User Reviews

DownPlay Reviews #9 - Dead Space 3

2013-04-29T21:35:44Z

Dead Space 2 is one of my favorite games of this generations. Provided, it wasn’t scary, but, and I still have to explain this to people, that wasn’t the point. What Dead Space lacked in terror it made up for with the ever crucial ingredient, atmosphere. It was packed with tension and suspense and the fact that monsters could shower down from the ceiling and begin ripping you to giblets at any time was what kept you on your toes. The combat was intense and the setpieces were awesome, and I still believe that it tells a great story at the same time. But now a sequel has been wrenched violently from the EA’s backside and Isaac Clarke has another excuse for the misuse of common logic and mining equipment. Now in the months upcoming to Dead Space 3, I was truly worried about the condition of the game. There were a few warning signs that came up during announcement that disappointed me. The first of these was the introduction of human enemies. I was afraid that when the Unitologists wrenched what remaining heads they had following that last Necromorph outbreak and started coming after Isaac, then we could condemn another franchise to the shallow, overcrowded grave of cover-based shooting. Fortunately, it’s not a cover system! You have no idea how happy I was to find that out. It’s just a crouch feature, and the cover just so happens to be identical in height to that of Isaac crouching figure! And that’s fine by me. Any system that doesn’t velcro my back to the wall and force me to waste precious microseconds detaching myself from it is a step in the right direction in my opinion. It serves the combat and is still completely optional. As a matter of fact, the Unitologist soldiers don’t even come across as much of a threat. Isaac usually stumbles upon them already getting massacred by the local Necromorphs, which works great as an atmosphere builder, but it gets rather repetitive and starts to lose tension later on. The second red light appeared, as it did for many, at the announcement of co-op. This decision becomes far less justifiable then the human enemies as the game progresses. Our new tagalong, Carver, is introduced during the first chapter of the game, seemingly out of nowhere, and we’re expected to deal with him throughout the entire rest of the game. And that would be fine if he were a good character, but he just isn’t. His only purposes appears to just act as a polar opposite to Isaac, who, between Dead Space 2 and 3, has somehow transitioned from a determined, plan-oriented man clinging desperately to his survival to a whiny, irrational lost puppy with attachment issues who spends the entire game performing bad idea after bad idea with no motivation other than “We have to find Ellie.” Carver exists only to contradict everything Isaac says, yet still not putting in enough effort to talk him out of dislodging the giant malfunctioning mining drill and other similarly poor decisions. While I do still believe it was a good decision not to make Carver an AI partner if we want to play single-player, the game seems to chastise you for not wanting to have a epileptic monkey-on-a-chain running around stealing all the ammo and health packs. There’s an entirely separate set of levels dealing with Carver’s backstory that are completely locked off unless you play through the campaign in co-op. So if you want to play the good Dead Space 3, that being the single-player one, then you’ll never know the full extent of Carver’s character. Not that it’s any different from what is revealed in game, but **BRAAAHHHH**, I paid for this game so I deserve to know who these people are! The last and most egregious design choice, which infuriated me to the nth degree, was a little thing called universal ammunition. This may seem petty, but its ruinous to the game’s atmosphere. Picture this situation, if you will. At the start of the game, Isaac has his infamous plasma cutter as well as some generic machine gun he got from somewhere. The game gives you this new weapon and encourages you to use it against the human enemies, not that the plasma cutter is ineffective against the human enemies, the machine gun just fires slightly more accurately from cover. The machine gun has a 50-round magazine and fires fairly quickly meaning it eats through ammo as such. Thus, whenever you find ammo amidst the cluster of health packs and raw materials for the weapon crafting system, it assumes you’ve been using the machine gun as directed and plops ammo down in groups of 20 - 30 rounds. And 1 machine gun round = 1 shot for any of the other weapons, so at any given time you can have in excess of one hundred shots for your plasma cutter. And speaking of weapon crafting system, Dead Space 3 has removed the weapon upgrades from the previous installment and replaced it with a crafting system that requires you to pick up random pieces of material dropped by enemies and fashion it into a new weapon by combining multiple parts. In theory this works because it allows for a more personalized experience and the removal of the Line Gun from Dead Space 2 almost made me not get Dead Space 3 in the first place. But in practice, it completely removes all balance from the game. I had crafted a gun that fired 6-foot wide flaming horizontal bars half the distance of a football field, and factor in the universal ammunition, and you’re left with a Super-Personalized Killamatron 9000 with virtually infinite ammunition. So it’s easy. It’s SOOOOOOO easy and that’s my largest problem with this game. So many bad design choices come together to eliminate all of the atmosphere that made Dead Space 1 and 2 so great. In Dead Space 2, ammo was precious and scarce, so you had to make every shot count. It added that much more tension to the combat. The complete removal of the store and in-game credits was another thing I was dumbfounded by. Stores in Dead Space 2 were oases in the flaming shitstorm that was Titan Station. You could use your saved credits to purchase more ammo and health packs and new weapons and suits to help you survive. In Dead Space 3, suits and new weapons are just given out at specific story intervals. There’s no build up, no real work required to further your skills, and its not as rewarding as it would be if you had to save up credits and purchase it. Its not just the material things that break apart the atmosphere. Its also the aesthetic and environment design. Dead Space 2 took place in dark, claustrophobic corridors, and these environments emphasized the tense atmosphere. Now, in Dead Space 3, you’re outside, it’s sunny, and it’s snowing. Snow isn’t threatening, it’s calming. And even worse, you’re only in space for, like, 30 minutes. So that’s Dead Space 3, and at the risk of sounding like every other reviewer on the planet, it truly has been homogenized beyond recognition. And once again, shifting focus to a larger target audience has made it less appealing for everyone. The combat’s still fun but the setpieces aren’t as entertaining, the story is contrived, the characters are unfocused, and the atmosphere that made Dead Space 2 one of my favorite games is completely nonexistent. Even playing in co-op fails to distract from the repetitive gameplay and obnoxiously easy difficulty. Dead Space 3’s mediocre quality doesn’t detract from the quality of its predecessors, and I would still recommend them to anyone who wants a good game combined with an engaging story, but if you’re thinking of going all the way through this trilogy, trust me when I say you’re not missing anything. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, DownPlay Reviews Next Week on DownPlay Reviews: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

An Identity Crisis

2013-04-21T18:45:00Z

Dead Space feels like a game with an identity crisis. Like many horror titles such as Resident Evil, Dead Space seems to be trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator with a heavier action focus. Necromorphs still pop out of vents, hide behind corners, and crawl out of the dark, but everything you see feels like it has been done before. Not everything is a disappointment, like the refined gunplay and memorable environments, but the lack of suspense and tension hold it back from becoming anything more than an average game.

Dead Space isn’t really scary anymore. Yes, Dead Space, the game that established itself on delivering eerie atmospheres and surprising trills just doesn’t deliver the sheer terror that previous entries did. Sure, Dead Space 3 certainly has its creepy moments and jump scares, but rarely did I feel sweaty palmed or genuinely nervous to trudge forward. I think frustration can be attributed to a growing sense of familiarity in the series. Dead Space fans are already with previous enemy types, and with few new ones introduced, encounters begin to get stale towards later acts.

