Dead Space

[Sen]

Please tell me somebody else is or has played this game ... because it's awesome. It's probably the closest a video game has come to creating the great atmosphere of such memorable sci-fi-horror films as Alien or Event Horizon, and plays just like (and just as well) as Resident Evil 4. Much like that game, it has the over-the-shoulder aiming, weapons you can purchase and upgrade, and an inventory system you can slowly make larger.

It also takes a few queues from the Half-Life games, in refusing to let the player do anything that would take them out of the action, so all cutscenes occur in realtime, as does using the inventory and maps. Part of what makes the game so frightening is knowing that you're always susceptible to attack. There's no HUD either, so anything the player might need to know is visible on the character, whether it be health with a meter that runs up the spine, or present amounts of ammunition with a counter displayed directly on weapons. Much effort was taken to make the game a seamless experience and it really shows.

The weapons are a whole new ball game. The game takes place on an intergalactic mining ship, so anything you fight with is in some way supposed to be a mining tool. Which just so happens to be perfect for the monsters you contend with, the Necromorphs, as it's integral that their limbs be sliced off or blown off or burned off or whatever as long as they get removed. Standard rules like shooting monsters in the head, don't work as well, as many monsters will continue to fight even without their heads, or worse still, transform into something even more ferocious. Having to fight off these beasts in such a manner requires slightly more strategy than the average survival horror game. It makes for some truly thrilling encounters.

And those monsters navigate the ship like pros. Most times they'll just run at you, but if you find a way to escape them, they can find a way to reach you. I locked one in a room, so it found a vent in there and came out through the ceiling right on top of me outside the door. They're also pretty adept at functioning in zero gravity, which the game has several instances of. You're equipped with magnetic boots, so you can float around from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, even on the outside of the ship in some cases. It's sometimes easy to get disoriented, but never enough to have you lose sight of where you are.

Somebody else has had to have played this. Best game I've played in a while. It's pretty derivative of quite a lot, but similarly to Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, it takes all that inspiration and morphs into one hell of an enjoyable package.

[Sen]

So I don't know if anybody still cares about double posts, but if so, I apologize. Otherwise ... whatever.

Having now finished Dead Space, I can now justifiably claim that the game is a frighteningly good time on just about all accounts. In addition to its tight gameplay and impenetrable atmosphere, the story delivers as well, being full of twists and intrigue. And of course it doesn't hurt that the game is, overall, visually gorgeous, from the well rendered grotesquery of the Necromorphs, to the brilliantly majestic showers of cosmic debris. Dead Space was indeed, a fine game.

My only complaints were the absence of a means to select items from the inventory in a quick manner. Some sort of hot-key system would have worked well, with assigning items that restore health or oxygen to specific buttons. In the heat of battle, sometimes it's hard to manage the inventory and the fight at the same time. A quick-turn function, like Resident Evil's, would have been useful as well. Missing these features, however, by no means hurts the game, it simply enhances the fear and tension, so it's quite possible that the decision to not include them in the game was actually intentional. Oh well.

I also feel that the final confrontation could have been a little more grand. It's appropriately epic in scale, as you face off against a Necromorph of gigantic proportions, but it wasn't a particularly difficult battle to end the game on. There were probably several earlier instances in the game where you fight tons of Necromorphs at one time that were tougher to manage than this game's finale. It also didn't feature anything in relation to the game's combat gimmick: strategic dismemberment. Separating humongous limbs from that behemoth's body could have really made for some truly spectacular moments, and helped to boost the final battle's grandiosity (just imagine the huge fountains of blood there could have been!). It ended up just being an adequate, and thus forgettable event in a game full of memorable moments. Too bad.

But even still, the game was great. Go play it!

[drunken monk]

Like I said in the Downfall thread I thought it was pretty repetitive but other then that it was damn fun. I have always wanted to play a game that scared me to the point where I was afraid to keep playing. Dead Space is not that game but its definitely the best horror game Ive played this gen. Graphics and sound design are fantastic and the last boss is something that I wont soon forget.

[Sen]

So what about the last boss is it that you won't soon forget? I'm of the opinion that the only thing worth remembering about that final battle wasn't the battle, itself, but just the look of that massive thing, and how intimidating it appeared. For such an incredibly epic vibe, I felt the actual struggle was pretty bland.

