For example, one of the first real investigations involved being able to recognize if a bullet wound was an entry or exit wound & reading blood splatter patterns. But others require more than a little knowledge about crime scene investigation.

Sometimes theyРІР‚в„ўre straightforward, looking reading a placard to find your location. But in Condemned 2, you have to reason out the evidence. I mentioned in my first review that I felt the investigation angle was sorely underutilized, & too simplistic. However, one area of massive improvement is the forensics portion. Also, why does holding block tire Ethan? IРІР‚в„ўve carried 2Р“вЂ”4РІР‚в„ўs around. Blocking is a lot easier, but that can break your combo. ThatРІР‚в„ўs all well & good, but the enemies recover so quickly from your attacks that the odds of you not getting hit are slim. If you hit an enemy within a short amount of time after the first hit without being hit yourself you build up a chain, which can be unleashed as a special finisher. Hits no longer have the same impact, & the combo system is kind of a joke. I have to admit, I donРІР‚в„ўt enjoy the combat as much as in the previous game. Firearms are more common, & more useful, but youРІР‚в„ўll still probably have to rely on your fists, foot or improvisation. But now thereРІР‚в„ўs a combo system, where you can build up chains by wailing away on enemies without getting hit. Of course the ability to pick up random implements to bludgeon fellow thugs to death is intact. Apparently Ethan has been brushing up on his boxing technique, a necessity on the streets, because combat is more first-person action oriented.

But they seem disturbingly quick to give a drunk man a gun.Р”Р„ lot has changed in EthanРІР‚в„ўs second outing, aside from changing residence to the City at Large. That, or his turning to the bottle to forget the crap he went through forced them to let him go. It hasnРІР‚в„ўt come up in the story thus far, but I assume itРІР‚в„ўs because he stopped trusting them after the first game hinted at some bizarre coverup. The game unceremoniously plonks us out in an alley with Hobo Ethan, having left the FBI for some unspecified reason. Hey, those arenРІР‚в„ўt the original voices! How the hell did Ethan turn into a battered hobo in just eleven months? And why is the Bureau still trusting him with expensive forensic equipment?РІР‚Сњ My initial reactions upon starting Condemned 2 were, РІР‚СљI see everyone in this unnamed city it still incredibly chunky. ItРІР‚в„ўs not something you see a lot in mainstream horror games anymore. The awkwardness of fighting for your life adds to the fear of encountering anything that wishes you harm. In a way, it reminded me of the Silent Hill games.

The original game, while clunky, was one of the most visceral, tension-inducing games IРІР‚в„ўve played in a long time. So Condemned 2: Bloodshot had a lot of live up to. I cut the first Condemned some slack for its vague ending & not answering all the questions it posed because I had the sequel to follow up with it immediately.

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