Dead Space

*DRM will not factor in my assessment of this game. For the record - I don't approve of the system, but I feel that the game is worth buying anyway.*

This is an action adventure game in the style of System Shock 2 and, more recently, Bioshock. In other words: it's an atmospheric adventure with a linear plot, a lot of shooting and some very light RPG character progression elements, which I will expand on later.

Premise:

The game's premise is hackneyed. You are a simple mechanic travelling on a support ship to investigate a huge mining ship that has ceased communications mysteriously. Sounds familiar? It is. In many ways this game is a tribute to the entire "In space, no one can hear you scream" subgenre - it borrows heavily storywise and thematically from films such as the Alien series, and Event Horizon. A sense of isolation and hopelessness is present throughout.

Plotting and structure:

As I mentioned, the plot is linear and tight. The pacing is carefully measured and the level design is well considered, with each area presenting a decent variety of different challenges and puzzles. The objectives you have to achieve are feasible in the contexts they are presented in, though occasionally it is obvious that the developers have added find and fetch goals that do little for the game but fill in time. There are numerous scripted events in the tradition of the games and films it was influenced by - creatures casting shadows round corners, crew members of the ship dying in various horrible ways, and environmental events such as explosions and fires.

Information about the situation on the ship is gradually revealed via video, text, and audio logs that crew members have conveniently left behind for you to pick up. This is a very "gamey" concept in that it is unrealistic, but still manages to increase immersion and feeling within the game. If you have played Bioshock or System Shock 2, you will probably recall the chilling audiologs you could activate, Dead Space uses them in much the same way, though it also includes videologs.

Gameplay and controls:

The game is controlled from an over the shoulder 3rd person perspective where your character's body takes up much of the screen, restricting your field of view. I have a feeling that this was a conscious design decision, as it makes for some very claustrophobic scenes.

I played the game with mouse and keyboard, though I understand that it is possible to play the game with a gamepad as well.

The mouse response is most sluggish than one might expect, particularly if you're used to playing control sensitive shooters. You aim and raise your weapon by holding down the right mouse button. This also enables contextual commands, such as using your static field or telekinetic abilities for puzzles, or to incapacitate/kill enemies. The movement and combat controls are ok, they don't limit you overly, and they aren't spectacular.

The weapons are powerful and satisfying to use. The enemies, while well animated, are not very intelligent and fairly easy to dispatch.

Much has been made about the fact that the game doesn't have a HUD (heads up display). The lack of HUD makes the game feel more realistic in a couple of ways:

You pick up a video log left by your girlfriend, and you project it with your suit, producing a rectangular picture in front of your character's face - the bloody corridor is still visible, and the mysterious clanks and rattles are still audible.

There is not compass map showing where you have to go all the time, instead, you can press B to produce a holographic line leading to your objective. It looks cool, and it feels like it fits in with the technology and style of the setting.

Critical information like ammo and health are shown on your character's gun and spine, respectively, which also fits.

I mentioned there was a slight character development element to the game. This comes in the form of upgrading your weapons, tools, and armour by using collectable power nodes. You are forced to either specialise or spread points thinly by the scarcity of these nodes.

Visual design, graphics and sound:

The design of the ship, weapons, your character's suit, and the enemies is top notch. Technology has sort of grimy, clunky feel that is almost steampunkesque, yet is lightened by sexy futuristic touches like the holograms. The broken interface looks slick, at least.

Shaders and bloom are used to give an eery, almost ethereal cast to the ship and its objects. The sound is similarly impressive. My 5.1 system is crap, but the sounds are still conveyed directionally and accurately. The noises, for example, of a man committing suicide by banging his head against a wall are disturbingly realistic - particularly how the dull thwacks travel down the metallic corridor as you approach him.

While the lighting is excellent, the textures are disappointingly low resolution, betraying their cross platform origins. Hopefully there will be an eventual mod to rectify this.

Conclusion:

The game creates a tangible atmosphere of daunting adversity, yet the tools and weapons it gives you are so fun to use and effective that the atmosphere is not too oppressive to be enjoyable. Perhaps the weapons are too good, and the ammunition too plentiful, as I've only died once, and that was when I was ambushed in a scripted event.

I'd recommend this game to anyone who likes survival horror, particularly those who also like science fiction horror, and especially to those who enjoyed System Shock 2.

Truly, this game has a story worthy of the sci-fi greats. The main character, Issac Clarke, is even named after them. The well thought out narrative style and characters, the referential treatment of well known sci-fi, the setting each of us sci-fi nuts has fantasised about many times...its all here. Survival against overwhelming odds, armed with rudimentary weapons against an alien menace that is creating horrible desecrations of human flesh to attack you, set aboard a giant spaceship. Oh, I think I need a cigarette.

So, why give it 4 stars and not 5? Why only give it a 3 for fun rating? The game loses out for a few reasons, not least of which the dodgy camera. It doesn't leap around, or switch angles suddenly, but it is very poorly placed. Too close to the character (and you can't change it), it moves too slowly to react properly to an attack from behind, for example. The interface is a little clumsy too, and managing the inventory is a chore.

Don't get me wrong though - this is really a fabulous game. The RPG style upgrading of equipment gives alot of depth and variability in play style. It is graphically a piece of art. Its sounds are deep and bassy, and the voice acting is far above average. It has a gripping story. The gameplay is also quite deep, requiring cerebral power as well as quick reflexes. The use of a localised stasis field and telekinesis module fit right in to the setting and aid greatly in involving the player in the world. You feel as though the activities you carry out are properly conceived of - restoring power to the engines to restore your orbit is an early goal on the damaged spacecraft, and sensible sci-fi-esque activities are a recurring motif.

Perhaps most importantly, for a game of this type there are a myriad of enemies, all quite genuinely horrifying. You do feel as though survival is not at all assured, and to be honest, while not exactly scared playing it, you certainly feel uncomfortable. I found myself saving and exiting to watch telly for a bit before diving back in.

I really would recommend this to anyone who likes sci-fi, or survival horror, or the resident evil series (its not all that similar to this, however - much deeper gameplay).

Really sad to see some of the disappointing ratings for this title on here as for me this is the best game I've ever played, and the nearest thing you'll ever find to playing the film Alien on a PC.

I've got an above average spec system and managed to max out all setting in super smooth 1920 x 1080. The graphics detail of the ship is excellent, and the level design completes the feeling of isolation in space as you travel up and down the tram system, completing objectives and trying to work out what's happened.

The beauty of this game is that you have plenty of time to take in the current scenery, soaking up the atmosphere, and then go for the big shoot-out when you feel ready for it. Every new task is a reward of ticking off the classic sci-fi scene checklist. From Bio Lab to Hydroponics bay it references a number of great films and is brilliant eye candy.

The real stand out feature for me is the health & comm's display built into your man's suit. I especially like the holographic video pop-ups when your companions are contacting you.. it hits all my sci-fi geek buttons. The voice acting is also believable and extremely atmospheric.

The game is really terrifying with the amusingly gruesome deaths, viscously mutated monsters, and the fading in psycho style music preparing you for another slasher moment.

For the few pounds on here it's a 2012 bargain.