[drunken monk]

Well I beat it on the first try so it wasnt exactly hard and the patterns where very predictable. Having said that I obviously didnt love the last boss because of its challenge. I was just completely blown away graphically. The scale of the thing was pretty impressive as well but to sum it up briefly it was just plain fun to kick that things ass. I really dug the parts where he was flinging you around and you had to shoot it in mid air. That was pretty sweet.

[Sen]

Yeah, that part was awesome. I died during that part on my first try because I didn't have a good gun to shoot it with; everything I had on me at the time fired kinda slowly or didn't have the necessary reach. The pulse rifle rectified the problem though.

[Poofy]

I hate Dead Space because I bought it at the same time as I did Homecoming and it totally puts Double Helix's effort to shame. Now I feel like I wasted $60.

[Sen]

I also bought them at the same time. Dead Space was definitely the better of the two Halloween-time releases, and it really does put Homecoming to shame. It's both sad and inspiring to see a newcomer to the survival-horror genre completely outdo the latest release from one of the premier franchises in the genre, especially a series so highly acclaimed and influential as Silent Hill.

[Sen]

So it looks like we'll be able to return to the Dead Space universe sooner rather than later, as EA aims for a fall 2009 release for the next installment, Dead Space: Extraction, a first-person adventure for the Wii. Taking place before the events of the first game, this time we will witness the destruction of Aegis VII firsthand, taking control of a female character who tries to escape the colony's spreading necromorph infection. New weapons, puzzles, Wii-oriented gameplay, and even a cooperative multiplayer mode await us in this forthcoming prequel. Take a peek at the teaser trailer here (http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/deadspaceextraction/video/6204816/dead-space-extraction-teaser-trailer?hd=0&tag=videos;sd;1).

Sounds to me like EA is going back over what transpired in the abysmal Dead Space: Downfall animated feature, but actually putting some effort into it this time. Though that portion of the story is begging to be redone because it was so sloppily handled the first time, I'm still more interested in this game being comprised of entirely new content. And while I was at first skeptical of this game being on the Wii since the machine simply can't produce visuals on par with the 360 or PS3, if that trailer is any indication, the gruesome world of Dead Space appears to be in good, careful hands. I don't have a Wii currently, but this might be another game to bring me closer to that inevitable purchase.

[drunken monk]

I just saw the teaser on Game Trailers and Im quite surprised by it. I was expecting a port of some kind not a rail shooter. Not that I have any problem with that. They are telling a new story and the graphics look great for a Wii game so Im down.

[Sen]

I don't mind it being a rail-shooter if it's a good rail-shooter, but I can't think of many of those. The House of the Dead and Time Crisis games are really the only ones I can think of, and those were just pretty good but nothing special. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles looked decent, but again, seemed like nothing special. Perhaps this game will add something substantial to the genre, though I doubt strategic dismemberment will be that something.

[Luisfe]

Strategic dismemberment is a staple of House of the Dead. so it will be HoTD on space. Can't complain about that.

[Poofy]

I can't believe how good Extraction's graphics look. I always forget that the Wii is capable of doing graphics on par (Or better) than the Gamecube with all the damn Hannah Montana and Pet Palz games floating about.

[Luisfe]

Well goddamn DUH, the wii is 1.5 to 2 gamecubes taped together. OF COURSE it can achieve graphics on par with the cube.

[Poofy]

So THAT'S why the Wii can play Gamecube games. Thanks for clearing that up....

[Itaska]

I've heard great things about Dead Space from a lot of people. I'll have to give it a try. I was aware of it's release, but I've never been a huge huge fan of scary/survival horror/blah blah blah etc.
But I'm thinking of biting this time.

[Sen]

I'm still surprised at how few people here ended up playing Dead Space. I read an article a few months back about how the game was expected to be the new heavy selling IP during the holidays in 2008, much like how Assassin's Creed was for that season in 2007. Didn't seem like many people here tried it out.

[Void]

Please tell me somebody else is or has played this game ... because it's awesome. It's probably the closest a video game has come to creating the great atmosphere of such memorable sci-fi-horror films as Alien or Event Horizon, and plays just like (and just as well) as Resident Evil 4. Much like that game, it has the over-the-shoulder aiming, weapons you can purchase and upgrade, and an inventory system you can slowly make larger.

I don't know why I didn't post here sooner but anyway... there were two particular feelings this game struck with me, that no other game could.

1. I had never been more happy when the credits flashed (this is a good thing, by the way).
2. After I let the experience sink in, I decided Dead Space was THE best survival horror ever made, and that Capcom has it's work cut out for it if Resident Evil 5 is going to hold a candle to it. Sorry Capcom. I've failed you as an RE fanboy. [/suicide]

PM: Shame on the AllRPG community for not soaking this game in.

