Dead Space 3 Review

This review was originally written in late Feburary 2013.

Horror video games are a genre that over time have been disappearing over time. As Resident Evil became more and more action oriented and Silent Hill’s quality began to reduce, it seemed that a good horror game would be hard to find. That is until the first Dead Space game came out in 2008 bringing a new kind of horror gameplay. But has it prevailed through the series in the latest installment?

Dead Space 3 continues its story with its main character Isaac Clarke, the engineer with all the bad luck in the world. Isaac tries to keep himself alive discovering the humans turning into creatures known as Necromorphs after they die. In the past two games he has travelled destroying two Markers, alien artifacts causing the changes, and suffering through dementia the Marker caused nearly driving him insane. It didn’t help that there were also Necromorphs around every single corner trying to kill him waiting in the dark. In Dead Space 3, Isaac reluctantly heads with what is left of the government of earth to go to an unknown ice planet where supposedly all the Markers could be destroyed therefore ending all the madness he has gone through.

The gameplay is similar of the to the past and will keep a player on the edge of their seat as they walk through dark corridors with their weapon pointed down not knowing if danger awaits. Using all the controls players can either aim, fire, change weapons, move heavy objects with a small kinetic module, or put things into slow motion with a Stasis module. Gameplay is fun as always, while a little difficult to get at first, it’s easy to get a hang of. 

A number of changes have been in the title separating it from the past ones in the series. Spare parts are collected to create upgrades and weapons instead of gathering cash to a shop. Speaking of weapons, they are numerous options leaving the choice in the players hand on how to upgrade or create what they want, making it easily the best new part of the game. There are endless combinations such as shotguns with bayonets that are charged with electricity to flamethrowers that sling saw blades. Another option is the ability to play co-op with a friend as new character, John Carver, to take down the horror together. While it is fun to traverse through the multiple environments with a friend, there is one major flaw in this is that you can only play multiplayer online. It is impossible to play with a friend on a couch which makes an extreme disappointment.

The overall campaign is a good long one of 19 chapters plus a number of side missions, making gameplay last a long time and also offers a large amount of replay value. While Dead Space 3 is a fun game and enjoyable, it seems to have lost some of its horror charm. No longer do you experience dementia (unless you are player two on side missions only for two players), wondering if everything around you is real or not. No longer does something grab you and try to drag you to your death to which you have to react quickly to press the right buttons. While there are still moments where you might jump and grip your controller hoping you survive, the main feeling of isolation and truly being alone in vastness of space no longer seems to be an impact. 

4/5 Stars.

SINCE THEN: My view on Dead Space 3 still stands. It's unkown at this point if the series will continue based on how it ended, but I'm guessing it will as there are a number of questions unanswered. The game is more horror cinematic effects rather then keeping the player on their feet. There are plenty of jump scares still, but it's nowhere the same as the first where walking down the hallways in the first game.