Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Underappreciated"

So I finally got my hands on Dead Space. I was curious after a friend of mine bumped it my way, but too many other games got in the way. "Oh the horror!", I hear you say. And you're damn right. (The following contains a couple spoilers)

I have to interrupt my review to add that if you play this game with anything less than surround sound - you will not have the same experience. This game is MEANT to scare you. You are meant to be afraid. So, because my system is a little too loud for the rest of the home, I donned my new Turtle Beach DX11's, turned the lights off and sat in front of my LCD. I can't tell you the amount of times I jumped out of my seat. If I had a swear jar, I'd be broke (and rich!). Game difficulty - hardest available of course; HARD.

Dead Space offers what few games have been able to provide before or since. If you want atmosphere, then this game gives it like no other. The sound-scape to DS is incredible. Tools dropping in the background, whispers, buzzes, things scurrying through the vents, even the com screen ignition gives you a jump from time to time. Without such attention to detail in the sound department this game would have gone nowhere. There are times when the music builds to a crescendo and you're begging for something not to appear - and it doesn't....

The game has 12 levels. Is that all I hear you say? Yes, and every step of the way, you're begging for them to be shorter. You learn very quickly that if you run through the game you will get cut down. These creatures are fast and faster. There is an interesting array of enemies, all with their own varied ways to attack and dismember you. And boy do they like to get up close and personal. Countless times I went into a sequence whereby I had to tap A to save my life - and countless times I failed. Each of the creatures has a preferred way of killing you which provides some entertainment to the disgust of losing yet another life.

The developers must have had a lot of fun with this one. Enemies bait you by letting you run after them, playing dead, and hiding behind things. It's sometimes excruciatingly squirm worthy when you know that what lies ahead is too unknown to feel any form of safety.

The game on HARD is just as it describes. DS doesn't offer you easy solutions. There are small puzzles along the way, and the rationing of ammunition and health supplies keeps you tip toeing along with your weapon constantly ready. Enemies are tough. You have to dismember them piece by piece, first just to slow them down and then again to finish them off. This is all too fun and much easier after you complete the game where you get to go through the game for another round with your already upgraded arsenal. However, for first time players, my advice is to take it slow and conserve. "Power ups?" - you say? Yes, there is a great little work bench upgrade system whereby you use power nodes to better you weapons and rig. The catch is, that there aren't enough power nodes for all your weapons in one round of the game. So choosing the right weapon and ability to power is essential. You are able to find things to sell for extra money to buy power nodes and equipment, but even then you might have to choose between an upgrade or an extra health item. Such decisions are what brings the game it's brilliance.

And of that brilliance shines another aspect. The world is unbelievable. You travel most of the time through corridors - which are all very varied, and you don't feel as though you're wandering through the same map at any time. BUT then you enter a room that makes you forget what your mission is, and at times, if there are any enemies about. Anti gravity chambers, hydroponic areas, zero oxygen external wanderings, a giant Asteroid held in place, and through any window that shows you the space outside, you can sit and gaze out of for literally minutes at a time. The greatest thing about this game is how they got the weight of the world and the characters within it just right. I feel like I have been in space.

The story too doesn't necessarily offer anything super fresh, but is paced well, delivered well, and doesn't contain a lot of complex jargon that many sci-fi adventures suffer from. There's a few twists and turns, and on the second play through I'm picking up on all the little hints and details I missed the first time.

Negatives, what can be improved upon? Not a lot. I could do with being able to turn quicker! It could have been a little longer - however I'd prefer it to be the action packed and wondrous length that it is without trying to fill parts of a story that isn't there. They even decide for us to leave the Ishimura and go to the planet in search of further answers.

I can't believe this game was made in 2008. It stands the test of time. I highly recommend the game and I will definitely grab DS2. I think it will be one of the greatest overlooked series in my gaming history.