E3 2008: Dead Space Hands on
posted:
7/16/2008 3:12:00 AM
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E3 2008
While Sean was stuck in one of the worst Nintendo press conferences of all time I snuck over to EA to check out a few of their titles while the crowds where listening to Reggie babble on about sales numbers. The first game I got the chance to see was Dead Space, a game that I've been getting more and more excited about since it was revealed last year. I got the chance to sit down and talk to Rich Briggs about the game and get some time hands on. If you want a ton of information about the game you can listen to this interview where Mr. Briggs provides a ton of information about the game. There are some small spoilers about one of the missions but nothing that will ruin the game for you.
After watching the EA guys played through the game they turned the Xbox 360 controller over to me so I could get a chance to play Isaac. Controls are what you would expect for a third person shooter but while the controls are familiar the game plays like a sci-fi Silent Hill. As I guided Isaac around the ship you start to notice how the corruption has taken over the ship transforming into something much different. The strategic dismemberment concept takes a bit of getting used to as the creatures just beg you to go for the clean headshot. Instead you need to work on your stasis ability to freeze the enemies and then figure out how to take them out correctly. The creatures in the game (especially the Brute from the EA demo video) don't go down easily and you're going to have to make sure they are dead before moving on. I had this problem as I thought I had taken down the monster with the beam laser and turned around to pick something up, only to have him run up behind me and take a chunk out of my back.
I died three times in the 10 minutes I played the game, partly due to my experimenting a bit with the weapons but also because it's very easy to get lost in the details in the game. What did surprise me today was that the game has a full on RPG element where you can upgrade your weapons and suit to match your playmaking style. The game will remind people of Bioshock in that you're in a closed, clostrophobic environment where you piece together elements of the story by reading old logs and through interaction with people you don't have direct contact with. After playing the game and learning more about it I think a lot of gamers might be calling Dead Space this year's Bioshock and that's fair praise indeed.
What works
- Fantastic creature and audio design
- Unflinching violence and gore
- Strong plot and intensity
What doesn't
- Gore may turn somepeople off
- May need to sell diapers with the game, large potential for crap your pants moments
After watching the EA guys played through the game they turned the Xbox 360 controller over to me so I could get a chance to play Isaac. Controls are what you would expect for a third person shooter but while the controls are familiar the game plays like a sci-fi Silent Hill. As I guided Isaac around the ship you start to notice how the corruption has taken over the ship transforming into something much different. The strategic dismemberment concept takes a bit of getting used to as the creatures just beg you to go for the clean headshot. Instead you need to work on your stasis ability to freeze the enemies and then figure out how to take them out correctly. The creatures in the game (especially the Brute from the EA demo video) don't go down easily and you're going to have to make sure they are dead before moving on. I had this problem as I thought I had taken down the monster with the beam laser and turned around to pick something up, only to have him run up behind me and take a chunk out of my back.
I died three times in the 10 minutes I played the game, partly due to my experimenting a bit with the weapons but also because it's very easy to get lost in the details in the game. What did surprise me today was that the game has a full on RPG element where you can upgrade your weapons and suit to match your playmaking style. The game will remind people of Bioshock in that you're in a closed, clostrophobic environment where you piece together elements of the story by reading old logs and through interaction with people you don't have direct contact with. After playing the game and learning more about it I think a lot of gamers might be calling Dead Space this year's Bioshock and that's fair praise indeed.
What works
- Fantastic creature and audio design
- Unflinching violence and gore
- Strong plot and intensity
What doesn't
- Gore may turn somepeople off
- May need to sell diapers with the game, large potential for crap your pants moments
