Dead Space review (PC)

It was with some trepidation that I chose to review a horror game. Being of a slightly lily-livered variety that won’t even go on a roller-coaster, the time I put aside to travel through this terrifying adrenaline filled adventure left me emotionally drained and yet strangely wanting more.

Apart from the control scheme the game is more or less identical to its console counterpart as reviewed by James a mere few days ago. This is no bad thing since the game was and is a highly polished product and is the first game I have played on the PC this year that has not crashed or went into visual melt down at some point.

For those of you just tuning in, Dead Space is a survival horror game set upon a deep-space mining ship. Sent onto the craft to investigate strange goings on and repair any damage done you soon find that the situation on board is totally FUBAR. It’s the usual case of being separated from your associates and having to talk to them via audio and video link-ups. It’s a setting many will have seen before in movies, games or read in a book.

Dead Space a very linear game and forces you along via locked doors, blocked corridors and the like. In this case that isn’t a bad thing because it’s all done with such panache, creating a believable setting and leading you down an uncertain road where you constantly fear for your life and never know who to trust.

Hell Awaits

I liked the plot, even if it the characters were a little annoying at times. For the most part the actors put a lot of energy into their lines. When angry they really sounded ticked off and when they were scared you found yourself looking over your shoulder.

Looking over your shoulder constantly is a given with Dead Space because the sound comes at you from the word go and never lets up. The ship really does seem like it’s tearing itself apart and the horrible noises you hear from every direction work away at you until you realise you are sitting bolt upright in your chair, rigid with terror.

The shocks are not something new but the creatures (Necromorphs) are gruesome enough to make you want to run away, which of course you can’t because whenever they appear the ship’s computer quarantines the area, locking any doors until one side is left in a bloody mess on the floor. Some of these heavily scripted set pieces are nothing short of brilliant though and they really do get your adrenaline pumping. The ship itself is well designed and looks as you might imagine a deep space mining vessel to look, right down to the locker rooms off the zero gravity basketball court. And yes, you can even have a game if you like and rewards are given for playing well.

Big Gun

Clever little touches abound, from the ability to inadvertently kick all the body parts from the Necromorphs you have just dispatched and therefore scare the living daylights out of you to the way the sound mutes in the sections of the ship with hull breaches and no air. Some of the surviving crew really creep you out too, obviously so far gone down the road to insanity that they have no regard for their own well-being. Even the heads up display (HUD) is hidden from view and your energy is represented by a glowing bar running up your character’s spine, adding to the immersion. The 3D menu system works very well and whilst you peruse through your worldly goods you are still open to attack. Is nothing sacred? Not to the Necromorphs.

Your weapons of choice vary from mining tools to pulse rifles. They all do fantastic visual damage and you don’t feel quite so scared when you have a good supply of ammunition.

Unfortunately it can a little hard to get hold of later on but if you check out all of the areas you play through you should have enough to keep you safe. You also have Stasis and Kinesis abilities in the game and you will have to use them both at times to get further into the game. Stasis obviously slows down time around the creature or object you use it on and Kinesis allows you to interact with objects and throw them about, not unlike the Gravity Gun in a certain FPS.

The upgrade system for your weapons and suit is very satisfying and almost like a puzzle in itself. Nodes must be found or bought and welded onto a sort of circuit board. Each weapon’s board has a variety of routes, allowing you to change not just the power of your weapon, but the reloading times, capacity and the spread of the beam on some, allowing damage to more than one attacker at a time.

Sequel Wanted

The initial loading time when you start your gaming session is pretty long but once into the game world they are hidden inside actions like riding in a lift or waiting for a door to open and again, not spoiling the immersion. If you want to you can play through the game a second time and keep all of your upgrades - a nice touch which allows for a bit more exploring if you just ran through the game like a little lost lamb the first time around and allows for complete upgrading of weapons and armour.

I know that no game is perfect but I can honestly say I had no technical issues with Dead Space at all. It did what it said it would and scared the hell out of me on a regular basis. Dead Space is one of the best survival horror games I have played and I look forward with baited breath to the sequel.