Dead Space (PC)

[polonyc2]

I started playing Dead Space last night based on reading a lot of positive reviews and the game is pretty decent...horror/survival FPS game...nothing original story wise but the atmosphere is really well done...sort of a combination System Shock 2/Doom 3/F.E.A.R. with a bit of Alien (the movie)

I'm only 3 levels into the game but there are some really unique gameplay elements...there are several Zero-G areas, which is the best Zero-G gameplay EVER in any game (better then Prey and Crysis)...very well done...another unique aspect is the 3-D viewing of all hologram messages as well as Audio logs etc...very immersive feel to it...there are also a nice variety of enemies and weapons...graphics are nice but not the greatest...audio is another highlight

the game is not your usual run-and-gun FPS as you need to dismember your enemies in order to kill them...so your weapons act as body part slicers and you need to cut off their legs, arms, head etc in order to kill them...it's pretty fun hacking off limbs

some really bad points to the game:

-3rd person view!...I hate 3rd person POV...this game could have been so much better with 1st person...takes some getting used to but doesn't deter from the game itself

-controls suck...it's obvious the game was designed for consoles...consolitis hit this game hard and some of the controls are just plain awkward

-movement/field of view takes some getting used to because of the 3rd person POV and controls

but even with the negatives the game is quite enjoyable...I've always loved space horror/survival games and this game is one of the better ones (flaws and all)

[CrowdAds]

[zapionics<alt>]

Thanks for posting about this game, i've been wondering about it.
How does it compare with Quake 4?

[polonyc2]

closer to Resident Evil 4 then Quake 4 (story wise)...more horror elements to it...also a bit closer to Doom 3 but better...whereas in Doom 3 all the enemies seemed to spawn in closets and directly in front of you, with Dead Space it is done better as enemies really come from all angles---from up above, down below, behind you etc...adds to the horror aspect

like I said earlier the Zero-G is very nice...and you also get other powers such as Stasis (Gravity Gun) and the ability to slow down time for a few seconds (a la F.E.A.R.)...some of the missions/tasks do get somewhat repetitive but for some reason I didn't seem to mind...there are also many ways to customize your weapons and armor through Shops, Work Desks etc

the game also runs with no issues at all...no bugs or crashes and performance is flawless...I'm playing at 1920 x 1440 with all advanced options on High and everything is very smooth

the 3rd person POV is my biggest gripe with the game...the game really does a lot of things well and some things not so well but overall I am enjoying the game

[FearFactory]

Yeah, it's a great game but how can i change the direction controls...? i'm used to play with the direction arrows..

[mtek]

-3rd person view!...I hate 3rd person POV...this game could have been so much better with 1st person...takes some getting used to but doesn't deter from the game itself

-controls suck...it's obvious the game was designed for consoles...consolitis hit this game hard and some of the controls are just plain awkward

-movement/field of view takes some getting used to because of the 3rd person POV and controls

I,m on my second go round on this one,very enjoyable, reference to
SS2 is what I found as well, I,m also not a big fan of -tpv- but, this
game, I found did not take too long to get used to.
controls did take a little getting used to, no big deal though, not a console gamer myself so can't compare, actually I find console controls much more inhibiting than mouse keyboard combo.
I agree first person view would be nice, too bad it's not a game option,
although you wouldn't get to check out your cool level 5 suit, or the millitary
level sixsuit
first go round was fun, except I didn't explore as much, must break open all crates and lockers, with exception of two or three that have those nasty lil bugs in em.
all said I find this game quite entertaining, good creepout moments

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by FearFactory

Yeah, it's a great game but how can i change the direction controls...? i'm used to play with the direction arrows..

that was something that really bothered me in the beginning...you cannot re-map the movement keys in the game...I too use the 'direction arrow' keys for movement in every PC game I play but with Dead Space you cannot re-map that set of keys to whatever you desire...I ended up using the default 'W A S D" keys and I got used to it but this was the most glaring aspect of the game being 'consolized'...you can re-map them only to certain keys on the keyboard...if you're going to port a game over to the PC then you should make it customizable for the PC and not a PS3!

