We're a little nervous about a new demo for Condemned 2 that was released on Xbox Live this morning. It's not that it's not worth your time (it is) or your money (it's free). We're just concerned that you'll get the wrong idea about Condemned 2 from the provided sample.

If it's the first level of the game, believe us when we say it gets way better. The enemies get smarter, the environments more varied, the weapons get cooler the deeper you get into the game, so don't go getting turned off by the demo slice. We should warn you though that the new Ethan Thomas voice guy doesn't get any less awful. We pine for you, Greg Grunberg. We pine.

Zero Punctuation's Yahtzee beats up sleep-deprived hobos this week for his Condemned 2: Bloodshot review and, up until the midway point, was all set to name it "game of the year." Apparently, Condemned 2 suffers from the same disease which afflicted Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit to our European friends), where the game took a left turn halfway through and players were introduced to concepts that ruined everything built up to that point. Those who played Indigo Prophecy (and were enjoying themselves) probably remember the moment that game went from intriguing to ridiculous.

Get your homeless-beating fix after the break with this week's NSFW review of Condemned 2: Bloodshot.

As one of the earlier Xbox 360 first-person titles, reviewers probably judged the first Condemned with slightly rose-tinted glasses. As such, we were a littler unsure what the response would be to Monolith's follow-up, Condemned 2: Bloodshot. So far, the game seems to be faring really well with improved crime-scene investigating and combat, as well as plenty of scares.

• 1UP (91/100): "This first-person action-shooter-cum-supernatural thriller follows the events of the first game. But while the spooks are similar -- think ambient sounds, disrupted vision, and yes, monster closets -- developer Monolith has fine-tuned the gameplay."
• GameTrailers (80/100): "The original Condemned was really the first of its kind. The first-person pugilism, investigative challenges, and somber tone have been expanded for Bloodshot. Still, the experience remains relatively the same-just more supernatural and less plausible this time around."
• Game Informer (88/100): "Condemned 2: Bloodshot is probably the best survival horror title we've seen this generation. The online multiplayer modes aren't going to blow your mind, but they are a thoughtful addition. It's got a higher level of action than its predecessor, and some gorgeous horror backdrops."

Information leaked earlier this week highlighting achievements in the upcoming survival horror romp Condemned 2: Bloodshot left us scratching our heads as we pondered precisely what "5 scoops of everything" or "You never forget your first time" really meant. Now, Sega has clarified things a bit, sending over a detailed synopsis of what we can expect to have to do in order to feed our Gamerscore with an additional 1000 zesty points.

In total, the game will offer 565 points in the single player campaign, with the remaining 435 requiring players to take on the game's new multiplayer modes. In the interest of soiling virgin eyes, we've moved the complete breakdown of Condemned 2's 40 achievements after the break.

[Via press release]

Sink your hooks into Condemned 2 come March 11, Sega says. If that's not enough to whet your appetite for macabre delights, the publisher has also revealed several multiplayer modes that look standard on paper, but are decidedly vicious in practice (see videos after the break). Aside from the usual Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes, there's "Bum Rush" (one team has 3 minutes to survive a ... bum rush) and "Crime Scene," which attempts to incorporate Condemned's analytical investigations into the otherwise chaotic blood sport as one team tracks evidence while the other 'protects' it – Quick! Lose that 2x4 and grab a mop for that bloodstain! Multiplayer matches support up to eight players on both Xbox Live and PSN.

Although there are some obvious differences in Condemned 2 from its predecessor (Greg Grunberg we hardly knew ye!) it seems from this new trailer that those who liked the first title are going to be pleasantly satisfied with what the sequel has to offer. Grisly crime scenes? Check. Bizarre weapons including but not limited to prosthetic limbs? Check. Zombos, that dark marriage of zombie and hobo? Sadly for those especially attached to their brains or Wild Turkey, check.

