Gameplay:
Dead Space is a sci-fi survival horror game set in the distant future. After a friendly mining ship losing communications with headquarters, you and your crew are sent in to investigate the problem. Upon arrival, your ship loses control and collides into the friendly mining ship which causes serious structural damage and eliminates your means of escape. Shortly after, you find out that the ship is infested with a wide variety of disgusting creatures who all seek to kill you. Throughout the game, the story develops into a complicated series of strange relationships between yourself and those who you arrived with as the gameplay gets increasingly intense and new and more difficult monsters begin to appear.
The game sports an upgrade system which is done with items called nodes. Nodes can both be found through the game, as well as purchased for an expensive fee at the in-game store. These are then used to upgrade both your weapons and armor in a grid-like interface. To top that off, the 7 weapons in the game are all a blast to use and really help make the game fun in the long-run. However, the game does have some issues with close-range combat which can make some portions of the game annoyingly difficult. Another feature in the game is the stasis system. Early in the game, the main character learns how to use both stasis and telekinesis abilities. The stasis ability freezes enemies in front of the character, and telekinesis allows you to throw around objects. The stasis ability require stasis energy which is sometimes hard to come by, but its use is required in solving puzzles throughout the game, and both stasis and telekinesis are incredibly rewarding to use in combat if used effectively.
Controls:
The controls of the game have a sense of weight to them. Movement and turning is a little slow, but truthfully it fits the experience and isn’t as much of an obstacle as it seems at first. One issue with the game is the close-range combat, which seems to be the one real weakness to the main character. If an enemy gets right in your face, it’s really difficult to fire at the monster, and the melee attacks are practically useless. In some of the really difficult portions of the game, it creates somewhat of a problem, but the use of stasis to slow down the creatures is a great way to counter the issue. Overall, the controls are very precise and despite the shortcomings of the close-quarter combat, the game does a great job.
Graphics:
Graphically, Dead Space has a lot of strengths and a couple weaknesses. The lighting and shadows in the game are really spectacular and at times help make the game one of the scariest gaming experiences to date. Although the game features the same metal ship look throughout the game, the fine detail of the areas really helps give the environment life which therefore draws you into the experience. Another thing to note is that there are a few points in the game where you must exit the ship and enter zero gravity space. These sequences are really intense and feature some stunningly beautiful visuals. On the other hand, the textures throughout the game are rather low resolution, and even the character models aren’t too friendly-looking either. All in all, the variety and environmental detail helps balance with the medium-quality textures to create a really terrifying experience that doesn’t sacrifice frame rate.
Sound:
One of the most important things about any horror game is the sound. Visceral Games has hit the nail on the head with this game, and has delivered a terrific sound experience. The ambience and environmental effects are remarkable and really help make every portion of the game scary and immersive. The sound effects are really great and shooting in the vacuum of space has never felt so good. The voice acting is nothing to brag about, but it is definitely passable and has its great moments. In the end, the mixture of environmental effects and terrific sound effects from both the weapons and enemies create an incredibly eerie experience that will make you jump from your seat.
Replay Value:
Dead Space is a single-player only game that lasts roughly 14-17 hours. Some portions of the game are rather repetitive but a good portion of the game is scary and a lot of fun. The sheer amount of upgrades for your character are too much for 1 or maybe even 2 play throughs, so many will come back for more. The story is also hard to fully understand on the first play through, so a second play through is definitely warranted for many. Overall, the game doesn’t last too long, but the terrifying experience is definitely worth the purchase.
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Rating:
Story: 8.0
Gameplay: 8.5
Graphics: 9.0
Controls: 8.5
Sound: 9.5
Replay Value: 8.0
Overall: 8.6
Own, Rent, Avoid:
Own: Dead Space is one of the most terrifying games to date. With its great audio and visuals, Dead Space delivers a unique experience that you won’t likely forget.
Last Thoughts:
What Dead Space lacks in variety it more than makes up for in its ability to scare the tar out of you. There is nothing quite like the game, and the welcomed implementation of node upgrades and stasis abilities helps make the combat very rewarding at times. If you’re looking for a scary next-generation game, this is it.
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Written By
Jonathan Leack
6/12//2009
