Condemned 2 Q&A

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IGN: What's the most important new gameplay element you had to include for Condemned 2: Bloodshot?

Rooke: Condemned 2: Bloodshot is an entirely new game. This is not an enhancement or a 1.5 version in any respect. The most important gameplay element in Condemned 2: Bloodshot is not necessarily a single feature but a philosophy, a goal if you will, to add depth and variety to all facets of the game. This applies to combat, forensics, story, and other peripheral things the player can do.

For example, melee combat is now more than just swinging a pipe; the player can duke it out with fists, throw objects, crack heads open with bottles, ignite enemies with tasers, throw them headfirst into TV's and much more. In fact, the list of opportunities is huge and the AI will be right there to challenge the player, pushing him to experiment and utilize all these options in order to survive.

IGN: The first piece of character art that was released showed Ethan looking a shambles. However, it does appear as though he's holding multiple weapons. Will players be able to wield more than one hurtin' stick this time or is that just character art and we should take nothing from it?

Rooke: Ethan relies heavily on hand-to-hand fighting -- and he is damn good at it! It is possible for him to holster a firearm while holding a melee weapon or using his fists. How badass Ethan is, and in what way, will strictly be up to the player.

IGN: How about weapon types? What's coming back and what's new? Can we expect more gun or blade items?

Hasle: There are definitely fond memories with some of the weapons in Condemned: Criminal Origins. The pipe for example, will definitely be coming back, along with several other favorites. We've greatly expanded our weapons to now include thrown weapons, such as bottles or a billiards ball; as well as increased the number of general weapons and mission-specific weapons to be found.

IGN: Will detective work play an important role in Bloodshot or is the gameplay headed in a different direction?

Rooke: The concept of forensic detective work along with crazy melee brutality we feel creates a unique combination that defines the Condemned universe. In the first game forensics was, more or less, a vehicle to tell the story. However, in Condemned 2: Bloodshot, we've completely reworked the system from the ground up letting the player explore his or her forensic prowess.

With that being said, many forensic opportunities are not mandatory but serve to aid the player in piecing the mystery together. In other words, if a player desires a more combat oriented experience and does not want to be bogged down by the more cerebral nature of detective work, then they are free to do so.

IGN: One of the biggest complaints about the first game was that enemy variety and behavior had pretty much peaked halfway through the game. How will enemies and their AI be handled here?

Condemned the First (pictured) had similar environments throughout. Bloodshot should buck that trend.

Matthew Rice, Software Engineer: Condemned 2 will certainly up the ante in terms of AI variety. Building on the foundation of Criminal Origins, we are able to add many new level specific AI types. Remember the creepy mannequins in the Department Store? They were essentially the normal bum AI with a variation on the animation set. In Condemned 2: Bloodshot our thematic levels will be completely unique and are going to have wholly new AI types.

The expanded melee combat system lends itself nicely to many specific behaviors that will take the player much longer to explore and master.

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