Penny For Your Thoughts

Condemned was easily one of my favourite Xbox release games; before I managed to get hold of a copy I played the demo over and over again, alternating between drooling and shitting myself like an old-age pensioner.

It’s no surprise, then, that I was really looking forward to the release of Condemned 2: Bloodshot. Luckily, it lived up to my expectations.

For those not familiar with the series, the last game was focused on Ethan Thomas, a police officer plagued by weird visions at a time when the city is under siege by the homeless and a serial killer named X is on the loose. He makes a return as the protagonist of the sequel also, although he has since become homeless himself and tried to cut his ties with the organisation.

Condemned 2 sees him reunited with his forensic tools and partner Rosa, as Serial Killer X is somehow back on the loose and killing again.

The gameplay is dark and incredibly scary, the majority of the game seeing you walk down twisting corridors with nothing but a flashlight for company. The battle system has been entirely re-worked — though the focus is still on physical attacks and ammo is still rare — such that the left and right triggers control Ethan’s left and right fists respectively. Pull both to block, or press them in certain orders to pull of combo attacks for extra damage.

That said, the battle system still doesn’t seem to be that much of a leap over any other FPS. The main thing that makes Condemned 2 shine is its forensics system. In the previous game, forensics consisting of following on-screen displays and pointing Ethan in the right direction to spot a clue, but this system has been given a complete overhaul. If you come across a body, for example, you may be asked to identify the murder weapon, analyze the blood spatter or ask Rosa some worthwhile questions.

The forensics does, unfortunately, tail off towards the end of the game to focus on plot and fighting, but this comes across as acceptable and realistic since it is unlikely anybody would have the time to pull out forensic tools and carry out an investigation whilst being chased by what I can only describe as zombie tramps.

The only other issue with Condemned 2 is the storyline twist. I won’t go into too much detail, but I will say that I personally didn’t mind it. Basically, the game offers up an explanation as to why the homeless are being controlled (and by whom) as well as why Ethan is able to see them. The way it’s handled isn’t for everybody, but without spoiling the ending I can only recommend to try it and see.

For some reason, since I bought it it has gone down to £25 in most major UK retail shops. If you’ve got a 360 and enjoyed the original game, or just like FPS, then it’s probably a pretty worthwhile investment.

FFCC: Ring of Fates is Square Enix’s newest RPG for the DS. Like most RPGs there is a single player mode in which you control a party of heroes battling to save the world, but there is also a multiplayer mode in which your party consists of you and three friends — each with their own DS and gamecard.

Unfortunately for me, I don’t know anybody else with a DS and gamecard, so this review is only going to be concerned with the game’s single player mode. I think it’s a shame that the game doesn’t make use of the DS’ WiFi connection to allow internet play, but given that even single player appears to lag sometimes it might not have been entirely plausible.

Though it shares its name with the original GameCube Crystal Chronicles, Ring of Fates does away with much of what was staple gameplay. Gone are the caravans, the miasma streams, the dungeons that need to be visited several times a year and the chalice that must be carried to keep your characters from dying. What remains are the four tribes, namely Clavat, Yuke, Lilty and Selkie. Each of these tribes has their own statistical benefits and attack types — Yuke are mages, for example — but this game introduces several tribal abilities that make use of the DS touchscreen and are used to solve puzzles.

The story follows two twins, Yuri and Chelinka, in their fight to avenge their father and save the world along the way. You’ve no choice about character here; Yuri is a Clavat and there’s no way to change it. Luckily your party eventually grows to contain one member of each tribe, with you choosing which character to control, but this doesn’t always work as well as it should.

What I’m sure makes for brilliant team play just doesn’t work in single player. Take the frequently occurring situation of having to cast two spells simultaneously to unlock a door, for example. With two or more people it is simply a case of designating one person to each spell and releasing the cast button at the same time — simple. When you’re playing alone, however, this becomes a case of lining one spell up, pressing L, lining the other spell up, releasing the cast button and then hammering the L button and hoping the other spell casts in time. Whilst in multiplayer your friends would continue hammering away at the boss, or heal you if you were injured, your AI teammates just stand around aimlessly, absorbing damage and dying until you take control of them yourselves.

Perhaps a direct result of this terrible AI, the game is far too easy. Despite getting lost in one of the dungeons, it only took around 11 hours to complete, and I only experienced one Game Over (during the last boss fight). At the end of every boss — bar perhaps one or two — my Yuri was the only character still living. More frustrating still, the only times that my character ever got into trouble and occasionally died were those when I was attempting to revive my party or keep them still to heal them.

I understand that lots of people found the original Crystal Chronicles dull and incredibly slow-paced, but it has always been a firm favourite of mine. As nice as this may be — and as interesting as the story can be at times — it just doesn’t compare.

Ring of Fates is a brilliant concept that hasn’t been executed as well as it could have been and, for that reason, I wouldn’t suggest buying it unless you know somebody else willing to play it with you. The single player alone just isn’t worth £25.