It seems like ages ago since the first leaks appeared, with Dead Space 3’s co-op multiplayer the subject of much discussion – should an action horror title like this really be played with a buddy? Well, yes – it’s actually rather good fun, but the pre-release critique didn’t stop there.
First were the changes due to the first two games being “too scary”, then the Kinect voice controls and then the news that EA wanted your money for in-game money, that one caused quite a stir.
But now, finally (and frustratingly for some, a few hours after the game was made available to everyone on the PSN Store) the review embargo is up. Was all that fuss just a flash in the pan? Is the game actually pretty damn good after all? Let’s see.
- Eurogamer: 7/10Â – “It’s certainly not a great game, except perhaps as a poster child for the kitchen-sink development mentality of a console generation in its twilight months.”
- CVG: 7.3/10 – “In the end, Dead Space 3’s co-op mode ends up mirroring the single-player experience: slick, entertaining, with the occasional moment of brilliance, marred by a lack of tension, pacing and pant-filling scares.”
- Joystiq: 4.5/5 – “This can’t repeat the original Dead Space‘s first-blush brilliance, but it does make this sequel an interesting, thoughtfully constructed horror game. Dead Space 3‘s only major stumble, which is forgivable in light of its other accomplishments, is in combat against other armed soldiers.
- Edge: 7/10 –Â “The campaign feels overlong and stretch marks begin to appear towards the end of the roughly 20-hour adventure.”
- Destructoid: 8/10 – “The changes thrown into the game inevitably damage its charm, though, and make this a step down from its prequels.”
- Kotaku: “NO” – “This isn’t how Dead Space should be remembered. Play 1 or 2 instead, and savor the happy (creepy) memories.”
We’re doing something a little different with our Dead Space 3, stay tuned.
The game is out on Friday in the UK.
Origami Killer
Wow didn’t know the game would last 20 hours or so, last game I completed in around 8. I’m not expected great reviews, as the demo was terrible. Not liking the idea of shooting at other humans too.
kjkg
What, you kill people as well as the necromorphs now?
The Lone Steven
Yes. Apparently, the cover mechanics are a bit naff and there is no tension as well as the there had better not be 3 or more necromorphs hiding behind that corner or i’m fecked feeling. :-/
Origami Killer
Yeah as steven said, as well as necromorphs you have to kill normal people as well. With them firing guns, and the lack of a decent cover system (only crouch) in the demo I didnt feel it worked well.
cc_star
Everyone seems to say it’s an action shooter & the tension has disappeared.
In other words EA have changed what Dead Space is chasing the coin, like only EA can, whilst understandable for a business to do I think that’s ultimately short-sighted and it’s this sort of trick that sees series get canned as fans give it a wide berth and it fails to adopt new fans thanks to middling reviews.
Taylor Made
I love kotaku review ha!! NO!!!! This isn’t how dead space should be played lol I need finish DS2
Kennykazey
That’s EA for you. Turning every game into a warfare shooter. I fear for the future of Mirrors Edge.
Taylor Made
EA told me to tell you that to jump a roof in mirrors edge 2 you need £2.99
Mr_writer
It’s amazing how something so simple can be so wrong. Horror in games should be easy to do, more so then film as its more interactive. But it just seems to of gone backwards as a genre. Resident Evil and Dead Space two prime examples.
McProley
Saying that it feels stretched at 20 hours is an odd thing to say. i bet if it were 10-15 hours long it’d be “too short”
Tuffcub
10-15 is perfect. I thought DMC went on for a teensy bit too long.
cam_manutd
If a game has a good story then you obviously don’t think about the length. However when repetition and/or boredom kicks in then it makes people think that its over-long. Not the case with all games though with a horror game like Dead Space I can understand the complaint(s).
mugsybalone
Doing something a little different for your Dead Space review? Like, producing a review, but getting us to pay for the score with microtransactions?
uncharted86
“We’re doing something a little different with our Dead Space 3, stay tuned.”
What?! Please don’t tell me you need £2 for each paragraph I want to read of it and then £5 for the score… :P
Bilbo_bobbins
ha ha, nice one.
Bilbo_bobbins
EA selling out, I can’t believe it.
The Lone Steven
Dead Space is dead as it’s going to just become a space themed Gears clone as EA believes that original games are the work of the devil and should be destroyed. Or something like that. I’ve played the original and it is the Resident Evil 1 and 2 of this generation. But it is a massive shame that over the course of two games, it’s been dumbed down. At least the Resi franchise took a decade to become rubbish. :(
Also, Dead Space should be about Necromophs, not generic humans trying to kill them as we have seen too many games use generic humans.
EA, stop turning everything into a hack and slash or third person shooter as fans don’t want to see their beloved franchises turn into that. Allow the developers to developer the game their own way and you may recieve a lot of sales.