GAME REVIEWS: Condemned: Criminal Origins

Sega (Xbox 360)
Game •••• Graphics/Sound ••••½
Click. Click. Click. That's the sound of every other first-person shooter after you've run out of ammo. But in Condemned, there isn't a case of shells conveniently waiting around the corner ... so why not pick up a nail-studded two-by-four, a crowbar, or a fire axe? That's all FBI agent Ethan Thomas has to defend himself while scuffling through the grime-covered underworld, populated by vagrants and ultraviolent pill-poppers alike. The lights are so dim, you'll be squinting to see movement in the shadows. Blood stains on the wall are so drippy, you'll want to Windex your TV. Did you hear that? - a rat, perhaps? This is Paranoia HD, where every inane detail has been accounted for: the faint hum of fluorescent bulbs, the absorbent textures of a crumpled-up napkin, and those goosebumps sprouting on your arm. Tread warily.

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