Condemned 2: Bloodshot

Ethan Thomas is back. Can he get over his misfiring brain and chronic mentalism long enough to solve the mystery? More importantly, will there be plenty of dark rooms full of random homeless to twat with steel bars this time around? Unsurprisingly, the answers are mostly yes.

Following on some months after the end of the first game, things seem little better. The city is still awash with deaths and strange happenings. To boot there are legions of horrific weirdos running about, and they've left a whole load of bodies for you to investigate in CSI-lite mini-scenes in between the knuckle-breaking fistfights.

The original Condemned was full of atmosphere and despite some bad pacing was genuinely scary. Bloodshot goes some way to fixing this, with a better balance of frantic beatings and quiet moments. The combat has also been refined to the point of being clever as well as fun: instead of just swinging a bludgeon wildly or blocking, you can hook, jab and block through pain-dealing combos that open extras and weapons in later levels. The overpowered guns are still there, but can now be reloaded, and any weapon can be thrown or dropped at will.

The single player story is the meat of the game, and conforms to the usual 6-8 hours that FPS games tend to last. But it's an experience that will keep you gripping your controller till your palms sweat and your eyes bug out.

The big doosy is the sound, and this is a game worth buying a surround-sound system for. There simply ain't nothing like cowering in a corner as yelping horrors lope around the shadows crashing in from all directions. Adding an extra dimension to an already scary affair. Brilliant.