As good of developers as they are, and as strong as the game’s single-player mode may be, Monolith was sadly bitten by the “Mandatory Multi-player” bug. Most publishers are afraid to release any game these days without tacking on some form of multi-player experience, and this usually results in under-cooked, throw-away MP gameplay that doesn’t really survive on Xbox Live for more than a few weeks. And it hurts me to say that Condemned 2’s multi-player falls into that subpar category. For the most part, the game offers up the usual modes (deathmatch and team deathmatch), but there is at least one decently interesting match-type, called Crime Scene. In this match-type, one team of up to four players will play as SCU Agents trying to gather evidence, while the other team will play as the Influenced, who must hide and defend the evidence from the Agents. This can lead to some interesting and strategic battles that are sorely absent from the other MP match-types.

Since the first Condemned was a launch title and is now over 2 years old, it should come as no surprise that the visuals have seen a major overhaul. Everything, from the textures to character animations and realistic lighting effects, has been tweaked to faithfully rival the best looking games available on the console. The flashlight, in particular, has a much more realistic look and feel. Often too bright in the original offering, the flashlight in this new game will occasionally flicker and will reveal more or less of your surroundings depending on the environment. This helps amp up the fear to a whole new level, as it acts much like an actual flashlight. You’ll consistently wish it was bigger and brighter than it really is once your heart starts to pound in your chest. Also, notably better is the detail and design put into the vagrants and thugs. Their overall look and range of animations are much more impressive this time around, as well. There’s a lot more variety, and the character models have lost most of the unusual “thickness” they had, previously.

By far, Condemned 2 has some of the best sound design you’ll ever likely hear in a survival horror game. Like I had stated, earlier, the ambient sound effects, the creaks and groans, your character’s breathing, which will become heavier in scarier situations, and the cackles and taunts your enemies throw at you, will envelop you in a wall of uncertainty of dread. The voice acting also seems to be a step above the first iteration, as the delivery and tone from all of the characters involved are much more professional. There isn’t much music to be heard in Condemned 2, at all, but when there is music playing, it has a techno-grunge sound that’s perfectly fitting for the game and its setting.

In the end, Condemned 2 one-ups the original game in every single category. While a little bit more delusional, the story, and the voice-acting that accompanies, is much more solid, the fear quotient is taken to new levels and the combat and evidence gathering are a lot more fleshed out. To borrow from the popular UPS Commercials, when this game asks, “What can brown do for you?” the appropriate answer is, “Fill your pants!” This is easily one of the most frightening games I have ever played. So much so that I often found myself gasping or screaming aloud, and nervously shining my flashlight into every possible nook and cranny. Especially memorable is a chase sequence, more than halfway through the game, which takes place inside of a service station in the middle of the frozen wilderness. This game is an easy recommendation for fans of the original and to horror fans alike. If you expect more from a game purchase than a moderately lengthy single-player experience, no matter its excellence, then the game’s lackluster multi-player may drop this into the rental category for you. Either way, this is one stellar game that is truly worth your time and money!