If we have one reservation it's Grunberg's stand-in and the pseudo tough guy dialog he's given to say (we're looking at you "the rest of these jerks are too scared of getting killed". Blech.) We'll withhold judgment for now, but if anyone starts talk of brick parking in zombo toilets, we'll be very put out.

There's not a whole lot to see in this new trailer for Condemned 2, but it seems to be hitting on all the "scary game trailer" cylinders. Threatening, disembodied voice? Check. Annoying but creepy alarm-like sound effect? Check. Getting your head smashed in by a brick-wielding zombo? ... Check.

The one thing we're still questioning is the point in the clip where the hero appears to be wielding a prosthetic arm. Either that's a weapon (sort of cool) or the damage in the game is so realistically modeled that injuries can result in infection, amputation, filing an insurance claim for a new limb and months of rehab (not as cool). We're pulling for the first one.

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that director Tarsem Singh is set to helm a film based on the source material that also spawned Monolith Productions' 2005 survival-horror game, Condemned: Criminal Origins. In the year 2000, Singh trapped Jennifer Lopez within the mind of a serial killer and yanked out Vince Vaughn's intestines -- though normally he'd be praised for such actions, both events took place in "The Cell", a visually ambitious film that didn't really please the critics (save for our friend, Mr. Ebert).

The film, which will be dubbed "The Unforgettable" (hopefully not unforgettable in the same way Super Mario Bros. is), is to be produced by Basil Iwanyk, David Goyer and Monolith founder Jason Hall. Hall later became senior vice-president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and then moved on to found production company HDFilms Inc.

Details about the movie's plot are scarce, but The Hollywood Reporter expects it to be about "a cop who in the course of a murder investigation realizes that he is not human and uncovers a war between good and evil aliens." In a message on HiDef.com, Jason Hall clarified that the film would be based on the "same founding concept" and would not be derivative of the game itself. Think of them as distant and considerably creepy cousins.

[Update: Clarified film's relation to Condemned: Criminal Origins. Thanks, Sir Gossip!]

Manhunt 2's de facto banning by the ESRB due to its AO rating is causing other developers like Monolith – creators of the upcoming Condemned 2: Bloodshot – to take notice and work closely with the ESRB. CVG reports Condemned's senior producer, Constantine Hantzopoulos, has pulled features from the game because of the Manhunt 2 drama.

Hantzopoulos says that things like someone's head being put into a vice (Casino, anyone?) and a couple decapitations were removed from the game. It's not like Hantzopoulos isn't used to dealing with ESRB censorship – he also worked on Indigo Prophecy which had to cut some sex scenes from the US version. We can't wait until five or six years down the road when we get to organize the absurd censorship fights developers have with the ESRB for a post. We can already imagine the conversations now: "OK, so, three decapitations is an M, but two decapitations with a blood spurt is AO? Got it."

"You're a total badass at this point," explains Marty Caplan, Associate Producer for brutal bum brawler, Condemned 2: Bloodshot. We can't really argue the point, as we watch him pummel vagrants with his fists, grab them by the collar and hurl them into broken television sets and sparking circuit boxes. Condemned's first-person melee combat has been dramatically expanded in the sequel, with grappling, fisticuffs, multiple strengths of attack and the ability to throw weapons lending each encounter more fluidity and excitement than the "one-trick pony" ridden in the first game. "Now there are many tricks to the pony," says Caplan. Even the finishing moves performed on dazed enemies have been made more elaborate, the humble neck snap now joined by rather unpleasant deaths facilitated by environmental hazards. Honestly, we have trouble reconciling adorable ponies with this sort of depravity.

Improving upon 2005's Criminal Origins, the reactionary animation is just as incredible to behold as it is to inflict. Watching a snarling zombie hobo (zombo?) reel backwards and struggle to remain on its feet after you've struck a blow injects some reality into the fights, somehow convincing you that the pipe you're wielding is very heavy indeed. The rest of the visuals have also clearly been enhanced, with high-dynamic range lighting and depth of field blurring being the technical tricks responsible for the grimy and starkly lit alleys in the demo's opening moments. The textures also seem to belong to a more colorful, earthy palette than we recall seeing in the previous crime horror.

