Posts Tagged ‘Dead Space’

Back on one of my favorite topics thanks to the free rein I have been given on my column on Videogame-Reviews. While I know I am going to have to start aiming my work at a broader audience than my DoFuss articles the owner of the site has at let me indulge myself on my first few entries, including this article on the evolution of horror games.

Touching on many of my favorite games, the article looks at why games may suffer with the move to HD and the quest to appeal to a wider audience. Below is an extract and a link, please go and have a look if you feel inclined and leave a comment on VGR.

“In many ways the first “game worlds” would have been terrifying places, with no end to the oncoming alien ships, asteroids or ghosts and death being your only release. Games back then though were, of course, about the game mechanic; simply playing. Yet still the designers felt the need to infuse some familiar symbolism to their tiny sprites to help people understand the world presented to them. I guess these games were scary in the same way books are, leaving so much up to the readers/players imagination that what is experienced varies wildly from person to person.”

Read the full article here.

Dead Space has been designed as more than a game. A comic series and a feature length animation have been release to expand the universe. 

The comics are relatively successful. It has more freedom than the movie as it plays out the initial finding of the ‘Marker’ and the panic that occurs on the planet. It gives some nice insight and expands on elements of the story not hinted at in the game.

The movie is in a difficult position. Focused on the Ishimura it is restricted by the games lore, but it isn’t this that proves to be its downfall. The problem is the script and its horrible characterization of the female characters. One woman swears enough to be in a Tarantino movie, while the other constantly spouts the same bullshit bravado. It makes it impossible to care. Fortunately you know they are all going to end up dead.

Dead Space sets an unsettling atmosphere from the start. Stranded on the Ishimura mining vessel you are soon running for your life weaponless and alone.

It maintains tension with disconcerting locals and background whispers. For my taste it relies too heavily on ‘Boo’ scares rather than the creeping dread of Asian horror movies. EA probably knew they were doing though, two hours of tension is involving but twelve hours is a recipe for angina.

Environments have real function within the world and help the story unfold. Unfortunately the architecture often tricked me into thinking it was one of the ‘Necromorphs’. Such slips are particularly unnerving when you hear something and are forced to slowly rotate only to end up aiming at a bunk-bed.

It creates an absorbing consistent world taking elements of Event Horizon and Silent Hill. Add fantastic controls and if you aren’t convinced this just isn’t for you.

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