IGN: Arguably, Criminal Origin's best feature was its storyline. The forensics, as well, have been completely rewritten to give the player more control over the experience. This allows the gameplay programmers to focus on diversifying the player combat options, such as throwing weapons and allowing players to perform combos. With Bloodshot, we are starting with both a rich melee and ranged weapon system as a base. In addition to the tech challenges in Condemned: Criminal Origins, we had built many new gameplay systems, such as our melee combat system. We have also made significant optimizations in CPU and memory use which allow us to better leverage the platform. The designers have a great deal of control over HDR and screen effect behavior, enabling them to create new and diverse visual effects. In addition, our bloom support is replaced by a new HDR (High Dynamic Range) functionality. On the tech side, Bloodshot will sport a new shader system, a new environmental effect system and a new UI system. Now that they have more experience and our tools are more mature, they'll be able to build more detailed environments and characters. It took the designers awhile to learn to push the system. The tech worked very nicely, but it changed the way we built levels. This allowed us to have levels larger than we could fit in memory. For example, we implemented a resource streaming system for Condemned: Criminal Origins to take advantage of the 360's multiple CPUs. YES NO A large portion of time spent developing a first-generation game, particularly a launch window title, goes into building new technology to leverage the platform. This enables them to create a better gameplay experience. Condemned 2: Bloodshot is about taking our tech and truly optimizing it for the platform, giving the designers a richer palette of tools to use. While we delivered the experience we wanted in the first Condemned, we knew we could push it further. Developers have to play it safe when developing for a platform that is still being worked out. Brian Legge, Lead Engineer: When we started development of Condemned: Criminal Origins, we had only a rough idea of what the 360 would be able to do. With that in mind, how will Bloodshot be different technologically from the original?Ĭriminal+Origins+(pictured)+was+creepy.+SEGA+wants+Bloodshot+to+be+creepier. With this generation well under way, however, games have improved quite a bit since then. IGN: As an Xbox 360 launch title, Condemned was the first "next-gen" experience for a lot of people. To learn more about Bloodshot and what its future holds, we sat down with the team at SEGA and Monolith both. Unfortunately for fans of the series, details about the game have been kept under wraps (other than what was revealed in a "press only" trailer shown at a recent SEGA media event). A darker, more brutal extension of the Xbox 360 launch hit, Condemned 2 follows protagonist Ethan Thomas as he deals with the bloody aftermath of Criminal Origins and how he picks up the pieces.
As revealed last month, the popular Japanese publisher has teamed up with Monolith Productions for a second time to bring Condemned 2: Bloodshot to the masses next spring. SEGA wants to scare the civilized out of you.