Dead Space
Our Rating
8.7
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N/A
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In space, no one can hear you scream. However, if they happen to come across a limbless torso floating around in the cold, desolate vacuum of space, then at least they'll know you were there.
Dead Space, EA's latest unique IP, seeks to scare the wits out of you using any means necessary. With an interesting take on your average abandoned, haunted/infested spaceship, it's got style and substance covered like you wouldn't believe. However, does it have to guts to forge a new path to become EA's newest and most treasured survival horror franchise? Read on and find out.
Fast-forward 500 years into the future, where interstellar mining is alive and well, not to mention the destruction of entire planets in order to extract ore that can be sold at a hefty price. The Concordance Extraction Company, or C.E.C., is charged with tasking mining ships with this mammoth deed. Just when things appear to be running smoothly, a distress call is received by the C.E.C. from the USG Ishimura.
Space: the final frontier (literally).
The Ishimura, a "planet cracker" ship, is responsible for obliterating planets so that the ore inside can be collected for profit. The C.E.C. decides to send Isaac Clarke, an engineer employed by the C.E.C., and two squadmates to evaluate the situation. However, upon arriving on the Ishimura, Clarke and his squadmates discover that what appeared to be a simple malfunction has gone terribly awry. A terrifyingly hostile race of beings known as Necromorphs have overrun the ship and have jeopardized the survival of Isaac and his party. The three are separated, and Isaac is left to fend for himself out in the deepest, darkest reaches of space, left only with the Necromorphs and every bit of his wit that he will need to use to survive.
Presented in a format reminiscent of Gears of War or Resident Evil 4, gamers are charged with keeping the space engineer Isaac Clarke alive until he can get to safety or until he gets to the bottom of the Necromorph invasion. Traversing the formidable Ishimura is done while looking over Clarke's shoulder in a third-person view. Lurking in any shadow, nook, and cranny could be one of the terrifying, hideously malformed Necromorphs that seek only to tear you apart. They infiltrate their hosts (in this case, the crew of the desolate Ishimura) and mutate the original organic materials into something completely inhumane. What was once a crew member could now be a lumbering, 6-limbed, hellish beast whose one-track mind is set on picking the flesh from your bones.
Seeing as this wasn't expected to be a trip through hell itself, Clarke didn't exactly come armed with conventional weapons, but scattered throughout the ship are mining tools. Amongst some of the tools are a small pistol known as a 211-V Plasma Cutter, that seems to work well when working with precision aiming, a circular saw spinning in the air in front of you (otherwise known as the RC-DS Remote Control Disc Ripper), and the IM-822 Handheld Ore Cutter Line Gun that releases a long, sharp string and can be used to cut through the nasties throughout the ship. Along the way it will be possible to pick up weapons such as a flamethrower and even a gun that charges a destructive beam to eradicate the monsters. To be improvised weapons the tools have a bit of a "weapon" feel to them which does sort of remove the feeling of being stranded with no hope, but it's just too darn fun to rip limbs off of the necromorphs with miniature sawblades. Weapons can be changed out at various store locations along the ship, along with purchasing new rigs (suits), supplies, and offering storage of surplus items. The collection of "power nodes" on the journey can also be utilized at "benches", where Isaac can upgrade his current suit to offer higher hit points, and air time.
Who knew mining tools could be so useful?
Of course, simply aiming for heads doesn't cut it anymore. Instead, Dead Space employs the tactic of "strategic dismemberment", meaning that you will need to incapacitate the creeping atrocities before it will be possible to dispose of them once and for all. When methods that previously seemed foolproof are rendered useless, it's much more cause for panic than if you could just grab the errant shotgun and blow some heads off. That's where Dead Space really shines. I found that using the Line Gun that sends out an effective shockwave quickly and efficiently lopped off limbs, rendering necromorphs helpless.