One of the most polarizing changes made to the Dead Space series was its transition to a snowy, more open environment. While many bemoaned this decision, I enjoyed my time in Tau Volantis, as I felt a greater motivation to explore. Taking the road less traveled would often uncover hidden resources and side quests which was something I took advantage of during my playthrough. Tau Volantis is also home to some stunning backdrops, sporting some of the best wind and snow effects I’ve seen. Disappointingly, trekking through Tau Volantis doesn’t evoke the same creepy tension Dead Space fans are so used to experiencing. The game tries to hide necromorphs inside vents, and behind corners, but after you know what to expect, it loses its luster. That doesn’t mean Tau Volantis is a bad setting. While it isn’t terrifying, it delivers some breathtaking set pieces and environments. Floating in space like an astronaut, experiencing an intense shipwreck, being eaten by a large alien monstrosity, and exploring the planet’s surface are astounding in their own right, and are among the most memorable sections from the game. As impressive as Tau Volantis may be, horror fans will find exploration unsatisfying without varied scares.

With less of a focus on horror, Dead Space 3 needed something to separate itself from other shooters on the market. Dead Space certainly does so with its new and refined crafting system. Instead of buying weapons like the previous games, Dead Space 3 allows players to customize, retool, and experiment, thanks to its extremely flexible crafting mechanic. Isaac Clarke’s engineering roots begin to show, as items like tungsten and scrap metal are used to craft various weapons, attachments, and other items like health kits. With the ability to retool, recreate, or completely disassemble weapons it is easier than ever to experiment with weapons, something I did very often. Throughout my first playthrough, I used a plasma cutter/flamethrower hybrid, a shotgun with a rocket launcher under barrel, and a weapon that shoot electrified ripper blades. Dead Space constantly throws new resources for you to toy with, and I found myself constantly swapping attachments, circuits, and weapon tips. Dead Space even lets you share blueprints and resources with a co-op buddy something that is bound to be helpful when resources are running low. Overall, this new concept seems fresh, innovative, and just the thing this series needs.

Gameplay wise, Dead Space 3 isn’t a huge departure, but it is easily more action focused than previous entries. This can be a double edged sword. A new dodge-roll mechanic, similar to Gears of War, makes it easier to dodge incoming necromorphs. A few action heavy sequence weren’t as successful. For the first time, Isaac fights human enemies but unlike the necromorphs, these battles are unsatisfying. Firefights are painfully repetitive, and are not helped by the brainless AI who display little signs of human intelligence. Most battles consist of Isaac stumbling into a group of soldiers, and lighting them up as they stumble around trying to fire their weapons. Lucky these occurrences are rare, as Necromorphs are Isaac’s primary threat. Necromorphs are creepy from the onset, but as enemy types are repeated and more and more are thrown on screen, enemy encounters turn from frightening to mind-numbing.

For the first time, Dead Space is playable with a friend. Player two assumes the role of Carver, a military grunt with family issues. Players controlling Carver will experience twisted hallucinations and flashbacks, giving players an incentive to play through the game twice. A handful of side missions are only playable with a co-op partner, which is disappointing for people who would rather play alone. However, missing out on these missions won’t deny players anything critical.

Dead Space 3 is the final chapter in the the Dead Space saga, and while it stumbles in certain sections, the story is a conclusive end to the series. Dead Space has never had an extremely compelling fiction, and three is not a far cry in that regard. Most of the story is comprised Clarke trying to activate an ancient machine to stop the moon crashing into earth. Yes, you heard me right. The games plot is sometimes convoluted, if not forced, and a few weeks after beating it I had difficulty remembering most major plot points.

Dead Space 3 may not ever be scary again, but a stellar crafting system softens the pain. While the new action sequences are hit and miss, the gorgeous environments and innovative crafting system are welcome changes to the series. Although Dead Space 3 is a decent game, I can’t help but imagine what heights it could soar to had it stuck true to the series.

7.5/10

Review - Dead Space 3 - On Ice!

2013-04-11T17:53:00Z

The third time is a charm. Well, at least that's what they say, but truth be told, by the third time around a series is at risk of growing stale. There's a chance that fans will be satisfied with the same style game for a third time, but there's as equal a chance they will want something more. The question the developers must ask is: "What changes can be made that will keep the series fresh, while still accommodating to our fans desires?". So Visceral games made changes as you'd expect, but do these changes ultimately bring Dead Space to a new level, or do they bring about it's downfall?

PRESENTATION

Dead Space 3 looks pretty great. There has been a new attention to detail and it really shows. For example, I love that in dark lit areas the light from beyond Isaac's visor will shine onto wall. It's a small detail, but it looks really awesome. In addition Dead Space 3 has the most open and large areas of the series yet. The path forward is still quite linear and obvious, but areas like space for example really don't feel like they have boundaries at all (they do; I tried).

the Necromorphs look more alien and less human this time. Maybe it's because I've gotten used to fighting them that they don't look nearly as intimidating. I also don't think they look nearly as gruesome either, even though a lot of old enemy variations return.

The game in general isn't really scary anymore. It seems like Visceral abandoned the horror scene for full action, which turns out to not be such a bad thing. Unless you're a big horror junkie.

As impressive as the visuals are, I have a couple complaints. For one, I encountered several visual glitches, one of which I had to restart my system because Isaac somehow super glued himself to a locker door. I mean it's hard to ignore when one of the NPC's vanishes in plain sight, but the levers he was working with are still moving. I encountered small glitches like these throughout my playthrough. All except for one were visual and didn't have an effect on gameplay, and the two I shared were as bad as it got. Even though they didn't really effect my progression in the game, it certainly momentarily ripped me from the experience. I didn't experience any glitches in Dead Space 1 or 2, so I was fairly shocked I saw as many as I did here.

My other complaint is that the side quest use the same map, except for the layout gets re-arranged. By this I mean the rooms you go through are the same, but the the order in which you go through them is jumbled. But it's still the same room. This leads to the feeling that Visceral cut the corners to throw in extra content. Much like the copy and paste job I discussed in my review of the Dead Space 2: Severed DLC.

I have to comment on the voice acting as it's exceedingly good. Especially for Isaac. He has really come to life since we first met him as the grunting, stomping engineer.

All together, Dead Space 3's presentational aspects are great, but glitches are a plague. The glitches may be small, but they add up quickly to really hurt the experience.

STORY

Let's get caught up to speed. Isaac has now destroyed 2 markers, defeated hordes of Necromorphs, defied Earth Gov, and pissed off the entire Unitologist religion. It's safe to say Isaac's got himself into a pretty bad situation. Even in his attempts to retire from his expeditions against the Markers, the trouble follows him.

When a man by the name of Captain Norton shows up at his door (or more likely bust it in) and tells Isaac that they've lost contact with his ex-girlfriend (and still current love interest) on a special mission, Isaac's all but forced to join in on the search party. The trip takes them in orbit of Tau Volantis, where the SCAF forces of 200 years earlier came in seach of a means to solving the same Marker crisis.

The story is definitely more developed then before; it's not just about Isaac's fight for survival, but a means to an end for the Markers and the deadly alien race it spawns. Isaac's story is riddled with his love life. He finds himself stuck on the bad end of a typical love triangle. It's not that the story of the love triangle is bad, but the characters become quite over dramatized. I feel like the characters are far too up front about their emotions, and mood swings surface far too often.

Even still, Isaac's come more to life then ever before. But his story isn't the only story being told this time. Enter John Carver. Carver is the co-op player, and he brings along his own story. It's of course tiny in comparison with Isaac's, but I still found interest in him. Sadly, the only way to really get his story is to play through the co-op exclusive missions (preferably being the player playing as Carver).

The other big story going on is that of the SCAF forces I mentioned earlier. Their story is told solely through audio recordings and text logs, but it is definitely the most mysterious. I kept wondering what happened during their time that went wrong. It unravels as you progress in the game, and even ties in with Isaac's story. I'd highly recommend taking the time to read and listen to all the logs, the story has a good effect with their inclusion.

