Dead Space 3 Review

[Remilia Scarlet]

WARNING: The beginning of this review will be extremely controversial, but I felt that I had to put my opinion on the matter surrounding the controversy of Dead Space 3 out there. I realize that I WILL offend some of you who do not like the game, but I have to respectfully say this: I don't care. No matter what I say about the game, I also realize that you have already formed an opinion on the matter and it's not going to change. Likewise for me. However I do appreciate that you took the time to visit my review, and you have my thanks.

 

AWAKEN THE TERROR.

 

 

 

Dead Space 3 is a divisive game. Apart from DmC Devil May Cry, which also released in 2013, this is possibly the most divisive game I've played in recent memory. It is also a very good game, despite what some may have you believe. Okay, so Visceral turned down the horror a couple of notches, but that doesn't make it any less scary. I had my very generous helping of heart stopping moments and bone-chilling, skin-crawling creepiness and unsettling suspense. Visceral believed toning down the terror levels some was a good idea, and I agree. Dead Space and Dead Space 2 are some of the scariest games I've played, oftentimes to the point that I could not continue, no matter how good the game was. Exploring the Ishimura in Dead Space 2 was simultaneous one of the most horrific and nostalgic moments of the game, but I had to stop at least six times or risk a nervous breakdown. 

 

The point is, the previous entries were too scary and Visceral wanted a wider audience. The games may sell well, but horror remains a niche genre, and broadening the appeal has the potential to bring in new players. My response to the so-called "fans" of Dead Space who cried foul and wrote off the game for this reason is quite simply this:

 

Get over it. 

 

Series evolve. It happens. Unless you actually take the time to play and enjoy Dead Space 3 for what it is - a well-crafted, fun, and suitably suspenseful action game - then what right have you to rip apart the game simply because it took the Dead Space formula and switched it around? A true fan would recognize the fact the series was already on the path to changing and would accept the changes and do one of two things: embrace the change or drop the series. They would not cry about how "their" series was "ruined" by the developers who "left the true fans behind to pander to the lowest common denominator". (Seriously, one of my friends literally said this).

 

 

Now that my rant is over, let us get to the meat of the review.

 

Evolution of Fear

 

As previously stated in the above paragraphs, Dead Space 3 is a pretty radical change in form for the series. The horror segments are toned down somewhat and the game has a greater focus on combat than in previous titles. However, given the evolution of the games since the original release, this makes a lot of sense. In the first entry, Isaac was little more than a scared engineer thrown into hell with a plasma cutter (although he gained more tools as the game progressed). He was inexperienced and up against a threat he knew nothing about. In Dead Space 2 he was simply facing the same things again, although it retained that air of dread. Isaac had more tools at his disposal, but he was still somewhat inexperienced in combat. However, in Dead Space 3 Isaac has gone up against countless Necromorphs. He knows how they act, and how to end them, so there is no need to make him scared. He is experienced and has the know how. He is simply on a mission to destroy them.

 

This evolution is accompanied with a brilliant crafting system. For the first time ever, Dead Space gives players the ability to build and share awesome tools of destruction in order to combat the endless waves of Necromorphs. It is oh-so-satisfying to craft an exploding plasma cutter coupled with a lightning gun and watch the Necromorphs explode into meaty chunks. But, unfortunately, as epic as the crafting system is, it breaks the game. If you have the materials, you can craft the ultimate weapon and never need to worry about being unprepared.

 

Crafting is intuitive, but can lead to game-breaking weapons.

 

Other new additions to the game include a scavenger bot that you can send out into the world to look for resources. These resources can then be converted into materials to use for crafting new items such as ammo and health kits. On the subject of ammo, Visceral has replaced the specific ammo packs for certain weapons with a universal ammunition, making it easier to manage ammo consumption. This is a welcome change, as in previous titles I never could manage to find a specific ammo type for the weapon I was holding. It would usually be ammo for a weapon that already had too much, or that I didn't like (and in some cases, didn't even own). The downside is that there is entirely too much of the ammo packs, and not enough of the other resources. 

 

Exploration is far more open ended in Dead Space 3 than in the previous games. As much of the game takes place on a planet now, players have more freedom to explore and find resources and other collectibles. Massive environments are impressive to look at, from the vast darkness of space, to the windswept mountain peaks of Tau Volantis, all the way down to the claustrophobic confines of ancient military bases. The locations are varied and gorgeously detailed. 

 

Boss battles are much larger in scale this time around. As usual, defeating them requires destroying the yellow glowing pustules on their body, but it will not be as easy as last time around. Bosses are far more intelligent and require much more strategy to kill. Most of them will also be accompanied by minions that need to be taken care of first, or you risk a swift death.

 

 

Feeders are an example of one of those minions I mentioned.

 

Sharing is Caring...Probably

 

The biggest change to the series formula is the addition of co-op. One player uses Isaac and the other uses a new character named John Carver. The interesting thing about co-op is that the second player actually experiences hallucinations exclusive to Carver, similar to the ones Isaac experienced in the first two games. An added bonus to the co-op experience is that the two players can complete missions that actually tie into Carver's increasing dementia. If players choose to complete all these "Carver missions", they will find an added layer of depth and complexity to an otherwise bland character if they choose to play in solo mode. Disappointingly, however, Carver is merely a background character for most of the co-op campaign, reduced to a silent AI in cutscenes. The witty banter between Isaac and Carver while exploring is more than enough to make up for the flaw, though.

 

Co-op does come with its share of annoyances, though. A stable connection is required for the entire session, or the one playing as Carver will inexplicably be knocked out of the session, resulting in data loss, and possibly hours of progression. Lag can result in cheap deaths and issues completing objectives. For the most part, though, I rarely experienced any major problems. 

 

The most annoying thing about co-op is the saving system. It is confusing and frustrating to start a co-op session and return to single-player to find that all of your co-op data was saved to a different file. It makes absolutely no sense that progression with a friend does not save to the same file as single player data. 

 

Not the End

 

You already know my stance on the game. I love it. I accept the change and I feel the series has remained fresh because of it. Dead Space 3 is a great game, and rewards intuitive play styles and cooperative gameplay. Do not lament the past. Give Dead Space 3 a fair chance and you might be surprised by how much you actually enjoy it.

 

Final Verdict: 9/10 - Great

[Condemned09]

Great review, the game does deserve a 9, the co op is very annoying but really fun