Dead Space Review (Really Late)

I know this is late, but examinations and extra curriculars have delayed this review. But better to post and get feedback than waste the time . Pics to come later. Specific spoilers will be whited out while general spoilers (very general IMO, but better to be safe) will be offset with warnings in all caps.

Quick note about the rating system:
S – Superb, best in genre and raises the bar for future games
A – Great, not groundbreaking but solid with very few flaws
B – Average, nothing too memorable but doesn't detract from the game
C – Lacking, this feature really takes away some enjoyment of the game
F – Failure, makes the game unplayable

When weighting the scores, I always round up

Note: I've been waiting for a great game to review, so this review may be slightly optimistic during the grading



PRODUCTION VALUES (50%) (A)

Graphics (30%):

The graphics in Dead Space were both high quality and optimized. On my 9500m GS (580/1200/465) I was able to set all the graphical options to max and still attained a steady 35-40 FPS at 1280x800 and noticed very few stutters or FPS drops during texture loading. On stock clocks the game ran on max settings at 30 FPS at 1280x800. The only graphical problem I experienced was that setting Vsync on generated a mouse lag within the game and needs to be forced externally.

Both Isaac and the enemies looked great and the environments were very well designed, the different levels of the Ishimura all felt unique and made the game feel larger than expected. The lighting was especially well done with both very high resolution shadow maps and dynamic lighting, with the bloom effects being very evident in the first cut scene and whenever looking out into space through a window. The particle effects were adequate, especially the dust and asteroids during certain chapters. The rig videos and map are rendered in game allowing full player interaction which I felt was a nice touch.

The biggest let down I have about the graphics is that certain enemies fades away after being killed. In addition, some parts of the environment used lower resolution textures, but is only apparent after close inspection. Because Dead Space is a corridor shooter, the graphics engine does not need to render as many objects as 'roaming games,' as only the objects in each room need to be drawn.

While the graphics in Dead Space aren't ground breaking they definitely are vivid and detailed enough to set an appropriate atmosphere in the game. (A)

Sound (30%):

The amount of attention paid to the sound of Dead Space becomes apparent the first foray into a vacuum, as all the sounds are muffled and much softer (sound requires a medium to transfer which is lacking in space). The ambient sounds throughout the game, from environmental echoes to human groans to sounds of... something... skittering through the vents keeps players on their toes throughout the game and the amazing musical score creates an incredibly tense atmosphere.

Dead Space features an excellent voice acting cast, from the human NPCs to the chilling alien shrieks of the necromorphs. The video and audio logs feature well acted dialogue that adds to the atmosphere of the Ishimura. The only nitpick I have against the voice acting is that Isaac doesn't have much variety in what little sounds he does make, but this is probably a design choice.

The guns all sound very appropriate, having enough substance behind each shot. And the sounds made by dismembering the enemies are very satisfying as well. Isaac's foot stomps sound very... manly... and melee hits are 'crunchy.'

The sound of Dead Space gives the game a great feel, with amazing voice actors, chilling music and fantastic sound effects. This is definitely a game that needs to be played with the sound all the way up (and in a dark room alone) (S)

Stability (20%):

Although the game ran very well on my system, the frequent crashes (roughly one every other chapter) created some annoyances, but didn't severely limit playability. However, this may be a problem unique to my system as it has had problems with a few other games as well. (C)

Value (20%)

Dead Space features roughly fifteen to twenty hours of gameplay along with an additional impossible mode which is rather long for an action game. The game also offers a new game + mode where upgrades are carried over from the last playthrough, and multiple playthroughs are required to fully max out Isaac's equipment. The great thrills and immersion definitely warrant at least a second play through. (B)

GAMEPLAY (50%) (S)

Mechanics(40%):

SPOILER ABOUT SOME BASIC GAMEPLAY

Isaac has access to many tools besides the obvious combat-effective weaponry. The two 'powers' he has access to at all times are his stasis and kinetic beams, the former creates a 'bubble' of slow time and freezes anything including that slasher that's about to give 'scarface' a whole new meaning, while the latter duplicates half-life 2's gravity gun (see if you can spot this in all the games you play ). The different puzzles scattered throughout the levels are varied and some require some thinking. I found solving each of the puzzles to be rewarding as they were not solved with trial and error (unless you're going about the puzzle the wrong way) but rather reward logical thought.

