2006-04-12 07:13:57 Condemned PC & BF2MC 360 reviews

8.5 from IGN

Nice to see an innovative title (with some flaws) getting some critical praise. Hopefully it gets enough pub to get sales up so we can see another one... maybe with some MP next time!

7.9 for BF2MC from IGN

I wish they had brought over the PC version with upgraded graphics and more maps...

---
I am too poor to own a 360... therefor I play with paper statistics. The results of my indepth scientific anaylisis determined the most important benchmark is Pi. As in The Ring of Light.

2006-04-12 18:06:32

I do too. Guess they figured merely porting over MC would make them a quick buck. Is it just me, or do the graphics look a bit...I don't know. Odd? They just don't fit. It's like they just made everything look like a bunch of toys.

---
I dream in 1080p

2006-04-12 18:09:30

I love Condemned, such a great game. Been wanting to play it over to finish up my achievements but that game is terrifying.

---
New rule: If you don't have an HDTV then you cannot comment on the graphics of X-Box 360 games.

2006-04-12 19:48:38

PC version of BF2 would play horribly on consoles..god I can't imagine trying to quickly hop squads or micro manage a team in commander mode with a damn gamepad.

Thank god they didn't port BF2.

Condemned is great :) Glad PC gamers can experience it now.

2006-04-12 19:56:10

How are the controls for air units in the console version(s)? I couldn't fly a heli or a jet to save my life.

---
New rule: If you don't have an HDTV then you cannot comment on the graphics of X-Box 360 games.

2006-04-12 20:00:37 In reply to GriftGFX (2006-04-12 19:48:38)

Porting BF2 does not mean they would have retained the exact control scheme. But BF2MC is a port of the Xbox/PS2 version and IGN points out a number of limitations based on such. And like most console-specific versions it appears very flat, mainly due to the fact a lot of cosole gamers have a hard time working in the Y plane with the drinky game pad. This means the games frequently lose their sense of elevation and look flat. I also like the PC version graphics a bit better. Cleaned up PC version would have looked better than the upgraded console version IMO.

For squads they could have used a BIA like scheme, and for commander mode I don't see the problem of hitting start to open the Commander View and moving a little cursor around.

I guess I like how the PC game feel very "fluid" and and maybe even "loose". Watching the console version and people play is painful... it is not tuned well (people miss firing all the time), it is just paced wrong. If they are gonna pace it wrong, at least use the PC version! At least that is my feeling... really the game needed to be slowed down and made more tactical like GRAW or BIA -or- go the TimeSplitters route and just quick and lethal. MC just seems very unrefined IMO.

---
I am too poor to own a 360... therefor I play with paper statistics. The results of my indepth scientific anaylisis determined the most important benchmark is Pi. As in The Ring of Light.

2006-04-12 20:24:22

The problem with commander mode, and squad management really just comes in with clan play--a commander often has to micromanage his team, and play infantry at the same time..depending on the match type--this means he has to work that commander screen QUICKLY, because time does matter..dropping supply boxes in a non-precise manner is indeed easy..but spotting everyone on the other team in seconds, dropping boxes where they need to be, and putting down UAV's all while playing infantry actually gets quite complicated and time sensitive..I just don't think you could manage the commander screen so well with a slower and less precise cursor.

2006-04-12 20:35:56 In reply to GriftGFX (2006-04-12 20:24:22)

I have only watched the gameplay videos, but does MC even have commander mode? This could be something stripped from the console version, or change it to more of a line of sight deal.

But for UAVs, for example, hit start, hit the UAV button, move the cursor to where you want it on the map, and tada. This could work well.

Start = Pull up/down commander window

A = UAV
B = Arty stike
X = Supplies
Y = Scan
Left Trigger = Zoom in
Right Trigger = Zoom out

Right Analog = move cursor
Left Analog = Cycle up/down through squads; left/right through various command types
Right bumper = new destination

Of course commanders/squads may just be need to be refined/tweaked to accomodate the console... MC seems to have been stripped more than anything. I don't know how often I see commanders just hiding and ONLY commanding in larger matches... likewise I am not sure how competitive Live clans are. Heck, they could even make the commander more of an RTS mode.

There are a lot of options, least of witch was just porting BF2 without commander mode ala BF2MC basically is anyhow -- or have the CPU do it and SL can request stuff and the CPU automatically does it.

But up porting the Xbox engine/gameplay, based on the memory and hardware restrictions of the little box, was a bad move IMO. But it is a money making move...

The end result is the console version is getting average reviews. Too bad, the game could have been MUCH more, that is my main beef.

---
I am too poor to own a 360... therefor I play with paper statistics. The results of my indepth scientific anaylisis determined the most important benchmark is Pi. As in The Ring of Light.