Dead Space 3 Chills Me to the Bone - Preview
by Gordon Bryant , posted on 07 June 2012 / 3,506 Views
When it comes to sequels, bigger is almost always better, especially when it comes to videogames. The Visceral representative in charge of showing off Dead Space 3 to us made sure to start the presentation by assuring us that Dead Space 3 was everything the first two games were and much, much more. After watching nearly 30 minutes of gameplay, I am convinced that he was not just blowing smoke. It's really hard to actually describe what happens in a demonstration of Dead Space 3, because most of the best parts of the game were all about shock and awe, terror, or grandoise set pieces that really need to be seen and experienced to be felt.
I'd say the biggest addition to the game would be the full campaign co-op mode, which makes a huge difference not just in the gameplay but the story, characters, exposition and mood; the game's tone changes entirely based on whether you're playing two player co-op or going it solo. Whilst the game's events don't change, the details are completely different, which gives you a reason to play the entire game co-op AND singleplayer and promises at least good replay value. As demonstrated, the co-op is a simple drop in and out feature that only takes a few menu presses and a death or other dividing line to restart at the last checkpoint with or without your partner. Subtle differences in the experience based on what game mode you play include but are not limited to conversations between characters, animations, and even hints. At one point, the second player pointed out a weak point that you would have had to figure out on your own had you been playing alone.
Dead Space 3 is still a survival horror game at its core, but with each iteration of the series it leans more towards action and excitement and Dead Space 3 has some damn fine action set pieces. In the half-hour demo, we saw two boss fights and three action scenes; they were all awesome and were very fun to watch. I wish I could say more, but to be honest I recommend looking up a video online if at all possible, because describing the twisted monstrosity at the end of the demo would be a futile attempt on my part; if you've played any of the previous games and know what a necromorph is, you have a good idea of what you're in for, just this time they cranked up the danger and size tenfold.
By setting the game not only in deep space on space ships but also on the surface of a planet - a frozen wasteland reminiscent of Lost Planet - Visceral has brought a much larger sense of scale to the series. There are bigger necromorphs on the surface, blinding storms to brave, and for the first time in the series there's serious human opposition. Visceral also informs us that Dead Space 3 will be investigating the origins and links between the necromorphs and the markers. Part of me wants to complain about the fact that Dead Space now has human opponents and chest high walls/cover based shooting like a typical shooter, but the dynamic cover system makes it tolerable and frankly the rest of the game just looks awesome.
The scariest part of the demonstration was when Isaac was slowly pushing himself on through the blizzard, and the wind and ice was so thick that he didn't see a powerful necromorph that wanted to make him lunch until it was less than five feet away, making sure that even in the open expanse of the planet's surface, you can still feel constrained and claustrophobic. Don't worry though, eventually the storm dies down and you're treated to a truly wonderful and serene setting, getting a great view at the planet's moons amidst a blue and orange blended horizon.
Just keep telling yourself it'll be all right.
