Dead Space (PS3)

...so I opted to purchase Dead Space instead. The game's main character, Isaac Clarke, is an engineer. So I presume you have to go around the place fixing broken machinery. Seems safe enough.

Well I should have guessed that safety is not something you should associate with this game. The box cover is a picture of a severed hand. Now I wonder how that happened. Perhaps the engineer was careless with his tools? Okay before moving on I better ...
...security officer.

Dead Space is broken down into twelve chapters which chronicle Isaac's attempt to get back home. In order to survive he needs to use his engineering skills to repair the badly damaged Ishimura. One level you may find yourself having to stop the ship from crashing to the planet and in another level you'll have to repair the ship's defence system to keep the craft from being smashed by meteors. Travelling about the ... more

I'm starting to think that video games really do promote violence. Looking at my PS3 collection I see titles were the player takes the role of characters who are just asking for trouble. In Metal Gear Solid 4 you're a solider, in Soul Calibur 4 you're a sword fighter and Assassin's Creed has you playing as a door to door salesman. Erm I mean an assassin. Well enough is enough, time to expand my horizons and look for something a little different. Alas I was unable to find any door to door salesmen simulators so I opted to purchase Dead Space instead. The game's main character, Isaac Clarke, is an engineer. So I presume you have to go around the place fixing broken machinery. Seems safe enough.

Well I should have guessed that safety is not something you should associate with this game. The box cover is a picture of a severed hand. Now I wonder how that happened. Perhaps the engineer was careless with his tools? Okay before moving on I better explain the game's plot. The game is set in the distant future on a mining ship called the Ishimura. Communication with the ship, that is orbiting a distant planet, has been lost so it's up to Isaac and a small crew to investigate what is up. What seems like a routine mission takes a turn the worse when the shuttle Isaac is on crashes into the Ishimura's hangar bay. Isaac is now stuck on the ship along with Kendra Daniels the science expert and Zach Hammond the security officer.

Dead Space is broken down into twelve chapters which chronicle Isaac's attempt to get back home. In order to survive he needs to use his engineering skills to repair the badly damaged Ishimura. One level you may find yourself having to stop the ship from crashing to the planet and in another level you'll have to repair the ship's defence system to keep the craft from being smashed by meteors. Travelling about the ship could be a nightmare as the 3D map you are provided with is a little confusing. Thankfully by pressing the R3 button you can make a holographic line appear on the ground which guides you directly to your objective. A welcome relief given my poor sense of direction.

Now you might be wondering why the ship's crew isn't helping Isaac out with the repairs. Well the thing is that they are dead. Yes my hopes of playing a peaceful game have been dashed. Dead Space is survival horror game and a rather gory one at that. The crew has been slaughtered and their corpses have mysteriously revived as mutated monstrosities that resemble something out of John Carpenter's "The Thing." If you have a weak heart this game may not be for you. On a number of occasions I was caught off guard by a creature lunging at me when I least expected it. Granted I'm not the bravest chap ever, but it's hard not to get creeped out by the game's dark setting which are enhanced by superb graphics.

Anyone who has played Resident Evil 4 is going to feel right at home here as both games are similar with the action being viewed from a third person view, just over Isaac's shoulder. The levels have the player moving from objective to objective blasting the creatures that get in your way and solving the odd puzzle. The enemies you encounter come in all manner of weird forms. There are humanoid monsters, little creatures who cling to the walls, armoured abominations that are hard to kill and freaks with pulsating arms that explode when they get near. To do well you are advised early on to "strategically dismember" the necromorphs. In other words shoot at their limbs.

Mr Clarke's melee skills are quite pitiful so I would not encourage players to go toe to toe with the undead beasties you find. Thankfully Isaac is armed with a plasma cutter. Strictly speaking the cutter is meant to be a tool, but for all intents and purposes it works like an energy based handgun. It's not the only weapon you can use though. As you explore the ship you can collect credits which can be used to buy other weapons such as a pulse rife, flame thrower or a ripper (sounds painful.) To improve your odds of survival you can also use nodes that you find to upgrade your equipment at the work benches that are scattered around the ship.

One thing that concerned me about this game is that it is mostly based in the Ishimura. As a result the environment gets rather repetitive. You go from one metal corridor to another. Thankfully there is usually something happening to keep your interest. Whenever your not engrossed in a fire fight you have to use your gadgets to overcome obstacles. These include magnetic boots that help you stick to walls in zero gravity areas, the kinesis arm that lets you grab items that are out of reach or the stasis module that slows down time. Slowing down time makes you feel like you are fighting in the Matrix. Hmm this game has borrowed from The Thing and The Matrix? I hope those EA lawyers are good, because they are asking to get sued.

Another thing that keeps the player's attention is the story. Although there aren't many human characters to interact with, and Isaac remains mute throughout the adventure, I was surprised by how much they squeezed into the game story wise. As you walk about the ship you'll find logs from the crew that give hints on what has happened. Apparently the reanimated corpses may have something to do with an alien artefact that was discovered on the planet the Ishimura is circling. There's also some other stuff concerning a religious cult that is interested in the artefact and Isaac's attempts to find his girlfriend who is meant to be on board somewhere. I won't say anything else to avoid spoilers. I love that excuse... it really cuts down on my typing hehe.

Speaking of typing I think it's time to sum up and give my fingers a rest. I wouldn't want to sprain them as it would prevent me from playing this quality game. I highly recommend Dead Space to anyone who enjoys survival horror. Gamers who like films like Alien or Event Horizon should also get a kick out of it. The theme of trying to stay alive in outerspace is really influenced by those motion pictures. Anyone who isn't interested in bloody games should however stay clear. Dead Space is one of those games that shouldn't be played after consuming a large meal. The disturbing imaginary it contains certainly does not help the digestive process. 

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