That's truly just one cool feature in a long list that also includes highly intelligent AI. Where in other games enemies always approach you head on, these guys and gals are capable of evaluating a situation and making semi intelligent decisions. Some will hide and wait until you pass by, others will check out what weapon you're holding and run away to search for an item of equal weight, and others will take you on with their fists. Eventually you figure out their patterns and will be able to make educated guesses about what they'll probably do, but for the most part you never know what to expect. And that's why the AI's so terrifying, because it has a very human element to it. Like seeing a homeless guy rolling around in the street high on crack, I don't want to go near them unless I'm armed with something nasty.

I'm also quite fond of the physics and how I can interact with the environment. Most of the game's weapons can be ripped from walls and other structures, so if you come to a collection of pipes you can just yank one off. The physics are also quite impressive, in particular how carried weapons skirt across the floor and bottles roll and bounce down stairs.

The gameplay is great but it's only a small piece of the warm apple pie that is Condemned: Criminal Origins. This game is truly a total package, a visual feast that's been garnished by a superb audio component. The graphics are the epitome of next gen design, sporting realistic lighting and textures. The various locales you'll traverse, which include a decrepit building and a Metro station, among other dreary backdrops, are scary as all hell, and the audio...DAMN! This is probably the best use of audio in a game that I have ever bore witness too. Footsteps on the floor above you, bottles being knocked over, heavy breathing, metal meeting flesh and bone; it's crazy stuff, and the sweetest thing about all of this is it looks and sounds incredible in high and standard definition, which is not something I can say about all of the Xbox 360 launch titles. In fact, because my 23 inch HD monitor doesn't handle blacks all that well I actually prefer to run the game in 480i, so don't worry if the only television you have is a CRT. Condemned will make it shine.

Criminal Origins is one of if not the most polished videogame that I have ever played. It's so damn realistic and terrifying that it easily trumps most of its competition, but as lifelike as the AI and the environments are, it's still just a game and it will remind you of this on numerous occasions. NPCs will sometimes get stuck on corners and gallop around, allowing me to easily take them out, and the developers block passages with the smallest of objects. I'm also not too keen on the doors that can be broken with a certain type of weapon. Why does a fire axe work but not a sledge hammer? Just doesn't make any sense.

Then there's the detective equipment. You have all of these sophisticated gadgets but all you do is point and click, point and click. Collecting evidence isn't difficult at all, and once you locate it you don't analyze anything. The data's beamed back to this chica in a lab. Oh, and you can't be attacked while she's talking to you and that's a bit corny. It got to the point where I'd actually feel safe whenever I heard her voice because that meant that I'd be left alone for a few moments.

It also doesn't help that Condemned is a fairly short adventure. The experience is pure sex, albeit extremely twisted and dirty, but it doesn't last very long, and that's something you will need to think about before spending the $59.99. Regardless of how wide open things may seem you're always on a linear path, and how you reach certain areas is typical and boring. For example, since there's no jump button you can't climb atop some barrels and hop over a fence. Instead, you have to find a different route that just wastes time.

I'm a survival horror junkie, so Condemned has been on my must buy list for months and it didn't disappoint. It's one of best showpieces for the hardware, a game that not only plays great but makes excellent use of the system's graphical and audio features. Brutal, in your face, and just plain horrifying, this is one launch title that you absolutely need play. As for whether you should actually purchase it, that all depends on how much you love to be scared.