I'd even say that from a story perspective, Dead Space 3 is the most powerful of the Dead Space games.

GAMEPLAY

We all remember the gameplay that laid the foundation of the past 2 games: You kill Necromorphs by shooting off their limbs, stomp anything and everything on the floor, and the series seems to become more action packed as it progresses. Much of the old gameplay has returned but now it's mostly action, with hardly any jump scares or creepy moments at all. This isn't entirely a bad thing, as the action is exciting and fun. It's only a problem because of what fans have come to expect from the series.

Sadly a large number of changes have been made. None of them make the game drastically different on their on their own, but the combined force of all these smaller changes leads for a quite different feel.

The biggest and most noticeable change is the weapon crafting system. In previous Dead Space games, all your weapons have pre-determined primary and secondary fire. Now the choice is yours. It's open to seemingly endless possibilities. For example, my favorite personally made weapon is a sniper rifle with a submachine gun for secondary fire. Plus you can throw on special perks like a scope for increased zoom, or even fire coating on your shots.

However, it does come at a cost. For one, you can now only carry 2 weapons where as before you were allowed 4. Also the guns are no longer solely focused on aiming at limbs. It seems some weapons don't even require the technique to be used.Crafting itself isn't instantly gripping either. I was well into the game before I became remotely interested. However once you get the concept of collecting parts and materials, and how to use the crafting system effectively, it becomes quite addictive to see what different ways you can slaughter your enemies.

I was kind of shocked at the "disappearance" of inventory management. All the weapons now run off the same universal ammo, so worrying about what kind of ammo you are carrying is no longer an issue. In my opinion, this "issue" of inventory management was always a part of Dead Space that I even enjoyed. The universal ammo was obviously made to accommodate for the co-op mode.

Another new inclusion is the side missions. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a fan of the design of these missions, but they also seem to drag on. The excitement from the main game seem to have abandoned me during the side quest. At least for me, I felt like I was just doing them in hopes of avoiding missing something awesome, but the reward was hardly worth it. Visceral also takes advantage of these missions to throw several hordes of enemies that don't seem to stop coming. This would be fun if not for the sometimes flawed enemy AI that will rush you into a corner and remain so close to you that Isaac can't aim at them properly, leaving you to rely on your incredibly weak melee attack. (I already did a post on the AI not long ago, feel free to check that out to see what I mean). The only good thing about side missions is it adds more backstory and you can unlock an extra suit for completing them all.

I admit that at first I was very negative about all the changes, and even now writing this review, I've sure had a good number of complaints, but realistically, I cant deny that the gameplay is still a ton of fun. It's still Dead Space, and the new stuff works quite well once you adjust.

CO-OP

The new hook for Dead Space 3 is it's co-op multiplayer. Though surely it's an optional feature, the game does seemed designed with co-op in mind. Even when playing alone. As far as co-op goes, it's works fairly well.

Having a partner alongside you makes the game a lot more fun. As with all online play, the experience you have is influenced by the kind of person you're playing with. Most of the time, I found the game to be more enjoyable with a buddy.

There are some limitations of course. You can't go more than one room ahead of your partner (which is actually pretty generous compared to some other co-op games), and some things can only be started or activated when both players are present, but they will only produce a problem if your partner isn't being cooperative.

There are some minor bothers that can be caused. If someone is to join a game they have you wait until the host player reaches a checkpoint. Depending on when the joining player get's connected, the wait time to actually join could be a while. Additionally, should the co-op player leave the game, you're forced to reset at the previous checkpoint, which will erase the progress of any crafting or upgrading you've done since then. It makes sense with the story for Carver to not disappear in thin air, but a better drop in/drop out feature would have fared better.

Usually when it comes to online co-op, I like to play on my own the first time through. I'd actually recommend against this for Dead Space 3. Not only does playing with a friend increase the fun in the game, but you get a slightly lager serving of the story and there is little risk for your partner ruining the experience for you. But where's the split screen co-op?

RECAP

Dead Space 3 has a handful of flaws and numerous changes that fans wont immediately welcome with open arms. However, by the end of the game all my previous complaints (with the exception of the glitches) had gone away. Dead Space 3 may not be a whole lot like the previous games, but it's still a damn fun game. With a large number of collectibles, different modes to play through after the first completion, and the fun co-op, I'm still playing this game just for kicks.

Less horror, more action, same amazing experience

2013-03-30T22:58:00Z

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The first two games in the Dead Space series became known for their graphic dismemberment gameplay mechanics, a HUD-less display that helped immerse players in the chilling atmosphere, and an ever-present sense of fear that death could come from anywhere. But after two stellar but similar entries, Dead Space was in danger of losing its innovation unless it did something to help shakeup its formula. While some of the additions Visceral Visions made feel somewhat out of place for the series, don’t let that deter you. Dead Space 3 is another fantastic entry that deserves the attention of both series veterans and newcomers alike.

The story starts off three years after the events of Dead Space 2, and Isaac has spent most of that time in hiding from the Unitology cult from the earlier two games. Once he learns that his friend Ellie disappeared after possibly finding a way to end the Necromorph monster outbreaks, he suits up again to find her. After that, however, the story becomes a confusing mess. Dead Space 3 frantically tries to weave alien conspiracies, love triangles, and moon plots into the story, but it fails to do so in a way that makes any of it feel compelling or interesting. By the time you make it to the last third of the game, you won’t know where you are or what you’re really doing and it makes the last few sections of the game feel very padded on.

Controls have largely stayed the same, but they’ve added new dodge and cover mechanics for Isaac to use. Dodge works great, but going into covers can be a frustrating chore and simply does not come across as being beneficial in any way. Also added to the game are new enemy types, including human soldiers that will shoot back and throw grenades at Isaac, and Necromorphs that you can sneak by instead of engaging head-on. These new enemies and gameplay mechanics help to make each enemy encounter more unique than the last one, but they also present a more action-oriented experience than the traditional survival-horror that the series has come to be known for. The exceptional sound design and spine-chilling musical score that has become a series staples returns, but the music sometimes will give away if a room has been cleared of enemies or not, which can help take the player out of the environment. For the most immersive experience, I’d recommend playing in a dark room with headphones on and the music turned off.

One of the most exciting new features for the game comes from the new weapon system. Instead of just finding weapon blueprints and then purchasing them like in the prior games, you now find parts in each level that can be used to create your own, personalized weapons. You want a flamethrower that also shoots electrified bolts and automatically gathers ammo for you? Go ahead and make it! The amount of parts and customization features seem endless. They’ve also replaced the old money system of the first two games with a new resource-gathering one. You’ll find a variety of resources throughout the game that can be used to upgrade your armor, create ammo or healing items, or make even more parts for your weapons. These two new systems work tremendously with oneanother and force you to carefully think about each critical spending decision you make.

The brand new online co-op mode is another highlight for the game, where two players can tackle the full campaign as either Isaac or a brand new character, John Carver. While it would seem that having the safety of a partner would make the game less spooky, the developers did an outstanding job of making John’s backstory relevant to the gameplay by having him experience vivid hallucinations while the other player is left panicked and confused over what’s happening to their partner. This leaves both players tense as they wonder if they can trust their partner and the mode becomes a much more refined and polished multiplayer feature than the Team Deathmatch of the second game.

While some of the new features of the game end up falling flat and the last few chapters of the game feel stretched out due to a lackluster and muffled story, Dead Space 3 ends up being another magnificent entry for the series. The game is more action-oriented than its predecessors and that may upset some survival-horror fans, but the dynamic gameplay is easily the deepest in the series and the co-op experience goes against the odds to be a highly welcomed addition that gives it some much needed replayability and helps cement Dead Space as one of the most innovative and refreshing new IPs of this generation.

