In Space, no one can hear you **** yourself
Stop me if this plot sounds a tad familiar to you�A deep space mining ship discovers a strange artifact on a distant planet, then all communications go dead. So a space ship is sent out to see what has happened to the thriving community. You take control of engineer Isaac Clarke, who is part of the team sent to ascertain what has occurred onboard. When you arrive, all is dead, and not a sole to be seen, but there is a certain dread in the air�the captain of the away team requests you try and get the power back on. So off you go alone, and unarmed�
Yes the plot sounds like it from a Hollywood blockbuster like Aliens or Event Horizon, or possibly an episode of Star Trek. And to be fair, it has been implemented with loving care, and high production levels you expect from a top Hollywood studio. EA have certainly come up trumps with this new IP. It has atmosphere by the bucket load and a pace that doesn’t let up until the end.
Level designs are suitably dark and foreboding, heightening the feeling of dread around every corridor.
Gameplay wise, it emulates the best out there, namely Resident Evil 4, Bioshock and Half Life. But it has enough character to pull it off, leaving you wanting, no, demanding a sequel.
Now one of the main selling points of Dead Space is the combat. Since you are an engineer, you do not start off armed (even though the rest of the team seem to be well “tooled up”, you get a Plasma Cutter, which is far more useful than a monkey wrench if you ask me. This weapon is perfect for when you encounter the inevitable aliens that now live on board. As you find out that the only way to kill these creatures is dismemberment. Later on you gain extra powers, from your suit, much in the way the plasmids worked on Bioshock.
Level designs are suitably dark and foreboding, heightening the feeling of dread around every corridor. This is most definitely survival horror at its best. The puzzles are not just-find the key type. Most are physics based, and help move the plot along, and do not seem to be placed there to beak up the action. The levels in zero gravity are particularly excellent.
So, to the bad points, well the only one that comes to mind is the fact that it isn’t the longest game, but since COD4 only clocked in at 8 hours single play, and still managed to be nothing short of stunning, doesn’t mean that much these days, but I thought I had better mention the fact that you will probably have this thing beaten after a decent weekends gameplay.
So to sum up, EA have produced a top quality third person survival horror game, which produces its share of scares and awesome graphics. The plot moves along at a fair pace, and thanks to a handy deck navigation tool, is one that you never seem to get hopelessly lost at. So, thanks EA, your latest IP is Dead Good.
The Bad: a little bit short
Gold Y Award