Game #864: Dead Space

 Cut'em 'n' chop'em

 The plot has Isaac enter the USG Ishimura, a ship that requested aid, only to find it infested by zombie like creatures. Oh, and his girlfriend was part of the crew. The game follows every trope and cliche from Horror/Sci-fi movies and games, sharing more than a few plot points with RLK: Run Like Hell. Still, I liked it, Cliche pastiches are not necessarily bad if they are well executed. This plot is simple and doesn't try to be more than what it is, thus ending up being quite solid.

 It's amazing. Just a few minutes of gameplay were enough to realize how great the game was, from the ambiance to the gameplay. I'd put it alongside Bioshock, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 as one of those mainstream must-play games of its generation.

 It's pretty much an evolution of the Resident Evil 4 formula, like Evil Within and Resident Evil 6. It has an over-the-shoulder camera that puts you right into the action, but you can aim and shoot while moving. While it is survival horror, you are pretty much expected to kill and murder everything and anything that comes your way, at least on the Medium difficulty Setting. When it comes to Survival Horror I'm usually a big hoarder, but I had healing and ammo to spare... so much so that I actually started selling my healing supplies for money.

 Money is one of the best thing about the game, alongside Power Nodes. Power Nodes are rare items that can be used to enhance your armor and/or your weapons. The game rewards you constantly for exploring and defeating enemies, either with ammo, healing supplies, money and said Power Nodes, and then you can invest the latter two into getting even stronger. In order to open up most valuable items in the store you need to find Schematics, which will then allow you buy the really good stuff. That said, I spent all my money on Armor Upgrades(Different upgrades than the ones you get with Nodes) and extra Power Nodes. I also purchased a few weapons, the only way to get other weapons besides your basic gun, but I preferred carrying a few but enhanced weapons over getting everything.

 Combat is built around severing limbs, that's the ticket if you want to make short work of your enemies. Also, it seems they are more wont to dropping goodies if you kill them quickly through severance of limbs. Stomping on dead bodies with R2 is sinfully fun.

 You get a few bonus powers, which consume a separate energy gauge, Stasis and Kinetic Pull/Push. Both are used, mostly, to solve some very simple puzzles, buuut they can be used in combat too. I didn't use them too much, didn't need them and the gunplay was good enough.

 The game has two gimmicky areas: Zero-G and Vacuums. Sometimes, they come together. When you exit the ship, or if there's a hole in the room, that creates a vacuum. In a vacuum you must move quickly lest your oxygen runs out. These areas are fairly simple, and if they expect you to explore there are usually unlimited free oxygen refills around. There were a few tense moments where enemies would try to get in my way as I dashed as my oxygen ran out, but nothing to write home about. Zero Gravity areas lets Isaac walk on ceilings and walls, you aim with your gun and press triangle to zip towards the wall you are aiming at. They are a bit clunky, but are decent reprieves from the basic gameplay.

 I love how most chapters end and begin on a tram. On each chapter you are sent to a different section of the ship, with various sub-objectives to complete. Once you are done you return to the tram in order to go into another section. It's very repetitive, but I found it charming.

 The worst part about the game are two turret sections, the first one is surprisingly tough, the other one is just annoying.

 Once I picked up the game I couldn't stop playing it, it's REALLY good and a lot of fun. Beneath its gory and gruesome exterior lies a very elegant game with very polished gameplay and ideas that work well together. I do feel like this is a true classic and a must play of the PS3/X360 generation.

9.0