When Isaac isn't running for his life from the hideous Necromorphs, he's doing one of two things: running to and fro to collect objective items, or navigating open areas that are devoid of gravity, aka "zero-g" areas. In such areas there are mind-bending puzzles to complete. For instance, a later level requires the destruction of tethers holding an enormous meteor in place. In order to accomplish this you must jump from wall to ceiling to panel and to the meteor itself. While these puzzles can be interesting the first few times, they do end up being a bit bland further on down the line when you already know what to expect. Aside from areas that contain no gravity, some time is spent in vacuum areas. When this occurs, a timer shows up on Isaac's rig that displays the amount of air left for him to safely breathe. It can sometimes be a hassle to complete objectives in the amount of time given, and it feels like a very cheap way to cheat the player out of making progress. However, it does add nice tension.
Every bit of vital information is displayed through usage of holograms or consoles on Isaac's equipment. It's a winning touch that takes a bit of the third-person feel out of the game and involves the player rather than alienating (pun intended) them. Not to mention, the faint blue glow of each interface is strikingly gorgeous in dark corridors and wide open areas. It should be noted that navigating the menus does not pause the game, so if you're needing some healing from a med pack, that's best done on the quick or in a safe area. This can get a bit frustrating when you are faced with a ton of Necromorphs, but eventually it becomes second nature and can be done in the blink of an eye. An addition that I particularly enjoyed and made frequent use of was the effect of clicking the right analog stick and a thin blue line appearing to point you in the direction of an objective. Without a HUD or a GPS to determine where the next objective point lies, discovering the next key location would have taken the bite out of the game. It's bad enough that knowing where to go, you can still be hacked to bits. Wandering around aimlessly, wasting ammo and items would have made the game considerably less fun.
Dead Space is full of very Hitchcockian or Stanley Kubrick tracks, borrowing heavily from music swells heard in horror classics. Strings effectively draw tension, and the closer in proximity you are to something that could potentially take you out, the scarier your surroundings will sound. Choosing not to rely heavily on music only, the team has ensured that in high-tension moments, such as the chase scene in the beginning of the game where Isaac is being tailed by a very hungry Necromorph, the focus will switch from adrenaline-pumping orchestral movements to the chilling beat of the engineer's heart. Just like you'd hear in real life, in a high-drama situation.
How's this for tense?
Not only does Dead Space feel and sound spectacular, it looks gorgeous. Sharp, sci-fi environments coupled with varied locations throughout the Ishimura make this one of the best-looking games released yet. There is no shortage of gore--Isaac can die in any number of ways, sending blood, limbs, and entrails all over the screen. For instance, one special type of Necromorph spears Isaac through the torso and proceeds to lop all of his appendages off before the game allows you a "game over" screen. It's almost worth playing just to see how many different ways Isaac can perish at the hands (?) of the ghoulish Necromorphs.
However, while Dead Space excels in presentation, sound, and excellent controls, it does suffer from a lack of originality. It also failed to induce any real terror for me, because while the Necromorphs are quite the nightmarish nasties, they do not feel any more creative than any other standard mutant or alien creature on your every day sci-fi movie. The occasional "BOO!" scare occurred where a Necromorph burst out in front of me, but I never felt particularly pressured or uptight along the course of the game. It was very much a bland experience in terms of being frightening, unless you're the type who easily scares. Of course, just because it didn't particularly frighten me, that in no way means it's a bad game. Quite the opposite, in fact--Dead Space brings a tight control scheme, tense and exciting gameplay (albeit a bit repetitive), and a fairly interesting plotline together to weave a deliciously creepy tale that survival horror fans will eat up.
I thoroughly enjoyed what Dead Space had to offer, and hope to see some of the repetitive fetch quest-based gameplay changed up a little in the sequel already confirmed by EA. What's presented in this fast-paced sci-fi thriller, though, is one of the most enjoyable survival horror purchases currently available.
So suit up, and move out! There are Necromorphs to eliminate.
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8.8