Condemned 2

Condemned 2 - (Xbox 360, PS3)
Developer: Monolith Productions
Format: Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Beat-em'up

Salvation at the bottom of a bottle?

Ethan Thomas has fallen on harder times since his first and failed attempt to stop the mysterious and bloodthirsty SKX (Serial killer X, Leland Vanhorn). Now, away from his FBI connections and down on his hard-drinking luck, when SKX goes missing from the authorities' radars, he's drafted back in to do his dirty work.

Trouble is, by now alcoholism and exposure to the city's nastier nightlife inhabitants (and a fair amount of supernatural gore thrown in for good measure) means that his gun aim ain't so hot. Fortunately this is where the Condemned series sparks a fresh light; it's hand to hand fighting at a premium here using gas pipes, door frames, a bottle of liquor, a tazer and good old fisticuffs just for starters.

As survival horror goes, this is up with the best. The dark and dank nightmare of the backstreets and dimly lit eerie venues are brimming with evil down and outs and vicious bad guys. A doll factory has stomach-churning mannequins intent on ripping you apart and Ethan's own DTs come into play, plaguing him not only with the chronic shakes but also with real and imagined demons. Luckily there are plenty of bottles of booze lying around to neck to quickly steady his nerves.

Booze and violence - the cornerstones of the title means that this isn't for the faint hearted. With fleshed out combat controls (more emphasis on attack and defend combo moves), darker plot lines and enhanced weapon combat, not to mention the Bum Rush option of multitplayer make for a heady package.

Combine this with the forensic elements of the game, the ability to check over a crime scene with the aid of a GPS device (works like a map), a UV light, camera and spectrometer to hand in order to unravel the darkest of plots. Gory, visceral (a fitting word here) and jumpy; this is a perfect edge-of-your-seat title.

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