Final Score: 8.5

A Worthy Sequel

2013-03-22T13:02:00Z

Dead Space 3 follows poor Isaac Clarke again on a mission to stop the necromorphs for good. The beginning mission starts off 200 years prior to the events of the dead space trilogy, gives a little backstory and idea of whats to come.

If your a fan of the previous dead space games you should enjoy this threequel, it has everything that made dead space relevant and praised. Zero G sections are a lot more open, makes you feel like a astronaut, closed blood smeared corridors are present and of cours the necros are disgusting and creepy as ever! (Twitchers, ugh!). Its all here in part 3 and more.

is this game "action/horror"? Comparing it to #1 then yes, I'd say its more on par with part 2 as far as scripted moments and action sequence. This game DOES deliver horror and dread a lot during the game, not just in the gameplay while fighting enemies but by watching and listening to past victims. I remember walking into a dark meeting room and hearing a recorded voice, when i came to the source of noise i realized it was a projector video playing and giving instructions on orders to carry out and when done to "self terminate" after watching that and then reading people's logs of what happen there was truly eerie and disturbing.

the game looks great, environments are diverse and torwards the end of the game it takes you to environments never seen in the dead space universe. The winter conditions on Tao Volantis is nice touch and adds panic in combat. The necromorphs are greatly detailed and are very grotesque, there is quite a variety in enemies as well and as the game goes on they only get tougher.

The biggest edition is co op, everyone was worried that the addition of a friend joining you would take away the horror elements dead space was found upon, honestly yes it does but visceral did the smart thing a made it an option, it is not mandatory to have a partner by your side. You can play single player as Isaac Clarke all alone if you want, if you want that true horror dead space vibe then i recommend you play through the first time alone, then on the 2nd run through team up. The co op is a blast though there is nothing more fun then to blast away alien zombies with a buddy, plus you get more backstory into John carver if you decide to play with a friend.

if your a fan of dead space then i highly recommend this entry, it is a worthy sequel!

PROS

+ satisfying combat

+ looks amazing

+ great action

+ great horror elements

+ co-op being a choice

CONS

- climbing sequences

- back tracking

- so many elevators!

- spamming of monsters

(written on my iOS)

Gameplay Over Presentation

2013-03-20T16:14:00Z

The focus on horror elements and isolation of past Dead Space games has been tossed aside in the newest iteration of the series. Taking its place is an emphasis on action sequences, narrative, and making protagonist Isaac Clarke feel like an engineer who is equally efficient at repairing broken machinery and crafting materials as he is at dismembering enemies. Some of these new elements are welcomed additions to the series, while others deter an otherwise enjoyable experience.

One of Dead Space 3’s most significant additions is the introduction of co-operative play in the campaign, acting as a replacement for the poorly realized competitive multiplayer that appeared in Dead Space 2. Friends and strangers alike can enter and leave your game without experiencing any load screens on your end, making it a seamless experience. Player 2 takes controller of character John Carver who only occasionally crosses paths with Isaac if the campaign is played solo. Additional, minor story content is placed regularly throughout if played with a second person. I highly recommend playing through the campaign with a friend since the campaign isn’t nearly as scary as previous games and there is now a significantly larger cast of characters whose constant chatter completely removes any feeling of prolonged isolation. Co-op detracts little from the experience, and the joy of blasting away necromorphs with a friend more than makes up for those rare scares you may encounter during a solo run. After all, the only thing more fun than dismembering necromorphs is dismembering them with a friend. Unfortunately there are a few aspects of combat that don’t quite live up to the high par that the series has established.

The newest variations of necromorphs aren’t all as enjoyable to fight as past necromorphs were, and unfortunately some of the older ones are scarcely present or in some cases, have disappeared entirely, such as the brute. Taking there place is a rather large spider-like creature who shows up on several occasions during the middle section of the game. Each encounter was stressful as I found myself forced to use the newly added roll mechanic against its annoying lunge attacks while simultaneously having to shoot off its tentacles that just continued to regenterate. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the heart-racing thrill of trying to take down a brute. Other new enemies aren’t as displeasing, but still weren’t worthwhile additions.

Gun-wielding Unitoligist soldiers occasionally attack you, but thanks to their terrible aim and minimal stopping power, they’re easily eliminated. They’re simply there for the sake of the story, a story that is completely forgettable and at times laughably stupid; another great reason to play with a friend.

Isaac is once again forced to face the Markers and the monstrosities they create, but the presentation of the conflict and the cast of characters are painfully dull. Isaac’s newest journey begins on a space station similar to the Sprawl, but is quickly forced to escape from Unitologists who are destroying the station and on a manhunt for Isaac because of his Marker-destroying reputation. From the start, characters do nothing but yell at each other in arguments over everything, and the main antagonist, a leader of the Unitologists, makes a habit of capturing Isaac, putting a gun to his head, and managing to let him escape after a lengthy monologue. The villain isn’t the only cliché though. There’s a not-so-surprising betrayal as well as an awkward love triangle, which only leads to more yelling between characters. Thankfully the laughably bad presentation is made easier to overlook thanks to the addictive new workbench.

The store and safe have now been integrated into the workbench, streamlining the experience, and credits have been completely replaced by resources. Resources can be used to craft weapon parts, supplies, and circuit nodes that upgrade weapon statistics such as damage and reload speed. Every time I came across a bench, I found myself spending several minutes managing my resources by dismantling materials and building others; mainly new weapon parts. Dead Space 3’s weapon building system is the most in-depth and addictive I’ve ever experienced. Several different sections of your weapon can be replaced with dozens of interchangeable parts that can slightly or drastically alter how it functions. Familiar favorites like the ripper and line gun are back along with new additions like the shotgun, revolver, and electric bolas. There are limited restrictions on combinations, but most can be combined together, encouraging experimentation. Coupled with circuit nodes and attachments that can add effects like acidic and fire rounds, there are countless possible weapons to be built, adding immense replay value. After 30 hours of playtime I still find myself experimenting with weapon builds and trying to decide what my ideal tool of destruction is. Resources, material and weapon crafting, as well as a wide range of tech puzzles have made Isaac feel more like an engineer than ever before. However, as much as these new elements have added enjoyment to the Dead Space experience, the game unfortunately loses its footing when trying to create the same intense action sequences of its predecessor.

I can easily recall several set pieces in Dead Space 2 that were nothing short of impressive, yet in Dead Space 3 it often feels as though I am simply moving from one room to another, clearing out necromorphs as I go. It doesn’t help that many of these rooms are identical, which hinders the expanded environments that encourage exploration. The set pieces range anywhere from mediocre to just down-right frustrating, often because they stray from what makes Dead Space fun; killing necromorphs. These poorly realized, non-combat scenarios and the new, awful, automatic save system were my two constant sources of frustration, particularly when they worked in conjunction. Getting killed by random debris that I failed to dodge was made even more infuriating when I had no idea if I was going to be set back two minutes or 15.

Despite its shortcomings, Dead Space 3 is the most differentiated addition to the series yet. It is not the best one, but its new features take it in a different, yet fun direction. Co-op and mediocre set pieces have taken the terror out of the game, and the attempt at a compelling narrative falls flat on its face. The phenomenal crafting system and joy of fighting alongside a friend are fun enough however to warrant a few playthroughs, especially in the various new game-plus modes that add additional gameplay challenges. The survival-horror Dead Space of old is gone, but the new action-co-op Dead Space is a good step in a different direction.

