Condemned: Criminal Origins is one of the Xbox 360's most underappreciated games, thanks to a launch lineup that featured such mega hits as Call of Duty 2 and Project Gotham Racing 3. But it managed to attract an audience, thanks to the moody environments as well as the ability to slaughter bums using pipes and other everyday objects. Its sequel, Condemned 2: Bloodshot, builds off its predecessor, adding new elements while retaining brutal melee combat. To get some extra info, we hit up Sega as well as the game's Producer, DAVE HASLE.

We love everything about the original game except the final boss and the cracked out bathroom scene. Were you trying to meet deadlines and therefore rushed those portions of the game, or was it your intent to stray from the more realistic storyline and confuse the hell out of us?

DAVE HASLE - There's always been something unique and special about Ethan Thomas. There's always been some form of connection between him and these 'others' that have surrounded him. We wanted to leave the player with an unsettling feeling: were they the solution or part of the problem? We were also very satisfied with the final conflict where you got to rip body parts off through finishing moves. It was a great, visceral feeling grabbing that spine.

How has the Manhunt 2 AO ban affected what kind of content you have in mind for Condemned 2, if at all?

SEGA OF AMERICA - We are proactively working with the ESRB to make sure that we make a quality game that fits within the M rating. Any violence that players see in the game will be well thought out and refer back to the Condemned 2: Bloodshot storyline. We can't comment on what other games are doing.

Considering the violence in today's movies, what do you dislike about video game ratings?

DAVE HASLE - I'm actually a fan of the ratings system. I work on games that I wouldn't want my youngest daughter playing – and having a rating system that provides guidelines for those who buy the games but don't play them is a good thing to have. I'd like to see the movie rating system adapted straight across for the gaming rating system as people seem to inherently know what the movie rating system means now after years of exposure.

If someone were to accuse you of promoting violence against the homeless (AKA Hobo Fight Club), what would you say?

DAVE HASLE – The name Hobo Fight Club was used as a placeholder for a new mode we were demoing at E3. We haven't yet determined what the final name will be, but rest assured, it's not our intention to promote violence against the homeless – so I'm not sure the question will ever come up.

The player, this time around, will uncover the reason as to why there is a strong rise in the violence on the streets – and who, or what, is causing this swell. Providing a strong story with a firm conclusion has been a goal for us with Condemned 2: Bloodshot.

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