My relationship with Dead Space may have soured somewhat over the years, yet it still holds a special place in my heart. This was partly due to how I came across the progressive sci-fi/horror hybrid: while flipping through the pages of video game magazine.
Remember those? Personally, I struggle to, though what’s always stuck with me is that feeling of excitement. It must have been late 2007 at the time and, despite the rapid growth of online gaming sites and communities, many of us still relied on glossy paperbacks for our news intake. Unless they were front-page cover stories, upcoming titles were usually teased with one or two columns and a screenshot with no link to a NeoGAF thread packed to the rafters with every juicy detail.
Enough reminiscing, though. When it launched on Halloween back in 2008, Dead Space was refreshing to say the least. At its core it was just a regular third person shooter though a myriad of nuances helped the game to stand out.
Best Bit
Chief among those nuances was the amount of detail EA Redwood Shores (now Visceral Games) put into the game’s environment. For those who don’t know, Dead Space mostly takes place on the USG Ishimura, a “Planet Cracker” sent to Aegis VII. In the distant future humanity has gone further and further into space, either colonising planets or literally tearing them apart for resources. This latest job is different, however, and when a certain artefact is recovered from the surface a blackout follows. Call in specialist engineer, Isaac Clarke.
Chapter by chapter, players led their silent avatar through a series of settings, all bearing the same, slick sci-fi aesthetic. Dining halls, nurseries, laboratories, hydroponics, docking stations, all bearing the authentic look of a futuristic vessel cast into space. What really set these environments apart, however, was how well Visceral manipulated them to reflect the relentless spread of an unknown infestation. A juxtaposition of sterile, metal interiors next to pulsating mounds of flesh, soaked in ichor and receding the shadows.
Visual fidelity is one thing, though audio design was what ultimately gave Dead Space that iconic sense of atmosphere. Whether slowly building or suddenly throttling the player, it was spot-on almost all the time and backed up by some truly haunting spoken dialogue. One thing I still remember was how a twisted cover of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” was used to market the game to great effect.
Worst Bit
When the credits started to roll, I put my controller to one side and felt rather content. Though not exactly ground-breaking, Dead Space reanimated that perfect cluster of elements that had began to fade from the horror game genre.
However, upon recently revisiting the game, it had certainly lost some of that impact. A few of the jump scares still managed to get me, though everything else was predictable and the story didn’t provide much in the way of substance. Though there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had from the assortment of novels, comic books – and even films – the game itself was straightforward A to B romp with a mostly throwaway cast.
The gameplay has also lost some of its pizazz too. The unpredictable nature of the Necromorphs made for an enthralling shooting experience the first time around, but felt drawn out the second time, especially when ramping up the difficulty setting.
These complaints, as I’m sure some will be quick to point out, aren’t entirely fair though. Of course, I’m comparing Dead Space to what’s on the market right now, almost six years after the game made its fantastic debut. I’m not saying the game hasn’t aged well (hell, it looks damn gorgeous) though, like even the best horror films, you can’t simply jump back in and expect the same thrill ride.
As it stands, Dead Space is still a highly recommendable game. If you’ve yet to try the series then it’s an unbeatable entry point and a modern milestone of its genre. Over the years Dead Space may have become more and more of a shooter than an actual horror game, though the original still has perfect form. At least the first time around.
Germanos
Best survival-horror game of the previous generation. Such a great start of the series and so much potential wasted :(
Taylor Made
I think dead space is ok, it was never scary but just created enough suspense & it became predictable after the first ‘scare’.
Good game regardless & I quite enjoyed all 3 stories, still nibbling through 3
Youles
Not only are you comparing it to what’s on the market now, but also it’s self. A game that relies on atmosphere and scares is never going to feel the same after your first playthrough. I think that’s also why a lot of people didn’t like 2 and/or 3, as they came to know the formula – it wasn’t new anymore – and the fact the sequels were in the confines of the Ishimura.
That said I personally think they are all great games in their own right, and as you say the detail on some of the environments are amazing, and the space sections in DS3 are spectacular at times. I particularly like the in-game HUD (health & ammo count) and that videos are played from the logs themselves rather than on the players’ screen. It helps the experience be more immersive. I also think DS1 won an award for best sound (or something) – it’s amazing with my surround sound headset.
It has been a great series, especially when Resident Evil has gone down hill (in my opinion – I tried the Operation Racoon City demo the other day and it was one of the worst PS3 games I’ve played). I actually enjoyed DS2 the most, which is arguably the least popular game in the series.
Youles
Nice tagline btw!
Andrewww
Bought this ages ago cheaply as a download, but then found it too scary and quit early on.
Now I’m playing Outlast and love it, think I may just be in the mood for this kind of game. Will go back to it.
Nocure-fd
I found the regenerator to be very harrowing. I got to that section the first time and had to just stop playing for about 4 months (Fallout 3 came out in the mean time) I dreaded having to fight that guy again, but at the same time, it felt great when I finally managed to beat him.
Lieutenant Fatman
Love this game, brilliant stuff, second one was really good as well. So few sci-fi space games out there and this had a really good story and atmosphere. Had potential to be one of the best series in video games. Such a shame they killed it with the third game, the series and the fans deserved so much more. Guess we can thank EA for doing that.
But I made sure not to buy the latest one so it wouldn’t tarnish the memories of the excellence that came before. Good times.
Andrewww
By the way: I really liked level 2(?) ‘The doctor’ in Killzone: Shadow Fall. Found that one the best so far in the campaign, quite spooky in the empty lab ship, not knowing what one is going to encounter.
rick_x
I loved this game, it was amazing and really made you feel as if you were there in Isaac’s shoes. Loved the fact that the chapters spelt out the twist with the first letter of each individual one. This level of detail along with the audiologs and sheer attention to detail had me gripped (and terrified) from start to finish. Sadly the series began and ended with this chapter as the subsequent sequels were pale imitations of the original designed to appeal to mass market generic action shooter fans and they seemed to have only a fraction of the though put into them compared with the original. Shame as this was such a promising original IP.
XIII_WarMachine
My favorite will always be the first. Dead Space 2 felt less scary and more of a shooter in my opinion. However, the one part of Dead Space 2 *SPOILER* where you have to operate on your own eye *SPOILER END* was rough for me. It brought me back to being fearful as the first game did. I beat Dead Space 2 last year but have yet to go back and do all the trophies. I haven’t even purchased Dead Space 3 but I will still wait.
blast71
I got this cheap from Blockbuster along with Fallout3 about a year after release, played 1st chapter but it didn’t grab me so put Fallout3 and couldn’t stop playing that until I finished the story. Went back to Dead Space about 6 months later and absolutely loved it, didn’t know why I couldn’t get into it originally. It’s probably my favourite game on the PS3. Started 2 and done 3 or 4 chapters but yet to go back to it, might try it again soon. Also got 3 on my pile of shame.