Far From Hope, Far From Perfect

2013-03-05T08:13:00Z

The Dead Space series is made famous by bringing the horror genre into the next generation. The first two entries were fantastic in their own respects. Plenty of scares and action coupled with a decent background story. A third title in this series was inevitable. While Dead Space 3 manages to be an enjoyable game in general, it doesn't bring anything new to the gaming-sphere. By a long shot.

The first two games took place primarily on giant spaceships. The spaceships, overrun by the necromorph plague, served as excellent backdrops for the games. While the first third or so of Dead Space 3 takes place in a similar environment, the game really picks up upon entering the planet Tau Volantis. Tau Volantis serves as a great change to the pacing of the series. I feel as though if they had kept the entire game on a spaceship again it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting.

The combat remains relatively unchanged from the last iterations. The biggest change comes to weapon crafting. The first two games allow for weapon upgrades through the use of nodes and credits to build items, but Dead Space 3 uses different materials to craft different kinds of upgrades, similar to the resource system in Mass Effect. This system is useful when constructing new items and upgrades, but I found that I didn't use it very often. There are many options to create new guns, but I really only used a gun combo I discovered in the first couple hours of the game throughout the entirety of the story. The new weapon crafting mechanic is interesting, but that's all it really is. You will mostly be using it to craft med kits or to apply damage or speed upgrades to the weapon you already are using.

What really enticed me during Dead Space 3 are the set piece moments. This generation of gaming has been known for its use of extravagant big-budget moments. For me, the Uncharted series is the best example of this, but some of the moments in this game are equally as great. From crashing your ship from space to swimming through the digestive system of an enormous creature, there is no shortage of insane near-death experiences for Isaac. In addition, a few sequences early on take place directly in outer space, allowing for full 3D exploration. In this large space area, you are able to explore debris, find new items, and do side missions.

While the set pieces are an excellent part of the game, the game falters in some major key points. The boss battles specifically leave much to be desired. They are barred by repetitive and boring mechanics that require you to do the same thing over and over again. The aforementioned digestive system sequence is excellent, but it's maimed by the fact that the parts leading up to it are just recycling the same strategy over and over again to fight the boss. In addition, the swimming mechanic happens to be literally the same function as the space travel mechanic, complete with the same sound effects. I could just be a stickler, but I feel as though a little more effort could have gone into the boss fights. Often times, you are forced to simply fight the same boss again and again. This constant rehashing and repetition is jarring.

The boss battles, while often huge and great looking, aren't nearly as dull as the main villain. This game introduces the leader of the Unitologists, Jacob Danik. Every moment with him is a cringe-worthy mess of poorly written dialogue and story sequences. Every scene that he is in he promises to simply put a bullet in Isaac's head and in every one of those scenes he has every means to do so. Instead, he simply says he will kill Isaac, breaks into a monologue, and then Isaac miraculously escapes unscathed. Rinse and repeat.

The Danik sequences aren't the only ones plagued by poor dialogue, however. While the delivery is spot-on and generally pitch perfect, it's the writing that holds the entry back. Cheesy and predictable dialogue is placed every step of the way. Many new characters are introduced this time around but are killed off in sequence one-by-one ala "Aliens". I played through the entirety of this game twice and I could barely tell you any of the character's names. The writing simply leaves players with nothing to feel when a character dies.

On the other hand, he series continues to move forward in the field of visual entertainment. Dead Space 3 features gorgeous scenery, generally impressive animations, and immersive sound design. From the realistic snow textures to the musty and dark interiors, the game is a joy to look at. The animations are on par with what is to be expected of an entry of such a huge series. From what I can tell, there were very few noticeable graphical glitches. My only issue with the graphics is that at one point, the light from Isaac's face mask is used to shine a really dark area. The lighting in this sequence was extremely well-done and dynamically shifts in size and shape as you move about the area. The problem is that this is pretty much the only place that this happens. In other equally dark areas, there is no such lighting. This is an easy mechanic that could have been implemented throughout the game. On the audio side, the enemy sounds are appropriately loud and each shot from your gun is satisfying.

Most of the main missions are enjoyable and features the excellent and heart throbbing combat expected of the series. It's a well-known fact this title veers away from the scariness standard set by the first two entries, but it still manages to make you jump once in awhile. Some of the best of the games missions are, unfortunately, the side missions. A few of the most well-designed and well-paced missions are entirely optional. While these are great to play, the fact that some of the best experiences are optional and most of the worst are required is a huge mistake. Many of the critical path missions are just fetch quests that require you to explore an area and find three or four pieces to some machine or device to move on to the next area. If they only did one of these kinds of missions, I would understand. But the fact that there is just constant fetch quests and back tracking is hugely annoying and devoid of any interest or fun.

Dead Space 3 manages to look, sound, and play awesome. The combat is fun, the enemies sound appropriately loud and terrifying, and the graphics and animations are extremely well-done. The set pieces are some of the best in gaming today. Where the game falters is the story. Predictable story sequences, dull dialogue, and uninteresting characters and boss encounters plague an otherwise excellent game. Visceral manages to craft an overall enjoyable game, but seems to have focused more on appealing to the masses with the more action-oriented gameplay and weapon customizing than making an genuinely amazing title.

P.S. If you like my writing, be sure to check out my gaming website here! Or watch our YouTube videos here! We're brand new, so constructive criticism is encouraged. Thanks!

Dismemberment, Now With Friends!

2013-02-28T18:23:00Z

Issac Clarke is back and this time he seems relatively safe. However, a message from Ellie saying that she is leaving him are the first words you hear after seeing the "Marker Killer" reminds you that nothing about Issac's life is sunshine and daisies. Next thing Issac knows two armed men burst in and detain him while saying that Ellie is missing and she was tracking down something related to the markers. This drags an unwilling Issac back into the fray of death and Necromorphs.

Dead Space has always held a very fluent and unique game play mechanic with its lack of heads up display and Dead Space 3 does not disappoint. The mechanics are extremely similar with very little changes to the graphical appearance of your HUD. One of the big differences in game play is the ammo. The first two Dead Space games showcased different ammunition for each weapon, which in turn made it hard to come by the ammo you needed which added to the horror when you picked up some javelin ammo when you are not carrying the javelin or you are not using it compared to the other weapons that you are using thus making your ammo more scarce and terrifying knowing that you are about to run out. You usually received ammo for the guns you used most but it was still possible to get ammo for the guns you do not use. Dead Space 3 brings about universal ammo and knocks the amount of weapons you can hold from four down to two. What makes up for the lack of those two weapons is the expansive customization that you can perform at the work bench.

The crafting is one of the most impressive I have seen in a long time. You can build your weapons from the ground up. The stock, the engine, top and bottom weapon tips, attachments, and also circuits. The top and bottom weapon tips is probably where most people will spend their time tinkering. I for one started playing through the game with the Evangelizer which featured a semi-automatic carbine top and shotgun bottom. After a lot of customization I ended up with a chain gun with a bottom that fires out ripper blades and every shot does acid damage and I was mowing down every Necromorph in my path. With the amount of customization and freedom to do so lets one not want for more than two weapons.

