A theatrically awesome game clashes with a severe lack of gameplay variety.
That, without spoiling anything beyond the opening sequences, is the plot throughout the entire game, on which all of your actions are based. The combat consists entirely of picking up any weapon nearby (occasionally a gun), blocking enemy attacks, and beating him senseless with a brutal swing (or shot) of whatever you're holding. This along with the finding of evidence, virtually all of which is pointed out by the game, makes up the entire game.
While what I've mentioned so far is good fun, it doesn't do much to fill up entire story mode. The searching and killing are both very linear. You'll find yourself wandering many hallways and rooms multiplae times killing seemingly the same enemies the exact same ways throughout the whole thing.
Technically, Condemned is very impressive for a launch title. The graphics aren't exactly pristine Gears-esque HD, but the in-game real-time combat all looks and flows very well. There isn't an awful lot of sound other than dialogue and the sound of a pipe hitting someone, but what is there is quite good.
The drawback of Condemned is the lack of content. Run, investigate, kill, repeat. That's the entire game. While the combat is brutal and fun, more weapons, methods of killing, enemies and overall more possibilities are all greatly needed. It's hard to single out any particular suggestions since the primitive nature of the game leaves quite a bit to the imagination. But as a first-time title on a new console, Condemned is some pretty harmless (or harmful) fun in the form of savage beatings.