval armour might suggest.

DarkStation

Condemned 2: Bloodshot is another solid outing for Monolith and SEGA.

DailyGame

Condemned 2 is a decent game that suffers from a gameplay identity crisis and strays too far from the original's successful but under-rated formula.

Game Over Online

As sequels go, Bloodshot is sort of a mixed bag. Chances are if you liked the first Condemned you’ll like the second, even if it doesn’t pull it all off with the same panache.

Xbox World Australia

Condemned 2 is a worthy successor to a great game, and fans of the original will no doubt have rushed out to buy this without even waiting for reviews.

GotNext

More often than not, Bloodshot is one step forward and one step back. For every progression, there is a setback that shines some light on the dark atmosphere and spoils the unique sense of dread that permeated its predecessor.

Thunderbolt

A fun game, a mess, for sure, but a good mess. While it never reaches the scares of the original, or the compelling story and characters, it's still a rollercoaster ride of butchery, blood and out and out violence - violence that never lets up.

GameSpy

It's pretty irritating to play a sequel and face so many of the issues of the original, but Bloodshot's ability to take you into the terrifying world Monolith has crafted is astonishing.

Game Revolution

As a survival horror game, Condemned 2 is too short on horror. As an FPS game, it’s too short on strategy and level design. At best, it’s a brawler with some horror and FPS elements.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

A series of amazing shocks that are never quite worthy of suspension of disbelief.

Gamer 2.0

As it is, Condemned II is a scary, clichéd, sometimes engrossing videogame, with good relay value, personality and, darkness permitting, an enjoyable single-player mode.

DarkZero

In truth, you’ll probably end up being more shocked by the gore and brutality you see on screen this time round instead of jumping from your seat at the shock of one of the game’s set pieces.

NTSC-uk

Overall, Condemned 2 starts off brilliantly and has much potential, but ends up a crushing disappointment. Not only does it pail into comparison to its predecessor, but it also fails to stand up against other games in the FPS genre.

Gamestyle

Condemned 2 really is a menagerie of bad design choices.

Edge Magazine

It’s too fantastical, its violence occurring anywhere and everywhere to ever-decreasing effect. [Apr 2008, p.88]

GameCritics

If the first game was a chillingly-black horror to be feared, Bloodshot's a pretender in a goofy rubber mask, making funny noises and stumbling over its own feet.

Destructoid

Condemned 2 is bad. It's got one or two fun mechanics, which it absolutely refuses to let the player enjoy for any significant length of time. The story sucks, the level design is even worse, and the graphics are grimy to the point of being ridiculous.