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Dead Space
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Graphics & Sound:
Although Dead Space has received a lot of attention for its visuals, which are amazing, the audio package probably deserves just as much, if not more attention. Dead Space is another game that will make you more than happy you spent the extra money on a good sound system to go with your HD set. Every area is teeming with ambient sounds that, while they may not make you jump out of your seat, they help build on the game's great atmosphere. Oddly enough, one of the best parts of the audio is what you don't hear. At times, Isaac will need to venture outside the ship into the vacuum of space, reducing the sound to a few barely audible thuds.
For me, atmosphere is one of Dead Space's greatest accomplishments. The entire game has what I like to refer to as a "dark ride feel"; everything about the game informs the narrative and sense of place. In turn, these help draw the player deeper into the game. For instance, there's no HUD overlay. Instead, health is displayed as a glowing green stripe on Issac's back. All of the other menus, including the map and inventory screen, are projected in front of Isaac. It's a bit disorienting, especially when checking the map (which isn't one of the game's better features), but at the same time incredibly cool. |
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Gameplay:
Isaac Clark is a mechanic and engineer sent to the USG Ishimura, a mining ship, to investigate a strange communications failure. What looks like a routine repair mission becomes a nightmare; the ship has been overrun by a race of frenzied aliens, the Necromorphs. With his crew scattered (or dead) and his only chance of escape crashed on the Ishimura's docking bay, Isaac must press on with his repairs, hopefully giving him a way off in the process.
As a whole, Dead Space's plot isn't incredible; if you're seen Event Horizon or any other space-bound horror movie, you already know how the game's plot plays out. What makes Dead Space such an interesting game, however, is the universe that has been created around the Isaac's struggle. It's hard to not get a Bioshock vibe as you walk through the ship. The core story is really just a shell to transport Isaac around the ship, but the real driving narrative comes from the video and audio logs scattered around the ship that tell how the ship and its crew got this way. In a sense, the story is just as much the Ishimura's as it is Isaac's. At the same time, if you'd rather not delve into the game's mythos, you can skip the logs and just have a grand old time shooting zombie aliens.
In many ways, Dead Space is a return to what made survival horror games so much fun in the first place. You don't have a lot of ammo and you're outnumbered by legions of things that just won't die (or so it seems). At the same time, however, it isn't a very scary game. There are a few jump scares and creepy moments, but I never found myself jumping at my shadows like I did with Condemned. There are a few far-off groans and the distinctive ting and shuffle of Necromorphs moving around the ship, but at about the half-way point, the jump scares become a bit predictable. It isn't enough to ruin the experience and doesn't detract from the game's action appeal, but anyone looking for a scare might not find it. |
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Difficulty:
The general pacing feels good, with most chapters lasting about an hour. The length, however, depends on how well you search the ship for logs and other scattered objects. Each level takes place in a different part of the ship and, like Bioshock, wraps around itself. Though there's a bit of backtracking, it never feels like a chore; most of the time you'll be happy that retracing your steps is your only problem since combat can get intense.
Combat feels just frantic enough to be fun, but not so much that you'll get frustrated - at least if you're able to conserve your ammo. The cool thing about the Necromorphs is that one shot usually isn't enough to take one down. Instead, you have to use what is called "strategic dismemberment" and pick them apart. A leg here, an arm there... each battle requires more thought than making sure that your sight is pointed at the target. Every enemy is handled differently and will react to dismemberment in different ways. For some, taking off their head is enough to at least slow them down while others will begin to wildly flail their arms and become a greater threat. As the game progresses, they'll begin to exhibit even trickier patterns and weaknesses, so just when you think you've figured enemies out, they change the game on you.
The only awkward element of combat is the melee system. Given the scarcity of ammo, you'll no doubt need to pummel a few Necromorphs with your weapon. The swing animation feels a little too much like a cowboy stunt punch and isn't incredibly accurate. The curb stomp is a little better, but still isn't as accurate as it needs to be. |
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Game Mechanics:
Controlling Isaac is fairly intuitive; button placement makes sense and I never found myself fumbling around to try and do something. Since the menus are all real-time, there are a number of really great shortcuts built into the scheme to make things easier. Pressing (Y) will automatically bring up your inventory and (X) automatically uses a medkit. This keeps you from having to fumble around through your inventory; but you'll eventually end up doing that anyway since the lowest-level medkit is always the first one used when automatically healing. I can't say that it caused me to die (most of the time it would have just been delaying the inevitable), but it could have saved me some grief.
The weapons system also plays into the game's great sense of place and narrative. The only "real" weapon Isaac manages to get his hands on is a machine gun; the rest of his arsenal is made up of repurposed tools. Although a crude bunch, the tools work well for ripping apart Necromorphs. Each weapon has two fire modes, giving you lots of options in combat. Some modes simply alter the weapon's fire rate or angle, while others completely change how the weapon is used.
While the variety is nice, once you unlock all of the weapons (which happens fairly early) you'll find two or three mainstays and stick with them for the rest of the game. Though some players will be tempted to use everything, it isn't a good idea. In addition to a limited space in your inventory, the ammo system only takes into account what weapons you have on you, so carrying a bunch will leave you with a lot of ammo, but not a lot for a specific weapon. Sticking with a few guns will also make it easier to figure out where to place upgrade nodes when you get them.
Isaac's makeshift arsenal is backed up by another set of secondary mining abilities: stasis and kinesis. Both skills can be used in combat, though they also serve a role in solving puzzles. Of the two, stasis is more useful in combat; it slows enemies down and makes them easier to target. Kinesis, on the other hand, is used mostly when solving puzzles, though every once in a while, you'll need to use it to launch items into enemies.
Even though Dead Space isn't the scariest game I've played (I'm convinced that title will forever remain with Fatal Frame 2), it is still a great action game and well worth your time and money. |
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-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker |
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