You’re drunk, you’re angry, and you’re sleeping in the streets of a city ready to tear itself apart — welcome back, Ethan Thomas. It’s been six months since the ex–FBI agent tracked down Serial Killer X through Condemned’s blend of horror and first-person gameplay — and if you’ve come to the sequel seeking answers to that spooky cliffhanger ending, you’ll get some…but nowhere near enough.

Not surprisingly, Condemned’s zinger finish has driven Thomas to drink, which begs a question: Are his hallucinations of skittering monsters and a gooey, black, tar-like substance glimpses into a sinister plot to destroy the city, or just the DTs from alcohol withdrawal? A few swigs will calm your nerves and steady your aim, which you’ll need — there’s much more gunplay in Condemned 2 than there was in the original game, though the main combat draw is still melee. As homicidal homeless people assaulted us with scavenged weapons and vulgarity, we defended ourselves with wooden and aluminum bats, toilet seats, flaming 2x4s…and we won’t reveal any more, since finding new weapons is part of the fun. Plus, the new combo-based fisticuffs system offers hooks, blocks, one-two combos – it’s like (Bum)Fight Night. It takes timing and practice, but it’s soooo gratifying when you get it right, even if the focus on landing blows and chaining combos softens some of the fear of creeping around in the dark. You feel a little like Ryu in a haunted house.

Being an ex–FBI agent, you’re always armed with investigative toys such as UV lamps and spectrometers. The forensic segments are less “find what the designers left you” and more open to observation and interpretation. Is that blood-spray pattern the result of blunt trauma or a gunshot? Was the victim dragged away or did they crawl under their own power? A little ambiguity helps you feel like you’re really working the case — a little Encyclopedia Brown to go with the Sugar Ray Leonard.

Condemned 2’s finest creation, however, is atmosphere. The dilapidated world looks disgustingly tangible — piles of trash litter the offices, factories, and streets, while frostings of rust and filth cover nearly ever surface. Silence proves to be the game’s greatest weapon, creating a hyper-aware environment that is terrifying in its lack of ambience. We tried to play this game in the dark but didn’t last long, thanks to multiple scream-like-a-six-year-old-girl moments, including one while exploring a derelict building: We approached a mirrored medicine cabinet, hoping to find some health kits inside, only to spot an enemy running up behind our reflection. Instinct took over. And while we squeezed our eyes shut a lot, Condemned 2 depicts its gore unflinchingly. We’ll spare you the spoilers, but the game’s Mature rating lands somewhere below the torture porn of Hostel…but not by much.

Unfortunately, there’s an uneven quality to Condemned 2; some elements just lack polish. Voice acting is hit and miss (swear words are clumsily delivered — and someone fire that newscaster!), there’s some inconsistency among objects (climb this scaffold and smash that TV, but not others), and you’re a slave to checkpoint saves instead of being able to save when and where you want. Plus, Ethan’s hallucinations are sometimes used to set up unfair fights — when it’s too dark or blurry to see your attacker or your possible exits, frustration sets in fast. Perhaps worst of all, fans will get some interesting answers to their lingering questions (Haven’t played the first game? You’ll want to…), but Condemned 2’s deeply unsatisfying final battle and end cinematic shamelessly set up a third game. We’d look forward to it if we could walk away from this one feeling fulfilled.

Condemned 2 was designed to mess with your head, and boy, does it succeed. We’re glad we got the chance to return to Metro City, but the old town has changed — in some ways for the better, but a little for the worse.

Oh Xbox 360

+ Deeper, skill-rich melee system.

+ Plenty of leap-out-of-your-chair scares.

- Inadequate ending makes the whole plot feel like filler.

? Did the newscaster know she was supposed to be acting?

8.0