Dead Space Review

Rating: (Bad: 1-3, Average: 4-6, Good: 7-10)
Story: 6
Graphics: 8 (but at times too dark)
Sound: 7
Controls: 8
Overall Gameplay Experience: 8
March ’09 Value: $35
Achievement Difficulty: 4 out of 10 (a little easier than average)

Achievements:
-700 G’s with one playthrough in 20 hours.

-850 G’s with second playthrough in 35 hours.

-1000 G’s with third playthrough and 50 hours.

Review:
EA can do no wrong. Their sports games can rarely be beaten. They have had some non-sports related successes since they pushed Sega Genesis to new heights. This game was no different. Although this game was an impulse Ebay purchase for me. I based my decision on the good reviews of Gamespot.com and the EA reputation. The decision ended up being a good one. I’ve been a fan of survival horror since the first Resident Evil. This game has the same basic gameplay and story development style as that successful series. Although it took me a bit to warm up to this game, it ended up being a great game that I highly recommend for fans of this genre.

Basically, it is set in space in the future. A friendly ship has been attacked and is broken down. You are part of a team that is sent in to fix the ship and investigate. You are quickly thrust into survival horror situation. For the time being, although you have others characters assisting you, you are the man tasked with doing just about everything to save the ship, your compatriots, and yourself. Although the story is linear, it gives the feeling of making decisions. You have a little freedom in where to go next, what weapons to use, and what to purchase, upgrade, and store. Kinesis and the occasional zero gravity play are a little unique and fun.

After playing one time, I didn’t like it very much. I’ve now played through the entire game 2.5 times, logging over 40 hours and like it a lot. As with some games, it takes a while to get into the story while getting to know the controls and the purpose of what you should be doing. Give this game a chance. Controls are difficult at first, but become second nature soon enough. The 3D in game map is very pretty, but not of much use. It doesn’t matter much, as you don’t really need it. By pressing your thumbstick down, you will be directed toward your next objective.

The game probably isn’t for everybody, but drew me in. It is a great late night game to play in the dark for that suspense feeling. After only turning it on two times, I became entrenched in the story and excited to keep playing. I think any player will like the game even more each time they play. The G’s seem to come pretty easy too. I’ll definitely buy part 2 right away, whenever it comes out.

For more information and a printable GAME GUIDE, open the following 2 jpg files: