By Jeremy Hannaford (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: February 20, 2013
Some people say that video games aren’t scary anymore – that the feelings of horror and dread from games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil no longer exist. I can say for those people, they certainly have more stones than me.
While Dead Space 3 doesn’t terrify me to the point of hiding under my covers in fear of monsters coming to get me, it sure does give me a good scare along with an amazing gameplay experience.
Dead Space 3 is the third instalment in the sci-fi horror series created by Electronic Arts and Visceral Games. The games have followed the extremely unlucky Isaac Clark, an engineer who has been tormented by alien artifacts called Markers and the undead monsters known as Necromorphs that spawn from them. Dead Space 3 puts Clark at the forefront of a fight he no longer wants any part of. With the Unitologists—a fanatic religious cult who believe the Markers are the next step in human evolution—hot on his trail, Clark is forced to face his nightmares once again.
Dead Space has always been about putting yourself in a very dark and dreary place with futuristic weapons, untrustworthy and slightly crazy characters and a whole lot of undead alien things that you have to blast the limbs off of to kill.
This (for the most part) has returned in Dead Space 3 with one major difference to the IP’s classification. Dead Space 3 is now a sci-fi horror action shooter and surprisingly, it is a refreshing spin on the series.
No longer surviving on extremely limited ammo, Dead Space 3 gives you an array of weapons and ammo which you can customize and tune to make into an ultimate killing machine. Customization itself has been revamped. No longer just upgrading damage and capacity levels, you can actually make a unique and powerful weapon. In one instance, I made a chain gun spike launcher with an electrified bola launcher underneath. The possibilities, while limited at first, can be very extensive the farther one gets into the game.
In a solo experience, Dead Space still offers thrills and chills all the while throwing in homages to classic sci-fi horror films like Aliens and The Thing. I played solo for a short while but I found the real excitement was in playing the campaign cooperatively. Having the rugged and stone-hearted soldier John Carver constantly alongside Isaac really adds to the mix. His involvement includes additional dialogue, story elements and optional missions – way more than just having another player present. Carver and Isaac both have their own visions and moments that are unique and really build the Dead Space universe. The gameplay is even more fun with a partner. The enemies are tougher and there are still some scares to be had, but it’s nothing but fun for the two of you and having additional help solving the game’s puzzles is most welcome.
Dead Space 3 isn’t without its shortcomings, however. Unlike the last two games—where either the atmosphere or Isaac’s chronic insanity was the forefront of the story—this time around we are given a lacklustre story with a love triangle that is more childish than a teenage drama flick. There are moments where information is inexplicably discovered and most of the additional objective missions involve tedious backtracking and uninspired item collecting. The Dead Space games have never really been about giving you a full answer, but this time it feels like the writers took that for granted. While that can make the cut scenes cringe-worthy and boring, it doesn’t take anything away from the exceptional gameplay.
Dead Space 3 is the same game that players know and love, but now with a few added upgrades and enhancements, making the game that much more enjoyable. It encourages you to play the game a second time around and to keep constructing weapons and upgrading your suits. If you can, make sure to play this game with additional player. It’s an experience you certainly don’t want to miss.
