Dead Space Review Xbox
360 It has always been a challenge for game developers to make a game that can genuinely scare the crap out of you. Those that have succeeded like Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2, Condemned and Bioshock manage to stay in the mind’s eye for a long time, urging you to replay them long after they have been completed several times. Well you can add Dead Space to that elite list as this is a surprisingly atmospheric shooter that terrifies the player with its tight gameplay, bloodcurdling enemies and stunning graphics all painted on top of a backdrop that explores the panic of what it must be like to be stranded and barely surviving in deep space. Dead Space’s story and gameplay do borrow a lot, from films like Event Horizon and Alien to games like Resident Evil and Bioshock, yet it still manages to weave enough of those borrowed elements together to create a game that is unique in its own right.
You play as Isaac, a space miner from the future who has been sent with a team to investigate a mining colony in deep space that has suddenly gone quiet except for a single distress call. After a ferocious crash landing it will be up to you to find out what happened to the residents of the space colony and survive all the mysteries that lie within it. While on the surface it might sound identical to the story of James Cameron’s Aliens, Dead Space does enough to make it feel original instead of rehashed and because it does cover familiar ground, it allows you to be submerged into the game relatively early. You know what’s coming so you’re going to have to concentrate on how to do it and this game does a good job in transporting you easily inside the world of Dead Space without spending a lot of time setting up the plot. The voice acting is excellent and you’ll even find enigmatic messages left behind from various crew logs in a very similar fashion to what was found in Doom 3. This really helps in providing a sense of isolation as you explore the destroyed ship. The story would have to be Dead Space’s weakest point and even then it’s still pretty damn good. Corridor after corridor and room after room, you’ll have to go through and clear them of gloriously detailed monsters that will stop at nothing to get at you. They lurk around each corner and will scare the living crap out of you as they stalk the empty vessel looking for prey. It would’ve been nice to have more than the handful of enemy types, but what is on offer is a nice array of repulsive organisms, all of which are brilliantly animated and comprehensively detailed. On harder settings it’s going to take a lot to bring these bad boys down as Dead Space incorporates a dismemberment mechanic into the action. Just shooting the head isn’t going to stop them as they will transform into weirder configurations and still come after you more dangerous than before. The best way to make sure these creatures stay down is by removing their arms and legs – or in this case, hooks and tentacles – by shooting, stomping or blowing up nearby explosive canisters. It’s a system that is a works wonderfully and while the stomp isn’t always the most accurate move to use, the rest of the combat is exceptional in every way. Never once did the action feel mediocre or contrived – even if some of the situations and enemy spawning did, because you will be having the time of your life playing this inspired title.
The single player mode (which is the only mode unfortunately) spans across 12 gory chapters with each chapter taking about 1-2 hours to complete on harder difficulties. You may think that might sound a little bit long for a third person sci- fi horror game, but because of the unpredictable nature of the enemies and the intense combat, you’ll end the experience wanting more. Like most third person shooters the controls are pretty standard. There isn’t any cover system and you’ll move Isaac using the left stick and the camera with the right, firing of weapons is handled with the left and right triggers as well controlling other novel ideas such as a grenade that slows down time and also being able to use a device that allows you to pick up various objects without actually touching it. There are some rudimentary puzzles based around these devices but they are so easy to get past that you’re not going to be scratching your head for very long. Dead Space has done away with the usual HUD clutter that most games rely so heavily upon; instead they have opted for a more imaginative approach that has all the usual bells and whistles placed upon Isaac’s bio armour, rather the usual mess of text and health bars that would vacate the corners of your screen. In doing this they have freed up the visuals so that you get a better sense of the awe of being in this situation. It’s intuitive, innovative and fundamentally what being ‘next gen’ is all about. Without giving too much away, there are moments when you will have to go outside of the ship and enter the oppressing environment of space. For those that suffer from motion sickness – consider this your warning as it’s very easy to become disorientated when you enter zero gravity. By pressing down on the right analogue stick a laser beam will emit from Isaac’s hand which will guide illuminate the path to your next waypoint, so if you do get lost it’s pretty easy to get back on point. Seeing the anti-gravity effecting the environment and hearing the sound effect changes as you enter the vaccum of space really is something to see before you can truly appreciate it. This is one game that has delivered admirably and knows exactly what it’s trying to do. The anti-grav sections are some of the most impressive levels I’ve ever seen, not only in Dead Space but in any game I have ever played - I really am quite smitten by what they have pulled off. This is exactly what I love to see and I can guarantee that it should impress even the most jaded gamer. On the downside there is no multiplayer on or off line and while Dead Space doesn’t seem like the right sort of game that could effectively support such things, a co-op option still could’ve been a lot of fun. Even the weapons are original and its good to see the rule book being thrown out the window for once. Instead of shotguns and pistols and the like, you’ll only have mining tools are your disposal. Each weapon is fun to use and with the option to alternate the firing method with a press of a button there is no shortage of ways to dispose of those bad guys. Chuck in the fact that it has a slick inventory system as well as a upgrades that you can apply to your mining suit and you can really spend a lot of time searching for dropped credits and nodes that will allow you to evolve even further still. Overall: To me Dead Space represents what I love most about the videogame industry. It hasn’t really gotten as much attention as other games leading up to its release, but now that it’s out let me tell you that there really is no reason you shouldn’t get this game if you liked any of the titles that Dead Space draw upon for its inspiration. Already I can see that this is going to be one of the best games released this year, even if it isn’t supported with a selection of online elements bar the faint prospect of future downloads such as new weapons and armour, none of which have been confirmed. EA have released a game that may have slipped under the radar when placed in the shadow of other big name franchises, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Dead Space is one hell of a ride that will have you chewing your nails in terror as you guardedly explore the forbidding world that has been lovingly created. On one hand it pays homage to many genre favourites and yet on the other manages to create an entirely original experience in its own right. A truly gifted and remarkable effort like Dead Space should always be praised for delivering exactly what it promises. Don’t miss out on this one.
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