There is also the seemingly inconsequential mechanic of ammo management. The limited and unreliable nature of guns allows the strength of its visceral melee combat to shine. Had there been more emphasis on firearms, the persistent sense of being hunted would be lost. These moments of firepower superiority, while briefly rewarding, reveal how vital melee combat is to the core of the game’s identity. This can quickly alter the course of sticky combat situations but comes at a cost. Inversely, the unpredictable nature of firearms allows for moments of immense empowerment when the player discovers a fully loaded one. This lack of consistent ammo supply adds yet another layer of anxiety-inducing tension to combat, but more importantly, ensures the player never feels like a super-soldier. Most guns have less than a handful of shots or sometimes none at all. Periodically, Ethan will stumble upon firearms though they are often anything but reliable. The player is in a constant state of vulnerability, only ever as safe as a well-timed block to counter an incoming swing of a pipe. Emphasizing melee combat may, on the surface, seem like a gimmick when in actuality, it sustains the game’s horror aesthetic. Enemies will at times literally burst through drywall or ceiling panels in their hunt for Ethan.
For Ethan to survive, he must become that which hunts him.Īnd hunt him they will. While the melee mechanics are relatively simplistic, the unpredictability of Condemned’s enemies allows it to avoid overly devolving into a mindless hack and slasher.Ĭrazed vagrants will feign injuries only to lash out when Ethan closes in, weaponize their environment, and retreat around corners to set up ambushes.
The result is a brutally refreshing approach to combat, as coming face to face with your attackers gives a constant, chilling spike of adrenaline. The inherently limited range of melee weapons makes combat an intimate affair as death is never more than an arm’s length away. Repurposing inconspicuous items such as 2×4’s, pipes, school desks, and even mannequin arms into instruments of death becomes his DIY means of survival. Ethan’s fugitive status forces him to adopt a “behind enemy lines” survivalist mentality that weaponizes his surroundings. Monolith Productions does a terrific job of immersing players into this uncomfortably suffocating world.
Making matters worse there is a mysterious wave of violence plaguing Metro City, somehow tied to Ethan’s case.
Fatal frame 4 ps3 serial#
Players take on the role of FBI agent Ethan Thomas who finds himself framed for murder by the very serial killer he’s hunting. Much like the films it emulates, the player is dropped into an unforgiving and filth-covered world. Channeling the aesthetic and brooding atmosphere of iconic horror films such as David Fincher’s Seven, Condemned’s most distinctly unique feature is its claustrophobia. So, what happens when the player is stripped of that empowerment and trades in their gun for a lead pipe? Developer Monolith Productions wasted little time in establishing Condemned: Criminal Origins defining tone, which holds up remarkably well 16 years after the game’s release. While necessary to the player’s survival, the inevitable firepower bestowed upon the player can be detrimental to the carefully crafted horror elements.
The empowerment of arming the player has always been somewhat of a conundrum for the horror genre.
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