(continued from previous page) ...option lies in keeping brightness down, creating deep blacks and therefore some seriously striking scenery. Here’s the issue with that – you can’t see crap. Your pitiful flashlight seems to run on one AAA battery, as it barely lights up the areas you’re in whatsoever. Even with a backlit GPS, you won’t be able to navigate your way around at all. The alternative lies in raising the brightness, resulting in ugly, grayish visuals that remove a large part of the fear factor from the game. It wasn’t a tough choice; we chose to play a non-terrifying game over wandering aimlessly into corners. Even so, there were numerous times where we just didn’t know where to go. As an example, in the fourth level, an abandoned doll factory, you’re tasked with finding a gas mask. You aren’t given any clear direction, and it took us about fifteen minutes to figure out we had to chuck an object at some propane tanks that were out of view behind a large object in the corner to progress. Those fifteen minutes weren’t fun, they were frustrating. Despite the strict linearity of the levels, expect several occurrences like this one throughout the game.

As you progress through the eleven missions (which take about 45 minutes a piece), you’ll be given upgrades based on your performance. Each level contains a certain number of emitters you can destroy, antennas you can adjust, and responses you can activate. In addition, some levels have optional objectives which can be completed outside of the primary goal. All of these elements determine how well your rating for that mission is, which then affects the bonus that you’ll receive for its completion. From the brass knuckles to the stun gun, the upgrades help somewhat, but should you get the lowest rating on each level, the game becomes a tad more difficult to complete.

That isn’t to say you won’t die. In fact, you’ll die quite a lot and then be forced to suffer a lengthy loading screen each time. The game’s not overly difficult, but it’s no walk in the park. It won’t only test your reaction time, as your aptitude will be assessed through the series of forensic events you encounter where you’re given a chance to play detective. Whether you’re pulling out the black light to follow a blood trail or searching for physical clues and having intricate, branching conversations to clarify a situation, the forensic episodes throughout Bloodshot are fantastic experiences that are far improved from those in the original Condemned.

Part of what makes the forensic investigation so intriguing is the incredible detail of, well, everything. The aforementioned environments are the dirtiest and most detailed we’ve seen in a long while, the character models are brilliant, and the blood and gore is plentiful. Despite the gameplay restrictions of the first-person perspective, Monolith has managed to pull it off convincingly well from a graphical standpoint. You’re able to see your feet and your arms actually feel like a real part of you instead of a floating set of limbs. The animations and physics leave a bit to be desired however, and the occasional framerate drop draws you out of the experience. Conversely, the motion blur and filters, although subtle, are well implemented. Finally, the lighting within Bloodshot is spot on from an atmospheric perspective (we already mentioned the limitations it has on gameplay above).

On the flip side, audio is a mixed affair. In all honesty, everything is delightfully done, including the voice acting and environmental effects, the latter of which actually plays a fairly large role in gameplay. What drags the sound down is either a bug or an insanely annoying sound. The audio often snaps and crackles in an irritating manner. It’s like the speakers have caught a cold or something along those lines.

Completely new to the Condemned franchise is the addition of online multiplayer. You and up to seven other deviants are able to take each other on in several modes including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Bum Rush and Crime Scene. The latter two are fairly unique. Bum Rush is a time-based game of SCU agents versus bums. The gun-toting SCU have a lot more health but don't respawn, and must last as long as possible against the bums. ... (continued on next page)