An additional interesting note, the crafting table gives you the ability to craft items. Dead Space 3 does away with credits to buy ammo and healing items and in its place you collect resources such as scrap metal, somatic gel, and tungsten. You can use these to craft more ammo and healing items and a new item called the tungsten torque bar, which allows you to open locked doors instead of having to use circuits. The circuits in turn have also received a revamp making them preset buffs to add to your weapons that are not permanent additions to your gun, so you can mix and match the circuits that you have collected and remove them at will. The craft bench also allows you to build weapon parts that you have collected in order to make doubles of parts. Interestingly enough you can do the same for circuits. Say you collected a +2 damage circuit and only have one of them but you want your weapon to be extremely powerful, and if you have the resources, then go ahead and craft more +2 damages until you have the amount you need. In addition to crafting parts and circuits you are also allowed to "sell" unwanted parts or circuits which rewards you with half the resources needed to craft them which is nice to craft more parts or circuits that you actually want. One last thing about crafting is that you can also collect blueprints to build weapons if you have the required parts or resources to build them, or if you do not want to hassle with the manual customization. On the other hand you can make blueprints of your current weapon so you can go ahead and dismantle your weapon and try crafting a new one, but if that fails you can reconstruct your old weapon from the blueprint.

Dead Space returns, but is it any good?

2013-02-26T17:12:00Z

If you've read my blog post you will know that I wasn't overly impressed with Dead Space 3. That isn't to say Dead Space 3 is a bad game it just lacks the innovation Dead Space 1 and 2 had. Isaac is still pretty cool, but the rest of the characters are really dull and they can be easily forgotten. The game isn't scary and the atmosphere is nowhere near as creepy as the first two. There are sections in the game where it's really dull, such as the repelling sections and the shootouts against humans who are really easy to kill and the cover system makes you almost invincible. Despite all these problems Dead Space 3 does have many good points; the first few chapters feel like a Dead Space game, the game usually looks beautiful, the shooting is solid and the co-op is good fun as well. If you are a fan of the Dead Space franchise you might love it still or you might not. If you're a fan of Resident Evil 5 and 6, you should definitely give the co-op a go.

SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!

2013-02-23T01:08:00Z

Although I cannot give a true rating for this game, as my brother and I are not finished with it, I can definitely say that I am highly enjoying this game right now. It is a well paced action-horror title, with loads of new features and improvements from the original.

This game definitely deserves your attention; it is probably going to be one of the best titles for this year!! The CO-OP adds a whole level of tension, as you look for your dying partner amidst the smoke and creatures in this game.

krazylegs92 (youtube name) and I are currently doing a Let's Play of this series as well as some other games, please come check us out!! It would be much appreciated!

http://www.youtube.com/krazylegs92

The shocking dismemberment of Dead Space.

2013-02-22T18:02:00Z

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The Dead Space series has been my horror game of choice since it debuted in 2008, The latest entry did not meet my level of expectations with horror or action. Amidst the controversy stirred up with action, coop, and micro transactions, Dead Space 3 still plays fairly well, even if it is less frightening. If you were alienated by the action being more prominent in Dead Space 2, then this game is not for you.

Has the game forsaken horror to become some Call of Duty/Gears of War clone with explosions around every corner? Not Really. It tries to balance its corridor monster shooting with open area shooting scattered throughout. Another change would be you can only carry two guns and ammo is universal. If you're wondering if the gunplay has changed to accommodate the human enemies who shoot at you, the answer is no. The human shooting is only abundant in the intro and towards the end with small encounters after you reach the planet. You do get a duck feature which is semi useless since the way to fight them is to get behind large pieces of cover, which is usually available. The boss fights aren't really any from passed entries and neither are the basic enemy types. Almost all the past enemies make a return in some form or another, including my most hated and feared nemesis. the Hunters. A large problem is the furtehr you progress is the further you progress, through the story the more difficult it becomes with each and every room you enter. Eventually all scares are gone and every new room is a grueling battle. You will also have to repair a lot of machinery this time around like the original. So if you didn't like those point A to point B/fix quests the first time round like me...too bad. These don't require two people but some mini games can be played with another person and do not get overused, however, they are not varied or difficult.

The biggest and best change of gameplay for the game will have to be customization. This entry does not give you guns at certain points, but instead has you craft them they way you'd like them. Each weapon has a frame and allows for two weapon types. the frame acts like a handle for the weapon which allows you to add to the main firing mode. This could be the plasma cutter and you could make the frame so that the slots allow a rotator cuff or make an even more powerful cuter that won't rotate. The second weapon acts as your alternate firing mode and the surplus of options is abundantly apparent. You can combine any number of guns such as the pulse rifle, force gun, grenade launcher, and etcetera. This amount of customization can be overwhelming at the start but eventually becomes addiction and the crazy amount of possibilities will consume a good chunk of your time.

This new system is fueled by scavenging the various resources your enemies drop along with health, stasis, and ammo. The resources are used to build everything in this game and that includes your RIG, weapons and the consumables . And yes, you can buy these with micro transactions. Upgrading your RIG with these resources does make new suit discoveries seem trivial and ust makes the decision of what suit to wear entirely up to what you like. The game also has hidden artifacts for the completionist to find. This adds to the lore if you are interested.

A somewhat weaker part of the game would undoubtedly have to to the graphics and animations. You will face the same slow and wobbly necromorphs from past games with some new ones. While the first part of the has you in space with the awesome zero gravity segments, the best graphics come from the large open areas with something in the background. Otherwise, you will be in one of two kinds of areas: snow or rust. The most dreadful part of the level designs is the fact that Visceral decided to actually recycle environments again and again. Also, you will be able to predict when you will be attacked by the necromorphs, the longer you play, thanks to the vents. But the overall graphic quality does look good and detailed in spite of these faults.

The Story has always been in the background in past games, but not this time. Well, the game tells you that the end is near pretty early on, by saying Earth Gov is and Unitologists are killing everyone. For some odd reason, Visceral unnecessarily decided to turn the Unitologists from mysterious cult to more like a Bond movie villains's army. After a very action oriented beginning Isaac is forced to join up with the last of Earth Gov to find and help Ellie, the interest from Dead Space 2. The first half of the game is pretty much trying to get on the mysterious ice planet: Tau Volantis.

This gives you a chance to get to know the rather unlikable group of characters you're given. Robert Norton Is the most prominent character since he's dating Ellie, also Isaac's love interest, and hates him as well. That does set up a shallow love triangle that, like most of the story and drama, falls flat and detracts from the horror. The voice acting in the game is definitely great like past games but does little to make me actually care for any of the survivors or their fates. In fact, a lot of the characters are just plain dolts. And Carver is a largely inconsistent character who pops up everywhere, which should draw concern for people who play alone.

A promising component of the game is the optional missions, which surprisingly adds to the horror, but starts to fade as you proceed to the planet, like the rest of the game's aspects. They give a taste of old Dead Space with their own stories and corridor shooting from hell. This does not keep going as the game goes along because they eventually just turn into shoot everything to continue. The last optional mission doesn't even doesn't even have a story and these missions usually recycle environments. But they also give a lot of supplies for completing them, thankfully.

For those of you unwilling or fearful to play horror games by themselves fear not, Carver and coop are here. This provides a superior alternative to the lackluster multiplayer in Dead Space 2. Just having your partner around alleviates the fear and difficulty with the added firepower and constant communication. As the player will find out that Dead Space 3 was developed specifically for coop in mind, when you come across the mini-games, the coop only segments,and seeing Carver pop up throughout the story if you played alone. However, coop plays a part in Dead Space 3's weaknesses. Carver for one seemingly shows up when he wants and doesn't really play a prominent role other than making demands of you singleplayer. Not to forget, he could have played the unknown variable in the larger way of schemes with his apparent dementia only seen in co-op. He is a much more flushed out character in co-op, when he is compared to the inconsistent singleplayer version. Visceral tried to make co-op not hinder the singleplayer experience, but it was all in vain.

