Condemned: Criminal Origins
Condemned: Criminal Origins has become a lost gem in the horror genre, as the series has only received two iterations early on in the Xbox 360’s lifespan. Despite this series fading into obscurity, the gritty first-person combat was unlike anything before it. Enemies were not your typical ghouls and ghosts, but drug addicts and psychopaths that lent a more realistic feel to the battles. Ranged weapons were a rarity, with most of your fights relying on close quarters brutality.
There was a nice weight to the combat, with each blow feeling like a significant strike against your opponents. Each battle felt like its own challenge, which not only supplemented the scares, but created new ones altogether. Enemies were smart and wouldn’t always attack one at a time, lending a scrappiness to engagements. This point blank style of gameplay helped reinforce the bold and often terrifying world of Condemned