[Sen]

2. After I let the experience sink in, I decided Dead Space was THE best survival horror ever made, and that Capcom has it's work cut out for it if Resident Evil 5 is going to hold a candle to it. Sorry Capcom. I've failed you as an RE fanboy. [/suicide]
I think that Dead Space is definitely one of the best survival horror games out there, but I think that its most obvious influence, Resident Evil 4, does have some strengths over it, like some welcome changes in scenery and characters to actually care about.

[drunken monk]

I think that Dead Space is definitely one of the best survival horror games out there, but I think that its most obvious influence, Resident Evil 4, does have some strengths over it, like some welcome changes in scenery and characters to actually care about.

...Really? Its only been a few months sense Ive played DS and I cant remember a single character from that game. Well aside from the main character... Who I remember for being completely blank. I really liked DS but the characters didnt leave any kind of lasting impression on me.

[Cyrus the virus]

Which is what Sen said.

[drunken monk]

Oops. lol My bad I misread his post.

[Sen]

Its only been a few months sense Ive played DS and I cant remember a single character from that game. Well aside from the main character... Who I remember for being completely blank. I really liked DS but the characters didnt leave any kind of lasting impression on me.
Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel. Unfortunately this game fell victim to that old idea that an absent character personality encourages the player to infuse him/her with their own, which is a concept I've rarely seen work. It didn't work for Metroid, it didn't work for Half-Life, and again it didn't work here. The personal motivation for the main character is founded on emotion, in that he's there to search for his girlfriend whom he supposedly cares about, but we'd certainly never know that through him. Beyond a single, easily missed demonstration of body language where he shakes his head late in the game, Dead Space's protagonist is completely blank and never utters a word. While the other characters in the story were not really that memorable, at least they were still fully voiced with some personality, enough to serve the plot and its twists quite competently. But the presence of a love interest did not add the emotional weight to the dire situation it should have.

[Void]

I think that Dead Space is definitely one of the best survival horror games out there, but I think that its most obvious influence, Resident Evil 4, does have some strengths over it, like some welcome changes in scenery and characters to actually care about.

While I agree that Resident Evil 4 brought some much needed changes to the genre (mainly to the Resident Evil series itself), I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as Dead Space. RE4 DID have better characterization, and the RE series in general has brought a lot of interesting characters to the table, but for overall game play, I choose Dead Space. Although it was much improved from previous RE games, RE4 still had control issues; not being able to move with a gun drawn, having to rearrange your attache case (I feel that the game should be able to figure out if you can fit stuff in there on it's own - there still could have been a width/length restriction).

I also feel that the story of Dead Space was more interesting, that said RE4 did have a good story and the benefit of a good cast. Dead Space DOES have a weak cast, and might have gained a lot from having cinematic cut scenes, instead of allowing you to walk around while shit was being said. The parts where the cast WAS good, were when it was coming over Isaac's video channel, but those scenes were generally short, and occasionally boring. Perhaps they would have been more enjoyable if Isaac actually DID reply.

All that said, survival horror games are my favorite in the industry. And I've felt that finding a good game that isn't Silent Hill or Resident Evil can be difficult at times. Not only does Dead Space compete, it outdoes any game as far as game play goes, and outdoes anything for providing new ideas. This is why I think it's better.

EDIT: I also want to reply to this:

Yeah, that part was awesome. I died during that part on my first try because I didn't have a good gun to shoot it with; everything I had on me at the time fired kinda slowly or didn't have the necessary reach. The pulse rifle rectified the problem though.

I'm wondering if anyone else played it on hard mode the first time through?

I died twice on the damn thing, the first time I ran out of pulse rifle ammo while I was up in the air - and with the force gun and line gun equipped, the plasma cutter was my only other option (I don't think I even had upgraded it's ammo capacity once....) So I died there. Next time through I started with the force gun and plasma cutter to conserve pulse rounds, and then died from fucking up on the two fat necromorphs he sent out. I ended up disemboweling them by mistake and I was crushed by a tentacle while trying to kill the fetal necromorphs that came out.

[Priest4hire]

Yeah, from what little I played it seemed like Dead Space had channeled System Shock real good. Might as well ste... I mean pay homage to the best, eh?