Originally Posted by mtek

although you wouldn't get to check out your cool level 5 suit, or the millitary
level sixsuit
first go round was fun, except I didn't explore as much, must break open all crates and lockers, with exception of two or three that have those nasty lil bugs in em.
all said I find this game quite entertaining, good creepout moments

I just purchased the Level 4 suit (I'm up to Level 7 now)...I like the designs and varieties of the alien creatures as well...the fact that your character does not have all these super weapons at his disposal adds to the realism of the game...he's an engineer on a planet-crushing vessel and all he has are standard mining tools which he is using as weapons...money and ammo also are important aspects to the game and you actually need to conserve both

I also like the horror aspect of this game...the creepy voices in the background, the writing in blood on the walls, the music, the audio/video logs etc...this has all been done before in other games but for some reason Dead Space does it in a way that makes it seem fresh

[polonyc2]

the game just keeps getting better the further along you go...this is a very good game...the story is actually not bad and has me anticipating what's to come...the mission objectives are quite varied and always seems to have an interesting twist to them...the addition of the Zero gravity environments (and there quite a few of them) along with Stasis etc gives it a fresh feel

and unlike other games where ammo and money are plentiful this game makes you work for them and actually requires conservative tactics at times...I'm up to Level 7 and my ammo and money are pretty much down to zero...and of course now the aliens attack you in far greater numbers ...I've had to find really creative ways of killing these things now...I love the diversity in the alien species as well, they all seem to be quite different in terms of attacks and what weapon works best against them

the game seems to have gotten quite difficult at points as well due to the sheer complexity of some of the missions along with the waves of alien attacks

Dead Space is the sleeper hit of 2008!...Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 etc got all the hype but this is one game that maybe slipped under people's radars which should be getting a lot more hype

[FearFactory]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

I ended up using the default 'W A S D" keys

I tried but i really can't get used to it

[traveler]

Third person view? I won't buy it.

The character blocks my view! A cheap way to bring down graphic demands.

BTW Why did China and Japan ban this game?



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[zapionics<alt>]

Originally Posted by traveler

Third person view? I won't buy it.

The character blocks my view! A cheap way to bring down graphic demands.

BTW Why did China and Japan ban this game?...

I know what you mean about third person view, generally they're not as immersive as first person view... but then again dont forget Max Payne, this might just be another great game like that... (you never know)...although not being able to map keys is a step backwards IMO... anyhow I'm reserving judgement until I play it.

As far as China banning games goes... well they may have banned it but I dont think that would stop the average citizen downloading it on a moments whim!

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by zapionics<alt>

although not being able to map keys is a step backwards IMO...

just for clarification...you can re-map but the 'movement' keys cannot be re-mapped to the 'direction arrow' keys for some strange reason

this game has officially gone from good to great...I'm up to Level 10 and the game is tons of fun...I still hate the 3rd person POV but the fact that the game is so amazing in spite of this says a lot about the quality of this game...the game has surpassed F.E.A.R. in terms of survival/horror genre games and is possibly just behind System Shock 2 and Resident Evil 4

the scares in this game are legit...the AI is fantastic...for example, say an enemy (or enemies) have caught me off guard and I decide to run back to gain some space or run into another room and lock the door...these aliens don't just sit back and let you dictate the terms of battle, they jump into vents and charge into the locked room either from above you or through the sides etc...very cool and scary at the same time

here is a site that keeps track of every major website review of games...Dead Space ranks pretty high (you can read most of the reviews directly from that site as well)

Dead Space (pc: 2008): Reviews

[jaketerminate]

This looks like a really neat game and the screenies show that Dead Space holds some pretty nice graphics too.

[polonyc2]

I'm up to the final level in the game (Chapter 12)...this is a really really good game...the story is pretty interesting as well and while the game may not be revolutionary, it takes a lot of great aspects from other games and combines them into one really nice game...the horror aspects of this game are much better then anything from Doom 3 or F.E.A.R. as well

there are so many levels where Zero gravity is used...I also love the characters' ability to use Kinetic (move objects) through his suit itself without needing a special weapon like the gravity gun---gives me the feeling of being a Jedi Knight...shooting energy out of my hand to move enemies and objects is really cool...there's even a section in the game where you can play Zero gravity basketball (to unlock some bonus items)

I hear that a sequel is already in the works and deservedly so...Dead Space should be on a lot of people's top games of 2008 list (and it is)...I can't wait to play again (I also hear that once you finish the game all your weapons upgrades etc get carried over to the new game )

[Aggemam]

This game would be so fantastic, if it weren't for the weird controls/3rd person POV. It really ruins the experience for me personally.

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by Aggemam

This game would be so fantastic, if it weren't for the weird controls/3rd person POV. It really ruins the experience for me personally.

I agree that 1st person would make this game a classic...but it's still an amazing game in my opinion...and this is coming from a guy who hates 3rd person POV...I got used to the controls and 3rd person view after the first few levels