Because of the strategic dismemberment concept, combat in Dead Space evolves many times during a single encounter. For example, even an encounter with a lone slasher using only the plasma cutter holds many different possibilities:
1)turn the blade vertically and take out both its arms (I found this to be the high risk/high reward as the arms are more difficult to hit, but has the potential to save the most ammunition)
2)stasis the slasher and methodically dismember the slasher (the safest way but requires a valuable stasis charge)
3)turn the blade horizontally to blow the legs off and retreat (saves ammunition, which becomes much more important on impossible. However, certain types regenerate and the slasher can still attack while crawling on the ground after you (which is a creepy sight btw).
4)Decapitating the slasher has its pros and cons, the slasher is now blind and may accidentally attack other enemies but also enters a berserk rage trying to find you. If you make no noise you can bypass this slasher without using any more ammunition.

Amazingly the slasher is the most basic enemy, further into the game different enemies appear that have much more complex physiologies (SPOILER ENEMY TYPE go ahead, hit the pregnant in the stomach and see what happens END SPOILER) that offer many more paths to each encounter. Also, there are six weapons in total, each with two different types of firing modes, adding yet another strategic layer to the game. I went through the game primarily with the close range ripper, using the line gun's secondary fire when in a group situation. (Isaac uses a remote controlled CHAINSAW to fight ALIEN ZOMBIES...in SPACE, what more could you possibly want?!!!)

SOME SLIGHT SPOILERS ABOUT BOSSES

The biggest difficulty in describing boss battles are clarifying what enemy qualifies as a boss, since so many enemies are terrifying enough to be a boss in many other games. The foreshadowing leading up to most of the boss fights was very well done, building up the tension until you are blindsided by the latest enemy out to eat Isaac. Each encounter following the appearance of each boss, irregardless of whether or not they are mini-bosses or unique bosses, is an epic, horrifying and memorable battle (SPOILER especially the two hunter battles that made me cry like a little girl SPOILER) often requiring more than just brute force to defeat. Also, each subsequent boss is able to trump what you thought was the previous boss (good for us, bad for Isaac) culminating with the final boss, which I can confidently say made me stream obscenities for two straight minutes when I first saw it. Most of the boss battles were satisfying and the couple that I felt were lacking were more than forgivable when looking at the whole picture.

END SPOILERS

The different powers and environments, the strategic dismemberment and the insane boss battles make this game a breath of fresh air in a crowded genre. (S)

Immersion (30%):

Dead Space has been the most immersive game I have played in any genre to date. One of the most noticeable novelties the game introduces is that there is no HUD. All the information, such as health, ammunition remaining, menus, etc, have all been integrated into Isaac's suit and equipment. In addition, the lack of pausing the game keeps the player on their toes as they never feel completely safe. IIRC the only time the game is 'paused' is during a save.

SLIGHT IMPLIED SPOILERS

Even if Dead Space were to have a weak storyline, the gameplay would guarantee that each player would finish the game. However, due to the very well design and execution of the story, the plot kept me going from chapter to chapter, just to see if the mystery of the Ishimura could be pieced together. The plot is intricate enough to keep the player guessing and the setup of the missions makes the seemingly mundane tasks given to the player much more realistic and gives a sense of urgency to the game. When examined closely most objectives are nothing but fetch quests, but the way they are presented makes you feel that you are really doing all you can to save yourself from a grisly death.

