Condemned 2

4:33pm Thursday 10th April 2008

Publisher: Sega Formats: Xbox 360 Price: £44.99 Family friendly? 18+

OH boy, the dust hasn't settled yet on the violent video games debate and here comes Condemned 2 a follow up to the uber-violent X Box 360 launch title boasting more fighting, more violence and much more bloodshed.

The sequel picks up the story 11 months after events in the first game.

Disgraced investigator Ethan Thomas, the protagonist from the first adventure, has left the Serial Crimes Unit and has fallen victim to alcoholism - the result of his battles with demons both imaginary and real.

The first game's ending left many fans scratching their heads. Condemned 2 is more straightforward with a nicely rounded plot and a satisfying denouement.

Along the way I guarantee several jump-out-of-your-seat scares and creepy moments that will have you looking uneasily over your shoulder. Survival horror doesn't come much better than Condemned 2.

Thankfully for late-comers to this franchise, the sequel is a standalone adventure, so if you haven't played the first game don't worry - although some familiarity with the characters and situations will help.

Monolith, the developer, has listened hard to criticisms of the first game. As a result both the combat mechanics and the forensics have been improved.

Thomas has to investigate crime scenes and, at the end of the level, he is rated on his detection skills. You are awarded in-game upgrades depending on how well Thomas carries out his forensic investigation.

Rather than equipping Ethan with weapons from the start, Condemned 2 challenges you to find something in the environment and use it to beat up on your enemies. Toilet seats, locker doors, even bowling balls, are all available for serious violence. Trust me, this game fully deserves its 18, adults-only rating from the BBFC.

The sequel takes the combat even further with combination moves and some bone crunching fist fighting. Surprisingly, there's also a heavier reliance on guns. In the first game if you found a gun it usually only had a couple of bullets.

Here there are whole sections where you run around with a rifle shooting a bunch of bad guys from afar. Mind you, they have guns as well.

The atmospherics are top notch - very important for a game that majors on horror and suspense - and the soundtrack is terrific, particularly the environmental effects.

Overall, if you enjoyed the first game Condemned 2 is a must-have creep-fest.

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