Condemned: Criminal Origins

2005 Monolith Action

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxPlatinum

Gamicality score

Metacritic 784

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 841

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today2.5/5

Design today3/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

87%

3,939 reviews1

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Condemned: Criminal Origins run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxPlatinum

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Platinum, runs perfectly out of the box.3

Played Condemned: Criminal Origins lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Condemned: Criminal Origins running today

Install ThirteenAG's Condemned Widescreen Fix, which corrects stretched widescreen, fixes the drop to roughly 20 to 30 fps after a few minutes, adds controller support and lets settings save without administrator rights.
On the Steam version, also install the Missing Steam Files Fix from the same page to restore missing sound effects (PCGamingWiki).
If menu text is invisible, switch the game language to English or run it in compatibility mode (PCGamingWiki).
If the screen stays black on startup, disable fullscreen optimizations in the executable's compatibility settings (PCGamingWiki).
Keep the frame rate at or near 60 fps with V-Sync on, since higher rates slow stair climbing, break ragdolls and cause flickering light artifacts (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Condemned: Criminal Origins is a first-person horror game in which FBI agent Ethan Thomas, framed for the murder of two police officers, hunts a serial killer through the decaying buildings of Metro City. Most fights are brutal melee brawls with pipes, boards and other scavenged objects, broken up by short forensic scenes where you gather evidence with special tools.

Developer: Monolith
Released: 2005
Genre: Action

Reception

Critics praised its oppressive atmosphere, sound design and weighty melee combat, while noting shallow forensics and a thin plot; the PC port scored 78 on Metacritic, a little below the Xbox 360 original. Retrospectives from Destructoid and Source Gaming still call the brawls a highlight but point to slow walking, repetitive enemies, backtracking for keys and dated visuals. Players today rate it highly as an underrated horror classic, though many complain about the rough PC port and its delisting from Steam.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

2.5/5

?Not confirmed yetSold or given away today by an official source
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The game has been delisted from Steam and other stores, and the Steam release lacks some sound effects and has corrupted prototype footage (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen resolutions are stretched without ThirteenAG's fix (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
Only DirectInput controllers work natively; Xbox controllers need a fan fix to use the triggers (PCGamingWiki).
?Not confirmed yetSteam Deck Verified or Playable
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
?Not confirmed yetNo intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
The frame rate collapse after a few minutes has a reliable fix, and the one unresolved bug, saves failing to load after exiting to the title screen, has a simple workaround (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Mouse and keyboard play offers full key remapping, a sensitivity slider and no forced acceleration, and the swing, block and taser combat still feels physical and responsive. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, destructoid.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Widescreen images are stretched without a fan fix, the Steam release can show invisible menu text on modern Windows, and some on-screen prompts name an action without showing its key. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Checkpoints and health pickups sit at regular intervals through each stage, and difficulty can be changed at any time. Source: sourcegaming.info.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
Forensic tools come out automatically at crime scenes with the evidence highlighted, so investigations need no outside help, and combat basics are introduced in the opening chapter. Source: sourcegaming.info, destructoid.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Locked doors send the player back through levels to find the right tool, fights follow the same formula, and retrospectives describe long stretches of monotonous corridor wandering. Source: sourcegaming.info, destructoid.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
Ethan walks unusually slowly, running drains stamina, and at high frame rates even climbing stairs gets slower. Source: destructoid.com, sourcegaming.info, pcgamingwiki.com.