Actually, I still need to play this game through. My initial experience consisted of me installing it and then attempting to set remap the movement keys to the arrow keys. That didn't go so well. It seems the developers, in their infinite wisdom, decided to make the arrow keys unmappable. Oh, and the keypad as well. I can still remember some PC FPSs that came with both left and right handed key mappings. I can not recall a game in recent time that made the keys unmappable.

I know there is a work around even if EA can be bothered to fix the issue and I do plan to play the game through. But I also do think my annoyance is justified here. The unmappable keys are just the tip of the iceberg and I don't see why gamers should have to put up with such crappy ports.

[Void]

Sounds like a good thing I got the console version.

Oh, and yeah, it totally does steal from System Shock. That's probably a big part of why it's so good. :)

[Sen]

While I agree that Resident Evil 4 brought some much needed changes to the genre (mainly to the Resident Evil series itself), I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as Dead Space. RE4 DID have better characterization, and the RE series in general has brought a lot of interesting characters to the table, but for overall game play, I choose Dead Space. Although it was much improved from previous RE games, RE4 still had control issues; not being able to move with a gun drawn, having to rearrange your attache case (I feel that the game should be able to figure out if you can fit stuff in there on it's own - there still could have been a width/length restriction).
Anything new and worthwhile introduced by Dead Space in it's gameplay was gimmick oriented, meant to give the game its identity. To that end, I feel the game was overwhelmingly successful with the well-implemented strategic dismemberment system and anti-gravity segments. But it's basic gameplay formula was primarily the same as Resident Evil 4's; any refinements like the ability to walk with a gun drawn or an inventory that fits items in for you are small and only slightly more convenient, as their absence in RE4 hardly effected that game. Therefore I am of the opinion that DS did not improve on what RE4 had already laid out, it simply added a tiny bit more. The game plays just as great as RE4, and while the new elements are still very fun, they don't make it a superior game but a separate entity to me.

I also feel that the story of Dead Space was more interesting, that said RE4 did have a good story and the benefit of a good cast. Dead Space DOES have a weak cast, and might have gained a lot from having cinematic cut scenes, instead of allowing you to walk around while shit was being said. The parts where the cast WAS good, were when it was coming over Isaac's video channel, but those scenes were generally short, and occasionally boring. Perhaps they would have been more enjoyable if Isaac actually DID reply.
I think DS's story was more interesting too, but the cast of RE4 had an undeniable charm that made up for most narrative shortcomings. Within the context of the entire RE universe, RE4 stands out bigtime, and although I don't particularly care for how it seems so unrelated to everything, it's all held together by a series of bizarre, interesting, and likable characters. But beyond the faces that littered the crazy plot, the plot itself doesn't really compare to DS's. It may have borrowed quite liberally from a number of sources like Event Horizon, Alien, and Doom, but I loved its spooky alien-infection tale, especially how there was a noticeable lack of information regarding what lead to the current scenario. I enjoyed the added layer of mystery there. The story of DS was a strength even if its characters weren't, and worked very well for a survival horror game. I don't think I would have wanted there to be traditional cutscenes rather than the seamless depiction of the events, as it was obviously a goal to keep the player in the experience entirely and I think it worked for the most part.

[Luisfe]

Does Dead Space have self defenestrations, like RE4 does?
SPACE. SELF DEFENESTRATIONS.

If not, boo.

[Sen]

Some time ago, the Wii received a slice of the multimedia pie that is Dead Space, in the form of a railshooter called Dead Space: Extraction. Like the abysmal animated film, Dead Space: Downfall, it is a prequel to the first game, that explores the spread of the necromorph infestation upon the planet of Aegis VII and the mining ship hovering above, the USG Ishimura. Fortunately the game is not a retread of the events depicted in the movie, and follows a different group of characters trying to survive the outbreak of horror.

I'm currently a few hours into the game, and loving every minute of it. I'm actually quite surprised at how well the gimmick of "strategic dismemberment" lends itself to the railshooter formula. In the same way blasting off limbs helped the original game create an identity all its own in a sea of survival-horror and third-person shooters, so too does it single out Extraction in the Wii's increasingly popular railshooter genre. It just feels great. And also like its predecessor, the game looks fantastic. Obviously it can't match it with the Wii's hardware, but as far as quality visuals go for the console, this one is top notch. It does manage to trump the first game in the character department however, as the cast actually has some personality this time around. The emotional weight missing from the series debut is thankfully present in this prequel.

So yeah, what I'm trying to say is Dead Space: Extraction is a pretty good game, and a nice way to keep the series active while Dead Space 2 is in development. I suggest checking it out, especially to those who enjoyed the first game or like railshooters.