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[element]

I knew you had worked on the series Element so thanks again for that. Did you guys have any idea what was going to happen with Condemned 3, story or settings wise? The end of 2 was a big, "Shit has gotten real" conclusion.

Thanks. I know when threads showing love for the Condemned series, me and the rest of the guys/girls on the team I see still very happy.

As for C3. I really wanted to do a St. Elsewhere on what happened in Condemned 2, and Condemned 3 would pickup where Condemned 1 left off. I wanted Thomas goal to be proving that the Oro exist, so hunting them down, searching books, newspapers, anything he can get his hands on. This scene from LOST gives you an idea of what I was thinking.

My idea is the game would be more like Silent Hill detective/CSI edition and less like God of War where C2 started to head.

 

[Sysgen]

Thanks. I know when threads showing love for the Condemned series, me and the rest of the guys/girls on the team I see great very happy...

Condemned was as is still amazing. Among my top 5 ever. C2 not so much. The enemy re-spawns were oh so annoying.

 

[GreekWolf]

My idea is the game would be more like Silent Hill detective/CSI edition and less like God of War where C2 started to head.

This would be incredible. I'd buy 10 copies just to support the effort.

Bring back Greg Grunberg as Ethan, Kimberli Colbourne as middle-aged Rosa, and all will be forgiven for that travesty of a sequel.

 

[Draft]

Thanks. I know when threads showing love for the Condemned series, me and the rest of the guys/girls on the team I see still very happy.

As for C3. I really wanted to do a St. Elsewhere on what happened in Condemned 2, and Condemned 3 would pickup where Condemned 1 left off. I wanted Thomas goal to be proving that the Oro exist, so hunting them down, searching books, newspapers, anything he can get his hands on. This scene from LOST gives you an idea of what I was thinking.

My idea is the game would be more like Silent Hill detective/CSI edition and less like God of War where C2 started to head.

That would have been fucking awful. Everything about the psychic cultists needs to be jettisoned. Condemned has to go back to being about a maniac cop beating hobos to death. Take it a step further and retcon everything from the last level of Condemned 1 to be a hallucination caused by a few too many rebar blows to the head.

Chasing serial killers. Investigating crime scenes. Bludgeoning hobos with 2x4s. That's it.

When is Condemned 1 going to get posted on Steam or GOG. I've been protecting my DVD copy for years.

 

[element]

This would be incredible. I'd buy 10 copies just to support the effort.

Looking back the big problem with C2 was you actually were getting rid of weapons to use your fist because they were more powerful. Totally backwards from survival horror. Should be limited firearms, then grabbing whatever you can use (ax, baseball bat, chair leg, whatever) and in last resort having to use your hands/fists.

I always though survival horror was silly that you are running to what is trying to kill you, instead of running from it. I envisioned moments similar to System Shock 2 of the "oh shit! i heard a frozen monkey! fuck! i only have one bullet! i see a crowbar. i really need a weapon! fuck!".

Oh well. Sadly C3 won't be happening

That would have been fucking awful. Everything about the psychic cultists needs to be jettisoned. Condemned has to go back to being about a maniac cop beating hobos to death.

I think the cultist serial killer stuff is fine. It just went way crazy in Condemned 2 with the alien co-breeding, Illuminati crap. I think you could have a cult that Ethan is after with the game being more about detective/searching for clues and less about beating up random hobos.

When is Condemned 1 going to get posted on Steam or GOG. I've been protecting my DVD copy for years.

Good question. I'd say never. That is up to Sega.

 

[Draft]

Easily one of the best horror games this gen. So good. That basement scene was the stuff of nightmares when I first played it at the 360 launch.

Love the opening title music too- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN930tu3Gpg

I'd forgotten about this amazing music. Condemned truly is one of the best games from this generation. What a treat.

 

[Wolfe]

OP couldn't be more wrong, and nice try at the pictures to try and make people laugh at your wacky opinion.

One of the best launch games ever, imo.

Like stated before, it's the sequel that's bad, except for the Bear.

It's funny you mention that because my friends had played the first one and enjoyed it so we picked up the second one at blockbuster one day for 7 bucks or something. I really did enjoy it until it got to the oil parts, just made the game really boring.

I chugged through a little bit of it (honestly can't remember how far I got) but yeah that part with the bear was fucking rad!

 

[Typographenia]

You're as of now my favorite person on GAF.

If only I had known that I could make people love me from being critical of video games sooner!

I'm sorry, but this just sounds like you're not good at the game. I've never had an enemy do more than 1 fakeout. Timing the parries are easy, not sure how you're getting issues with blocking. The combat does get predictable, but the parrying feels great and head-butting a hobo in the face is satisfying. It's not especially hard when you have the kick and taser, but it all feels great.