EA made a lot of controversy heading into the release and it is easy to see why. You can feel turned off from resource collecting with micro transactions. A scavenge robot is in the game to help you with resource collecting for free with a ten minute timer and that can be shortened with the $5 DLC accelerator. This is also available with the numerous amount of day one DLC. But this at the end of day is optional, yet could have been avoided entirely and I chose not to pay a single dime.

The game does actually give you a variety of ways to play with difficulty after completing it once. The usual new-game-plus with better upgrade items, Classic mode which disables co-op and gives you the previous entries' guns, and Pure Survival where the only way to get your health and ammo is to craft them. And finally Hardcore, it gives as many saves as you want, but if you die, you will have to start all over. The game is fairly difficult without these modes if you want to know because of the action element and co-op implemented into Dead Space 3's core.

Overall, I wouldn't call Dead Space 3 complete success. Just another failed attempt to bridge action and horror. I actually enjoy change, but when the changes are strikingly similar to most mainstream games, than that is far from what I would call innovation. The inclusion of action being heavily implemented put a more prominent emphasis on pulling the trigger rather than tactical dismemberment. So with Dead Space 3 marks the end of the trilogy with an ending too absurd to be taken seriously.

I'm Dreamin'... of a White... Dead Space!

2013-02-21T17:45:00Z

Alright, yes, it is the first (and possibly only) game I will give a 10/10 for. It's story has a few hiccups, the opening gives a different vibe than rest of the game will have, and I definitely wish they had expanded on the second act a bit more because oh my gosh that felt so Dead Space 2.0, so much moreso than Dead Space 2. That said, every aspect of the game turns out for the better. Enemies and combat are far harsher. I can play Dead Space 2 on Hardcore without dying, but I couldn't beat Dead Space 3 on Hard without dying nearly seven times.

This is one of those games where I just don't get what people are complaining about. With the upped difficulty and genuinely new types of scares, this was the first entry in the series to actually make me -tense-. It's far more unforgiving, even if you've got a stockpile of ammo and stasis. Often times I'd run low on medkits, especially whenever human enemies arrive.

Instead of being detractors from the experience, humans add far more challenge. They can do more damage in less amount of time than necromorph, and often force you to approach situations differently. The enemy types haven't varied much from the norm, although the focus on making them mutate after being defeated means there's more variety per every single enemy. Cut off a Slasher's arms, he'll turn into a leg bound Leaper.

The customizable weapons equally allow you to adapt on the fly. Between the beginning and end of the game, I made around ten different guns, some only tweaking original designs, others flat out new concepts that I then tested in the field. I started out depending on a revolver/plasma cutter combo, but came to instead depend upon a rivetgun/linegun combo with a damage modifier and electrically charged shots and an electrogun/melee ax for up close encounters.

The game isn't really just horror anymore. Dead Space 3 is definitely Dead Space, but it's more like three games in one. The first one does admittedly feel a bit more like a rapid pace modern shooter, but then not too long afterward you get Dead Space 2.0, and then you get the pay off of finally getting to show the Markers who's boss. The story getting you there might take dips in quality, but the finale is actually one of the best across the entire series. The revelations of what's going on are surprising, but will also actually remind you of a certain other brand that EA has published. If you get what I mean, then prepare to laugh your ass off at the fact that Dead Space does it better, and actually shows what it means for something to be decided because of actual creative wishes rather than to get a game out early.

The side quests actually pay host to some of the best ideas and probably the more challenging and horror-style moments of the game, and they'll often reward you for surviving with a crap ton of resources that will at least restock what you may have lost trying to get to them. The game actually remembers people can be mentally pushed a bit more by finally adding some puzzles that, while not exactly brain teasers, push you to think about how to accomplish them when, say, necromorphs keep attacking you every step of the way while you're trying to TK an object into place. They blend into the gameplay far better than the stupid hacking game from Dead Space 2 (although it unfortunately makes at least five appearances in DS3), and don't feel like a complete and utter waste of time. That said, there's one part near the end where you realize they're reusing a puzzle from the ship and it will be like "really? Really guys?" but at least it means you know what to do with it.

"Yes, I know, I can't believe it either! A 10/10. Now we know the world is ending."

In summary: It's smart, it's fun, and I'm looking forward to trying out co-op with a fellow GIO member. It's worth the price of entry if you liked any of the earlier Dead Space games, and anyone who complains about it just seeming to "action-y" clearly hasn't tried playing Uncharted and Dead Space in the same day. This is still Dead Space, it's just not trying to make you **** your pants every ten seconds. If that's the only reason you were playing, then man were you missing the real highlights of the game.

Dead Space 3 Review: All Action, No Scary SPOILERS

2013-02-21T02:59:00Z

First off, I didn't explain my rating system in the first review. I believe these 4 aspects are equally important in making a successful game today. Not only does it have to be fun, but it must equally have quality graphics, sound, and an interesting, original story at least to impress me. The replay value is really just an added bonus I suppose. So in short, there are 4 areas of judgment all worth around 25% each. Each is worth a max of 2.5 out of the total 10 points. Easy to follow right?

Now we seem to be at the end of the Dead Space trilogy and story. What started as a scary, horrific series with Dead Space 1, continues with the series losing its horror and adds more repetitive action for the player. Let's start the review:

Story ( 1.5 / 2.5 ) - This game seems to end the story of the Dead Space trilogy. It is rather vague in putting the story together until the end where it clears up a bit. The story continues from the first two in the series, which is good. Even though the story is consistent, it was very predictable and at times, very cheesy. The story of Dead Space was very interesting to me, but the ending just didn't do it for me since it ended so abruptly leaving me thinking, wait that's it?

Graphics ( 1 / 2.5 ) - EA did not lie when they said DS3 was a direct port to PC from xbox because the graphics clearly show it. The textures were very low even on max settings and looked very muddy at times. It had almost no AA so all the edges were very jagged and ugly. The lighting was probably the worst part for me. In Dead Space 1, the environment was pretty dark as to keep the suspense and scary part of the game going. In DS3, everything is well lighted so there are no surprises. I keep thinking to myself that if they had removed a few lights in DS3 that they could have brought back some of the scary side from DS1.

Sound ( 1 / 2.5 ) - So because most of the "scary" is taken out of the game, much of the sound quality is very repetitive especially since I used the beginning cutter weapon the entire playthrough. All the sounds from previous games are almost identical and haven't changed or updated at all. Some of the sound is still good, but without the lighting, they just don't have that creepy feeling anymore.

Gameplay ( 1 / 2.5 ) - Here's another title that manages to pretty much screw up the gameplay of a great title. First off, this game is super repetitive. Enemies keep coming from the same spots sometimes endlessly it seems. This game is frustrating because enemies keep coming. The enemies aren't difficult when you have max armor and damage. You just seem to kill every necromorph the exact same way every time you see them, which occurs very frequently. Next, it may just be me, but the plasma cutter weapon that you receive at the beginning at every DS game seems to be the best, so I used it the whole game through the series. I'm not sure if they meant this to happen, but the other weapons in the game just aren't that great. Even though this weapon is easy to use and powerful, it does get pretty old very quickly. Next, we have those instances where you must press, in my case, E repeatedly to keep an enemy from eating you. I understand sometimes this is cool, but having this happen constantly with countless necromorphs around you is ridiculously frustrating especially when you have to hit the key about 30 times before Isaac starts to attack it. Also, there are side missions, which I still haven't figured out. They have almost nothing to do with the story and don't seem to give you any benenfit for completing, so I guess they are a pure waste of time.

