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Review by Siraris
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For me, personally, there are few titles that come along and take me by surprise. I spend so much time researching, listening, watching to all the information that I can on most games, that I am invariably sure on whether I will enjoy a game or not before I even play it. Dead Space was a title that I didn't expect to enjoy that much based on my initial viewings of media. It didn't look all that pretty to me; a mediocre engine that didn't have to work too hard because the game was dark anyways. The gameplay looked boring and sluggish; just another third person action game, that happened to be in a pretty bland looking environment. To top it all off, survival horror titles have never scared me, and invariably turn me off in trying to do so with the cheese. It was quite a shock, when, upon playing Dead Space (due to some extra Gamestop credit) I found myself considering this title for my own personal Game of the Year.
Dead Space does not do anything revolutionary in terms of gameplay, graphics or story, which is just fine with me. It takes every aspect of a shooter, and does it extremely well. It approaches its graphics from a perspective of being subtly beautiful, and yet not over the top. The story is interesting, engaging, and at no point cheesy (a huge coup in terms of not only game stories, but also survival horror stories). This is what makes Dead Space so good; it is an all around solid, polished, and engaging title that draws you in from the getgo, and really doesn't let you go until the end.
You start off Dead Space on a mission to explore the Ishamura, a planet cracking ship (I believe the ship takes large chunks out of planets in order to mine for precious minerals) anchored out in deep space. On approach, your ship loses all attitude control, and you end up crashing on the arrival deck of the Ishamura. The tone is truly set at this point for the rest of the game, as you are greeted by a dark, ominous cargo bay that just screams "What's that noise?!'.
Upon entering the lounge of the arrival port, your character (Isaac Clarke) is separated from the rest of his team when a cadre of aliens drop in for an unexpected visit. At this point, you start running, and never look back. The pacing for the title starts off frantic, and doesn't let go, and this is another reason to add to the list of why this title is so good. Pacing is extremely important in any game, because a game that keeps the player interested throughout the entire title is going to be much more enjoyable than a title that has you chomping at the bits for another exciting event to occur. Dead Space really only lets you rest when you are upgrading your equipment, or stocking up on new items. Every other moment is pretty much filled a palpable tension, while you wait for something to jump out and cut your limbs from your body.
Graphics are very important to me in titles for no other reason than because it sets the entire stage for the game. One of my concerns about Dead Space from the getgo was that it would be drawn down by it's graphics engine. Fortunately, I can say that without a doubt, Dead Space is one of the prettiest titles of the "Next Generation". The lighting in this title makes the game, without a doubt. There is a subtle beauty to it that is pleasing to the eye, while also creating a very realistic feel to the environments. There were a few notable situations where I stopped for a moment to just take in the beauty of the scene, something I don't often do in games, so it's always a nice treat when it happens. I cannot stress how impressed I was with the graphics from this title, and it really helped to reinforce the wonderful environment that was created by the artists over at EA.
Graphics, sound, story can all be great, but what it all comes down to is gameplay. The gameplay is like that of your typical shooter. On the 360 version, you equip a gun with the D-Pad, you pull the left trigger to bring up your weapon, and you press A to fire; that's it. The one aspect that freshens the combat is the use of locational damage to take down your foes, something that most titles do not utilize. It definitely added a level of complexity to the gameplay that I had to consciously try and aim for the head, arm, leg, or sometimes tail, of my foes. It was terribly satisfying to cleave off body parts, even though this didn't always stop the creature from coming at you. One thing to point out, though, is the fact that very few of the weapons are conventional (shooting bullets or lasers). The Line Gun, for example, shot a wide beam of energy (or projectile) at your foe, while the Force Gun emits a strong force of gravitational energy that knocks down your foes. It was also quite enjoyable to play through the entire game with the Plasma Cutter, which never stopped evoking satisfaction by tearing your foes to shreds.
All of these components come together to create an enthralling environment that keeps pulling you back in for more. You will feel as if this ship that you are traversing is actually a living, breathing world for you to inhabit; if only it wasn't so damn terrifying!
I don't want to go that much more into Dead Space, because I don't want to spoil it. I can't guarantee that everyone will love this title, but I am pretty sure that if you are a fan of a solid third person shooter with great graphics and an encompassing environment, you will enjoy this game. It is truly a diamond in the rough, and should be a strong beacon for what EA is going to be doing in the future. For those who chastised EA for creating rehashed sequels year after year, this title will give you hope that the EA juggernaut will produce great games for years to come.
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