That might just very well be the case. Either way, though, it definitely didn't help my impression of the game. I intentionally set the combat at normal or easy (can't honestly remember) (edit: I remember now, I was playing on normal, but I had to bump it down to easy on the last boss because of the weapon glitch) because I didn't want the fighting to be something that dragged my experience down. I'd always heard people praise the system, but I didn't see anything that spectacular about it. Then again, I've never been the kind to go with melee (except Alpha Protocol), so my base of reference is pretty skewed.

This is an entirely subjective thing, so no point in arguing it. But what did you think of the Department store with the mannequins closing around you (that HL 2 Nightmare mod would later rip off)? I thought that was a genius piece of scripting. What about the locker scene?

I was kind of excited at first,

Spoiler

with the idea of not being able to tell when I was in danger, but I either set things off poorly or paid too much attention to it, because I was never once taken by surprise by the enemies. They were either leaving their marks when I was faced the other direction, so I already saw them walking around, or it was obvious when one wasn't a fake.

Or was there something else you're talking about? I don't remember much specific about the place, other than lots of christmas decorations.

I'm not sure what you're talking about with the locker. Do you mean

Spoiler

the guy who was inside one alive still or something? Wasn't it something like his lips had been cut off?

It was okay, I guess.

OP couldn't be more wrong, and nice try at the pictures to try and make people laugh at your wacky opinion.

I was just trying to make my OP entertaining. : (

People who don't like Condemned have poor taste

Games that have glitches that won't allow you to arm yourself to fight the final boss, leaving you to kick it to death aren't my cup of tea.

 

[Imbarkus]

You can't erase what happened in the plot in the second one.

What you could do is use it, have a big chunk of the game be Ethan tracking down the forces behind this big conspiracy, have him standing over one of them having just bashed him with a 2x4... only to have the hallucination shatter and fade away.

Turns out all the sonic emitter conspiracy theory shit at the end of C2 (and the beginning of C3) was a directed hallucination that maneuvered Ethan into killing certain public figures ala the Manchurian Candidate. Now he's also on the run from the law.

Who did it? How? Suddenly the unknown is reintroduced. Make it crazy, make it whatever, it's wide open again.

Some of the best segments of Condemned 2 were the hallucination segments. Why not have the premise be that those actually took over, and the whole end of 2 was a hallucination?

Also, yes, nerf the fists.

This game should happen.

 

[pakkit]

I'll be honest. I tried to replay through Condemned this year and I just couldn't do it. It was one of my favorites during launch, and it just feels very antiquated today.

Now, it's just a very good tech demo.

 

[Grisby]

Thanks. I know when threads showing love for the Condemned series, me and the rest of the guys/girls on the team I see still very happy.

As for C3. I really wanted to do a St. Elsewhere on what happened in Condemned 2, and Condemned 3 would pickup where Condemned 1 left off. I wanted Thomas goal to be proving that the Oro exist, so hunting them down, searching books, newspapers, anything he can get his hands on. This scene from LOST gives you an idea of what I was thinking.

My idea is the game would be more like Silent Hill detective/CSI edition and less like God of War where C2 started to head.

Nice. I think it would have been a good idea to ditch the voice powers as well. I liked the feeling of power but I don't really see how it could hold up in 3 for an extended period of time.

Shame about 3 as it would have been neat to see an even more upgraded crime solving deal and maybe another 'Fight Club' take. Condemned, more than any other series to me captures that 'raw' violence type of feel and atmosphere.

 

[Untracked]

I still love Condemned 1 and the first half of 2, before it went batshit stupid. The melee combat is second to none and the 5.1 sound scared the shit outta me.

I had to get a friend to complete the first one for me, after I had major "issues" in the farmhouse basement.
If a game can do that to me then it's worth every penny and I would absolutely love to see Monolith make a 3 someday...

Edit:

Sadly it will never happen. Condemned 2 just didn't sell enough copies.

Such a shame when a truly unique game can't get a sequel... Gutted!

 

[Messofanego]

Thanks. I know when threads showing love for the Condemned series, me and the rest of the guys/girls on the team I see still very happy.

As for C3. I really wanted to do a St. Elsewhere on what happened in Condemned 2, and Condemned 3 would pickup where Condemned 1 left off. I wanted Thomas goal to be proving that the Oro exist, so hunting them down, searching books, newspapers, anything he can get his hands on. This scene from LOST gives you an idea of what I was thinking.

My idea is the game would be more like Silent Hill detective/CSI edition and less like God of War where C2 started to head.

What was your position at Monolith? A writer?

 

[OJdaKiller]

This was (and still is) easily one of my favorite games on the 360. Didn't like 2 as much, but I didn't even finish 2, where as the first one I couldn't stop playing it.

 

[BigTnaples]

Did not read the OP but I will just say that I freaking loved the game. Got it at launch on a whim and played through it with a friend of mine. One of the only games I have ever played that actually scared me.

