Ethan Thomas

Ethan Thomas

Condemned: Criminal Origins, released as Condemned in Europe and Australia, is a first-person psychological thriller video game with survival horror and action elements for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega, it was an Xbox 360 launch title and was published in North America in November 2005, in Europe the following month, and in Australia in March 2006. The Windows version was released worldwide in April 2006. In November 2015, Criminal Origins was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making it playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Monolith also released an online episodic flash game prequel, and there were plans for a film to expand the Condemned universe, with at least three additional games already mapped out by 2005. However, the film was never made, and the only addition to the franchise was Condemned 2: Bloodshot, which was released in 2008 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game tells the story of Ethan Thomas, an agent with the FBI's Serial Crime Unit (SCU). In the fictional city of Metro, there has been a surge in both serial killings and assaults perpetrated by vagrants, and Thomas is convinced the two are connected. As he hunts a killer dubbed the Match Maker, Thomas is framed for murder and, pursued by his former Bureau colleagues, he finds his whole life upended as he stumbles onto something that goes far beyond any one individual killer. Aesthetically influenced by films such as The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, Condemned's designers wanted to create a game focused on either a new game mechanic or an existing mechanic with a fresh spin, and so they decided to apply their experience with first-person shooters to a game focused primarily on something not usually seen in first-person games – melee combat. Building a simple but robust combat system, the designers utilised the capabilities of the Xbox 360 to create a realistic and unsettling environment, with a heavy focus on visceral and violent close-quarters combat. Condemned was well received by critics, who praised the combat mechanics, graphics, animations, AI, and, especially, the sound design and atmosphere. Common points of criticism included the game's linearity, a lack of variety in both level design and gameplay, and what was perceived as a poor implementation of the use of forensic tools. The game sold well upon its initial Xbox 360 release, going on to become the fifth best selling launch title on the platform. It also won multiple categories in both GameSpot's and IGN's Best of 2005 awards.

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