Dead Space

[Harrison]

Finally got around to trying this one out tonight. The PC version.

I was expecting the graphics to be a little demanding for my 7800GT, but I bumped the settings up to 1280x1024 on high and it looks great and plays smoothly, so that is really good.

The over the shoulder and to the side third person view point takes a bit of getting used to and is a bit disorientating, especially to someone used to play FPS style games. The controls on the PC version are also a little annoying. The usual mouse and WASD combo is used for movement. However when you hit tab to bring up the menu system you then have to switch to using the curser keys and enter to control the menu, plus the 1-4 keys to switch menu screens. A bit over fiddly. Would have been better to have mouse driven menus, or WASD navigation within them. But you get used to it quickly I suppose.

I've only played the game quickly to see what it was like and I'm enjoying it so far. Great scripts and believable voice acting for a change. Orchestrated set pieces much like Bioshock and similar, and although it is set in space it has a similar gameplay atmosphere and feel to that game too.

I think I'm going to enjoy this one.

[J T]

Got this on the 360, I wasn't too keen to start with but just at the end of the 3rd chapter and I'm starting to enjoy it a lot more.

The design and stylings are great, excellent graphics, but the tension isn't quite there compared to, say, Resi 4. I think the build-up should've been longer before OMG zombie monsters blood shoot off teh limbz. A nice, creep brooding build up would've been great.

[Bloodwych]

Sounds cool.

There was an adult cartoon called Dead Space wasn't there? With Zombie alien things and lots of blood.

Looks like the game is based off that.

[Demon Cleaner]

I'm currently at chapter 7 and I'm also enjoying it (playing it on PS3). I have to say that sometimes it really made me freak out, so that I almost fell off the couch. But that's on the big plasma, 5.1 sound at decent volume, and lights turned out. So far I'm also enjoying it a lot.

There's an anime called Dead Space: Downfall which explains the story before the game. It's also been released on BluRay now.

[Bloodwych]

That's what I must have seen Demon Cleaner - the anim for the game. It did have an open ending come to think of it...

[Demon Cleaner]

I have a DVD copy of it, but haven't watched it yet. Gonna do it after finisheing the game.

[Harrison]

I think the build-up should've been longer before OMG zombie monsters blood shoot off teh limbz. A nice, creep brooding build up would've been great.

That is a good point and I agree. It jumps into the zombie monster killing way too early. They should have used some uneasy suspense that is often used so well in space based horror films such as Event Horizon or Alien, or in games like Doom 3. In that game you don't get to see what is really attacking everyone or going on properly for some time, with glimpses through windows into rooms with flickering lights. Another game that uses suspense well is FEAR. Ideas from any of them to prolong the initial encounter would have been great.

But when you do get trapped in that initial room and the first attack happens it is quite well done, and then you being attacked and having to run is great to get the panic level rising.

I've not played the game past the second chapter yet as I'm spending most of my time playing Fallout 3 at the moment. That game is so huge with loads to see and do. And I know I've only scratched the surface so far.

[Sharingan]

I'll probably pick this one up tomorrow, along with Call of Duty 5 and Mirror's Edge. All the reviews on Dead Space have been glowing so far.

Still busy playing Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, LittleBigPlanet and Valkyria Chronicles, but one can never have too many games, right?

[Ghost]

You do know about SecuRom right?

[Harrison]

You do know about SecuRom right?

The easy to crack PC game copy protection system?