END SPOILERS

The sound and environments are the meat of the immersion factor. As stated before the ambient noises will keep players on their toes and duplicate the sounds expected out of a real spaceship... overflowing with alien zombies.... The environments are gruesome to many degrees. Some scripted events and gore ridden rooms will make players cringe, but the rooms with the more subtle effects (such as dried blood smeared on the walls and signs of struggle) are the truly chilling ones as they inspire a sense of the unknown.

Through the intricate back story, integrated HUD, sound effects and chilling environments, Dead Space has been giving me nightmares for a week. (S)

Innovation (30%):

Most of the novelties introduced by this game have already been stated, so to summarize:
Dead Space has changed the survival horror series by integrating the HUD into the rig along with the idea of strategic dismemberment but is also heavily inspired by games like Bioshock and Resident Evil (A)



OVERALL: S

 

A couple of questions pertaining to the game since you've finished it and given a well-written review:

1. Some people have reported problems getting the game to even run due to a strange system video memory = zero circumstance, did installation and running the game have any problems for you?

2. I am thinking of getting the game but I dread the EA product copy protection, did this cause any problems for you?

3. In your review, you mentioned forcing VSync externally, does that mean forcing it off or on using the Nvidia control panel?

 

for my Vsync works perfectly, and about the crashes, i havent any since ive got the game (ive completed it a week ago).

Nice review there mate

 

I finished Dead Space just two days back. The game is only OK. Nothing great. Its repetitive, gets boring after some time, and the story is really basic and has a stupid ending.
SPOILER: In the end, everyone dies except the main character.
How stupid is that???
And the voices of Issac (main character) are so irritating, say when he is having low oxygen, I really cant take those voices.
Its fun at times, but not worth your single penny. Trust me, I wasted mine.

I'm playing Fallout 3, and let me tell you my friends, that is the shiznit. Its simply the best game I ever played HANDS DOWN.

 

Fallout is oblivion with guns you know...

 

Very well written, thanks for posting.

 

hi i currently have dead space installed on my clevo M570RU laptop with an 8800 gtx 512 gddr3 mem and 180.44 drivers installed on vista Ultimate 64 bit.

I had Dead space working when i first installed it and i had it connected through the DVI out to a dvi in on a 26 inch Samsung tv it worked well and fine now i get an error message saying my video card does not reach minimum requirements? Can some one help please.

 

Thanks everyone for all the feedback!

To answer your questions:
1. I did not have any video memory issues, but rather had the 'nvlddmkm stopped responding' bug that's been persistent in my system.

2. If I understand it correctly, the main issue with the DRM is the limited installs (5 IIRC). As long as you uninstall the game before reformatting your hard drive or make any hardware/OS changes, you should be fine as they should 'refund' an install with each uninstall. The online check during installation did not bother me at all, but I didn't try installing without an internet connection.

3. I disabled VSync ingame as it caused mouse lag (only on some people's, e.g. Brainer's didn't have a problem), forcing VSync in the nVidia control panel does work.

 

Thank you for the replies, I'll be sure to keep Vsync in the game off and activated as forced on in the Nvidia control panel for the game itself when I purchase it.

 

good enough for me!

 

this is a great game! one of the best ive played in a while

 

did you play the game on your laptop? i noticed you had GF7700 and my laptop has a similar gfx card. Just wondering if it was possible and if you had to turn the settings down a lot...

 

Mumble. I'd give Dead Space an 8. Gameplay's alright, but if you've played the first hour or two, you've played it all. Just more of the same old stuff, again and again and again.

Oh, and the story? God! What the hell? I played all the way through hoping for something about the story to actually surprise me. Whoop de doo. Guess the joke's on me, huh?

Dead Space. Sure, buy it, play it. It's a good game. It just doesn't have enough of either an engaging storyline or gripping gameplay for me to consider it "great".

 

Storyline Storyline Storyline.. none of the new games have it.. aint i right?

 

Finally something we can agree on