Yes, perhaps we have heard of practically all the games Sega says they're showing at E3, but we now know a bit more specifically when we'll get our soon-to-be-E3-cramped mitts on them. Due this fall are Bleach: Shattered Blade (Wii and DS), NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii), SEGA Rally Revo, PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, PC) Sonic Rush Adventure (DS), Universe at War: Earth Assault (PC) and Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360). In the holiday season, expect Ghost Squad (Wii), The Golden Compass (Multi), Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS).

Next year, look for Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3) in February, Iron Man (Multi) in spring, Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360) in Q1, The Club (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) in winter, and Space Siege (PC) at some point during the year. If you want to learn more about any of these, we've taken the liberty of posting the whole release after the jump.

Lock your doors and turn off all the lights. Sega has announced that a sequel to Monolith's Condemned is coming early 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. (There is no mention of a PC version in the press release.)

In Condemned 2: Bloodshot, you reprise your role as former investigator Ethan Thomas as he is called back to duty to find his missing partner. According to the press release, the game boasts an all-new fighting system that incorporates defensive and offensive combos, grapples and holds, as well as an "all-new set of high-tech forensic tools."

Most interesting is the addition of online multiplayer, including a deathmatch mode, among others. Sega promises "the most brutal hand-to-hand combat experience the first person genre has ever seen." The original Condemned, a launch title for the Xbox 360 now available at bargain prices, was generally well-received by critics (including us).

Sister site Xbox 360 Fanboy got the goods on some upcoming Black Friday deals yesterday. For those of you who may not know, Black Friday (so very appropriately named) is the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, when stores feature gargantuan sales in an effort to suck shoppers in and kick-start the Christmas shopping season.

Best Buy is having an $18.99 sale featuring:

• Amped 3
• Condemned
• NBA Live '06
• Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis
• The Outfit (apparently you can score this one for only $9.99 if you buy it in-store before noon)
  

Circuit City offers a different set at $16.99:

• Full Auto
• Gun
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Quake 4
• Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

Our advice is to call the stores to find out if these deals will be available online and stay inside. Black Friday is normally a hellish experience with a lot of pushing, shoving and greed. In fact, we're surprised Rockstar hasn't made a video game version yet.

Your mission: take out other shoppers before they can get your sale items.

The elusive "casual market" has recently become quite the sought-after prey for game publishers, each one attempting in its own way to hunt down those who would normally shy away from complex and scary video games. Nintendo isn't the only company to have Grandma firmly set in a Zapper scope -- the other major players are also taking aim, Microsoft with Xbox Live Arcade and Sony with Singstar microphones.

With this in mind, Alex Petraglia decided to test whether or not Microsoft in particular was actually hitting their target. After all, he had the equipment necessary to conduct such an inquest: one Xbox 360 console, several Xbox 360 games and one willing female parental unit. Alex introduced his mom to a wide variety of XBLA and full retail titles, documenting her performance and struggles. The article places his thoughts alongside those written by his mother and it makes for some very interesting reading.

It seems the most difficult acclimations involved controls and finding the correct path through a level. The 53 year-old Mrs. P notes that "the biggest problem is a simple lack of experience. It seemed like, in a game such as Prey, you [Alex] knew exactly where to go after looking at a puzzle or roadblock, whereas it'd take me an exorbitant amount of time to move onto the next task or area. And it took me a very long time to develop the ability to move freely in the game and feel comfortable with the controls, to some extent."

Other points of interest include her first interpretation of Geometry Wars ("she flew directly into the first target, thinking maybe that was the point of the game") and her eventual favorite, Condemned (!). "I think strong dramatic elements, like story and visuals and music, would be a bigger draw to older generations than unique gameplay mechanics or what have you."

[Thanks Alex P!]