 

[Typographenia]

Thanks. I know when threads showing love for the Condemned series, me and the rest of the guys/girls on the team I see still very happy.

Sorry I couldn't be one of those people. : (

I'm more disappointed that I wasn't able to enjoy it, since it had such a good word of mouth from the internet constantly. There seemed to be several elements present that I enjoy in games (more in the art direction), but it just didn't do it for me.

 

[ArjanN]

The OP couldn't be more wrong about every single point.

One of the best horror games ever.

Typographenia is secretly a hobo confirmed.

 

[Draft]

I think the cultist serial killer stuff is fine. It just went way crazy in Condemned 2 with the alien co-breeding, Illuminati crap. I think you could have a cult that Ethan is after with the game being more about detective/searching for clues and less about beating up random hobos.

I feel like I'm seeing how good games get bad sequels. Less about beating up random hobos? That's like Sony developing GT6 to be less about racing cars.

The whole point of Condemned is fighting hobos. Forensics is cool. For a minigame it's non offensive and even occasionally fun. The story doesn't even really need to be there. It's nice and a better wrapping for the game than something like Condemned: The VR Missions, but it's of little overall importance.

Pipes, bricks, bowling pins and one thousand insane screaming hobos. That's Condemned.

 

[Typographenia]

Typographenia is secretly a hobo confirmed.

SHHH!

 

[FairXchange]

Horror games are my favourite, Condemned is a worthy game among some greats. One of the most memorable moments was encountering the fat chef, or the very scary chase around the barn house upper floor later in the game.

I loved the game.

 

[Grisby]

Typographenia is secretly a hobo confirmed.

Sorry Typo I had to have a good laugh at this one.

 

[Of All Trades]

I think the cultist serial killer stuff is fine. It just went way crazy in Condemned 2 with the alien co-breeding, Illuminati crap. I think you could have a cult that Ethan is after with the game being more about detective/searching for clues and less about beating up random hobos.

Was that always the intended direction following the first game? At the end of C1 it seemed like C2 is what would naturally follow (of course then it got weirder and weirder). People complained about the supernatural elements, and the endgame certainly got nuts, but I don't know how a follow-up to C1 could avoid some sort of supernatural element given the birds/rage-instanity/etc stuff in the first game.

My memory of C2 is that the really crazy plot stuff happened after the bear sequence so I'd think the easy solution would be to simply say that Ethan got rabies from the bear.

 

[Kubricks Ghost]

Element, Condemned is one of my favourite games this gen. Scared the crap out of me. So thanks for that.

 

[Typographenia]

Sorry Typo I had to have a good laugh at this one.

I went as a hobo for halloween once, but that's it! My days of migratory living are long over!

Most of the "homeless" enemies in the game seem to be enjoying the life of luxury within such wonderful locales as department stores and libraries. I'm calling foul on their "hobo" title!

 

[ArjanN]

SHHH!

Come on man. Time to jump out of that monster closet.

 

[Typographenia]

Get out of my house!

Spoiler

I would probably pick up a Condemned 3 if it were inspired by bits of LOST. I could definitely get behind that.

 

[Grisby]

Get out of my house!

Spoiler

I would probably pick up a Condemned 3 if it were inspired by bits of LOST. I could definitely get behind that.

Line up GAF.

 

[element]

What was your position at Monolith? A writer?

Ha! No. That was Frank Rooke. I worked on Condemned from its inception. Loved that team.

I feel like I'm seeing how good games get bad sequels. Less about beating up random hobos? That's like Sony developing GT6 to be less about racing cars.

The whole point of Condemned is fighting hobos. Forensics is cool. For a minigame it's non offensive and even occasionally fun. The story doesn't even really need to be there. It's nice and a better wrapping for the game than something like Condemned: The VR Missions, but it's of little overall importance.

Pipes, bricks, bowling pins and one thousand insane screaming hobos. That's Condemned.

Yes, I see how good game get sequels, because that is pretty much everything our producer wanted for Condemned 2 and look how that worked out.

Condemned 1 really didn't have that much combat if you think about it, where Condemned 2 was all about combat. C1 was more about mood and atmosphere, where C2 turned up the brutality at the expense of mood and atmosphere. In C1 if you heard an enemy and all you had was a 2x4 you were nervous, while in C2 you could be just fists and fuck everything up. Nothing tense about it at all and definitely not survival or horror.

The game you wanted sounds like Condemned 2. Everything turned up to 11. Some of us wanted to go back to suspense/thriller/horror roots of Condemned 1.

Was that always the intended direction following the first game?

It was wide open on where to go. I think it went a little too crazy insane with aliens. I think there is a level you shouldn't cross and C2 is full of them with Ethan being some crazy alien Jesus/Messiah or something to save the world.