Dead Space - Jump Scares For DaysDead Space is one of my all-time favorite titles. It features a fast paced survival horror theme that any fan of the classic or modern Resident Evil games would enjoy. If jump scares aren't your thing, or dark and gory images haunt you, then stay away from this one, kiddos. One of the things that make this game unique is the concept of how to take down the many Necromorphs that plague your vessel in the dark reaches of space. Instead of going for head shots or vital organs, the quickest way to kill your foes is dismemberment, amputation, or put simply, cut off their limbs / appendages. I absolutely adore this game, so on to the review!
Graphics 10 / 10 -- The graphics are about as crisp as you could expect from the generation of it's release. Not only does everything look realistic, the presentation of everything is beautiful. From each tiny plate of metal on the character's suit, to the posters on the walls all look gorgeous. The enemies are fantastically designed, and would strike fear into the heart of anyone that actually came face to face with them. There are quite a few gruesome scenes you will come across as well, and the detail can be enough to make those with a weak stomach feel ill. The Graphics definitely earn their perfect score.
Sound 9 / 10 -- I loved everything audio-wise about this game as well. The background tracks always feature the perfect ambiance. When things are slow and eerie, there will be a creepy track playing in the background, or sometimes even just silence to give you the feel of dread that any moment something will break out of the vent right behind you. When things get intense and you're ambushed by a mob, there will be a fast-paced track that makes you know your life is on the line. The sound effects are fantastic as well. Each clank of a footstep to the squish of stomping in an enemies head sound great, further immersing you into the experience.
Addictiveness 8 / 10 -- If you enjoy the genre, you'll definitely come back for more than a single play through. It's true the game doesn't offer a whole lot in terms of side quests or optional goals, but there's enough core content to make playing through multiple times worth it. You can also start a "New Game Plus" after completion, carrying over a lot of your progress into the next play through. I have personally played through the game (and it's sequel) around 5+ times, and it's about due for another round.
Story 7 / 10 -- The story of this game is presented beautifully. A planetary mining ship out in deep space goes dark, and you're part of the crew (the engineer to be specific) sent to figure out what's going on. It has your general "everything has gone to Hell in a hand-basket" theme, but it's the characters and how they interact which brings the story to life (and it does not disappoint). There's not much else I can say without spoilers.
Depth 5 / 10 -- This would be the one drawback that the game has, though for what it is, it's perfectly average in length, if not slightly beyond. The game itself offers a good deal of play time, but nothing over the top needing something like 35+ hours to complete. There are also various collectables such as Audio Logs of crew members who lived on the ship before you arrived. They help you understand how things went down before your arrival and what the crew experienced, which adds another level to the story. The game also offers an Upgrade system, where you must find and collect Nodes that can be used at Work Benches to upgrade your suit and weapons. There are also automated shops strewn about the vessel, in which found currency along the ship can be spent for ammunition or items. Enemies have random drop rates for said currency and ammunition, as well as there being plenty of hidden areas for you to seek out through exploration.
Difficulty 8 / 10 -- The game has various difficulty settings, but my score is based on Normal and a first time playing through. I died quite a bit on my first time through, not for lack of trying. The enemies love to ambush you out of nowhere, often popping out right by where you just walked, or sometimes even in a pincer move. Certain bosses require you to go about killing them in a special way, being immune to regular damage. There are also areas once entered, you become locked in and must fight off an entire horde before being able to escape. The game does provide a good learning curve though, so at least your death count will only rise gradually. Oh yeah, and quite a few of the enemies can sprint much faster than you, so you better be quick and clean with your trigger finger.
Overall 9 / 10 -- Yes I realize the overall score is higher than the average, but as they say, the sum is greater than it's parts. Everything in this game comes together in a great way, and this game should at least be tried out once by every gamer who can stand a scare and some gore. This game is a true gem among it's genre.
Hope you enjoyed the review :)
Graphics
10 Sound
9 Addictive
8 Depth
5 Story
7 Difficulty
8
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