Replay ( 0 ) - I probably wouldn't play this game again. It just isn't scary or fun to me in almost any way. They removed the scary aspect of the game and put repetitive boring action in its place. I'm not a fan of grinding or insane repetition, which this game has much of. Even the story is interesting throughout the series, it doesn't warrant a second playthrough. If anything, I might give the cinematics another look on youtube.

All in all, DS3 was a poor ending with almost no scary moments and lots of repetition. If they would have removed much of the lighting in the game, I may have enjoyed it more, but even then, the gameplay was still very repetitive. I'm glad I played through it, but I can't see myself playing it again in the future. I just wish it was scarier like DS1.

Dead Space 3 Review by Rafael

2013-02-18T22:07:00Z

The latest entry into the Dead Space 3 series does not disappoint. The game has now been made to focus a bit more on action, while not necessarily leaving behind the survival horror elements that the series is well known for. That's not to say that the game doesn't have it's share of scares and tense moments.

Picking up three years after Dead Space 2, Dead Space 3 quickly throws its protagonist, Issac Clarke, into another sticky and deadly situation. Without spoiling too much, this new adventure takes him to many locations, providing us gamers with the most location variety that we've seen before. The change in scenery allowed Visceral Games to play around with players' expectations and allowed them to stay fresh with their scare tactics.

Speaking of scares, Dead Space 3 still offers the traditional jump scares we've all come to know and love, but, where I believe Dead Space 3, and the rest of the games, shine is in its atmosphere. Not knowing what's in the next corner, or in the next room can be nerve wracking at times, especially if you're running low on health or ammo. Also new to Dead Space 3 are optional missions, which completing will offer up goodies for the player.

Another new element to Dead Space 3, and the one I regret not exploring more the most during my first playthrough, was the crafting system. Gone are the days where credits were used to purchase things; now, individual resources such as scrap metal can be used to upgrade your Rig and craft ammunition. Dead Space 3 also introduces one of the best crafting systems I've ever had the pleasure of using. Want to make a shotgun with a flamethrower? Check. Want to make a semi automatic rifle with a line gun? Check. Not only can you create an incredible amount of weapons in Dead Space 3, there are dozens of blueprints that can be found throughout the game. The game also introduces Scavenger Bots for the first time, which travel around the area and collect resources for you.

Co-Op is also new to the game and introduces John Carver as a second playable character. Playing with a friend changes the way Dead Space 3 plays, starting with the dialogue, which can differ from single player. Partners can also share the loot that they find, which helps sell to create an aura of dependence on each other. Co-Op mode will also throw more enemies at you, but I recommend you play the game at a higher difficulty for a more challenging time.

Speaking of difficulty, the game, at least for me, wasn't that hard. I attribute it to my playing in normal difficulty (which has more items be dropped by dead enemies) and universal ammunition. At one point near the end of the game, I was complaining about the fact I had so many health packs because dead enemies wouldn't stop dropping them. One fond memory of the original Dead Space I have is having run out of ammo and panicking at the sight of necromorphs coming. I never had a moment like this in Dead Space 3, which is alright okay, but I imagine that It may turn some hardcore fans off.

The story of the game is a bit complicated and confusing at times, but by the end I was able to figure everything out by paying a bit more attention.

All in all, I have little to complain about in Dead Space 3, and it is definitely worth picking up.

"Dead Space 3" Got It Right

2013-02-18T06:36:00Z

Yet again the team at Visceral Games has created an outstanding, action packed horror game that is an amazing addition to the "Dead Space" series. To this day Horror games are the hardest and most criticized game genre to date. You can create a video game that gives you a nice jumpscare, but the rest of the game is boring and anticipated. Dead Space 3 gives you that jump, but also that "I'm so dead" moment when the lights go out and you are forced to stay alive with a horde of Necromorph's jumping out at you from all directions. Dead Space 3 is an on the edge of your seat, heart pounding thrill ride that you don't want to end.

Dead Space has always been my favorite horror game since my first glimpse of the USG Ishimura. In the first game the idea of Issac Clarke being mute and the never seeing his face till the end really made him that mysterious character that you really wanted to understand better. Visceral really did an outstanding job with the character development of Issac in their series. Issac Clarke is not that character that you feel for, he is just that bad-ass, amazing character that everyone loves. Dead Space will in my opinion be a game that really redefined the horror genre in video games.

Gameplay:

Dead Space 3's gameplay is the same as its predecessors with implements of crouch and dodge. Visceral had the thought of "If its not broken, then don't fix it" and they were right. Dead Space did not need to change any controls or make the game feel any different, it is amazing just as it is. Right when the game starts off you know that you are playing a Dead Space game, just by the movements your character makes. Gun play has changed, for the better. The addition of gun customization is amazing, and that is one change that makes the game outstanding. Instead of just having the Plasma Cutter with ammo and damage upgrades, you can now attach a torch to the bottom of the gun with a stasis attachment that slows down your enemies, it just makes the game that much better. Necromorph's have also gotten a little upgrade to them. They look and act ten times better. I literally sat on the edge of my seat every time a horde of them came after me because there would be the Necromorph's that would walk slow and lag behind, and then there were the ones that would charge right at you, keeping you on your toes and ready to shoot. The gameplay is just stellar.

Graphics:

Dead Space 3's Graphics just look outstanding. From the snow effects to flying around in space, Dead Space's graphics have gotten so much better throughout the years. If you have time, try and take a look at how amazing the Necromorph's look..... before you dismember them limb by limb. There isn't much more to say, the graphics are just top notch.

Story(Warning Spoilers): Beginning Summary

Dead Space 3 probably has the best story out of the other two games in the series. Dead Space just introduced you to the story of The Marker and the introduction to the Unitologist's. Dead Space 2 gave you the full story of what The Marker is and why it is the symbol of Unitology. You also get to see Issac and hear him for the first time and understand the trauma The Marker causes Issac to go through. Dead Space 3 closes it all up and ends the series amazingly....or so we think. The idea of a snow planet is just fun in my opinion, who doesn't love snow, but Visceral did an amazing job with the effects of the snow, making Issac place his hand over his helmet to prevent snow from interfering with his vision. Also the crumbling of the snow beneath Issac's feet is just beautiful, if you are one of those people that really analyzes games, like me, you will really appreciate the extra time Visceral put in for those animations.

You are brought right into the story with the introduction of a young adult named Sam who is told by this doctor to go and receive The Key to ending it all. As you find a crashed ship on the snowy planet of Tua Volantis, you are attacked by a couple of Necromorph's. You then find the key aboard the destroyed ship. Towards the end of the mission you are shot point blank by a man named General Mahad of the Sovereign Colony 200 years in the past, before the incidents of Dead Space. This mission, you will soon find out later in the game, is very significant. 200 years later you find Issac Clarke a complete mess, living on a Lunar Colony hiding from EarthGov. Issac is then violently greeted my Captain Robert Norton and Sergeant John Carver. Robert breaks the news of Ellie Langford's disappearance and that the only way to get her back is with Issac. He then forcefully agrees to the mission and is then faced with Unitoloigst's who are trying to kill him. Before Issac escapes the Lunar City he meets Jacob Danik, the leader of a Unitoloigist group called "The Inner Circle". Danik tells Clarke that a new beginning is waiting and destroys The Marker test labs on the colony, starting the spread of the Necromorph's. Issac then escapes with Norton and Carver and their fleet in search of Ellie Langford......The game now begins.

If you are looking for a horror game with aliens that promises more then some recently released games, I advise you to purchase this game. Visceral is a great company that provided us with three outsanding video games, and I am looking forward to Visceral's next Dead Space game....or a new game series. Visceral has really given us the definition of Horror.