Comment
Ronnie: You know, for treading such a familiar path (aliens, outer space, infected crew, etc.), Dead Space sure does manage to impress. And as a horror aficionado, I thought for sure I'd seen it all. Little did I know! It only took an hour or so for Dead Space to sweep in and quickly put me in my place; with clever use of surprise, brutality, and buckets of blood, the sheer fright that radiates from the game was enough to keep me on edge throughout the entire experience. Luckily, the surprisingly deep gameplay performs just as admirably.
Wes: You're absolutely right. And the clever use of your HUD, or lack there of in this case, keeps you locked into that deep gameplay. I loved how my suit has visual queues for health and the how each gun has its own HUD to display ammo. So smart, and very cinematic. And the usage of sound is unlike any other video game experience I've ever had. I wasn't prepared for the frightening, visceral audio track that accompanies you around each corner. Each and every step, every progression in Dead Space, paints a shocking soundscape, that when pushed through a surround system, will make you question your next move.
Ronnie: Yeah, the way this game handles the menu system and other on-screen displays is almost groundbreaking. Not only does it look unbelievably slick (the projected hologram/HUD allows you to view items, select weapons, and study a 3D version of the ship) but more importantly, you no longer have the option of pausing the game to catch your breath or scrounge your inventory for that much-needed med kit. All the action is executed in real-time, which only adds to the overall suspense. Desperately cycling through your ammunition while multiple creatures rapidly flank you couldn't be more panic-inducing. This just wouldn't be the same if you could pause the action. And while we're on the subject of ammunition, I know you were a big fan of the upgrade system, along with the deadly array of weapons that can all be personalized to your liking. Just how cool is this?
Wes: Cool? Yes. Crucial to success? Without question; however with only a handful of weapons I was slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the workbench where you connect your weapons for upgrading is very deep. From increasing the strength of each round, to improving the secondary firing of the individual guns, it's all seamless and intuitive. Take for instance the Line Gun. Primary firing on the Line Gun shoots a devastating laser that runs parallel to the ground. A must have for strategic dismemberment (more on this in a moment). However, the secondary firing mechanism unleashes a mine that emits 7-10 prisms that, and when timed correctly, creates a grotesque yet instantly gratifying effect. I do wish there were a few more, though, but it's hard to complain because most of the weapons at your disposal are nearly perfect. And granting me the ability to upgrade to my liking allowed for one of my least favorite weapons, to become my most used. I don't want to jump too far ahead, but I think we should definitely discuss the first big boss fight.
Ronnie: I agree that it's not the number of weapons that count, but rather the quality of each. And really, only one gun in particular was rather useless, but I'd imagine that even it could become lethal if you had enough time and resources at your disposal. And believe me; you need all the firepower you can getâ?¦and lots of it, because the first time I witnessed the first boss fight (which is a rather loose term because plenty of aliens in this game can fit the bill), I honestly thought it would take an army to bring the behemoth down. Encountering this beast in a zero gravity room also added to the wow-factor. It's small touches and twists like this that keep the encounters fresh and help them standout from one another, which was initially a big concern I had going into this game. Come to think of it, I'm still reeling from the fact that the gameplay never felt stagnant from start to finish, even though many of the levels and objectives seemed to be eerily similar.
Wes: So glad you mentioned zero gravity. I found this to be such an intelligent addition to this title. Sure you're in space, so there shouldn't be any gravity unless there's a gyroscopic gravity generator around, and luckily the USG Ishimura has one. It's the way EA allows me to interact with anti-gravity environments that makes me dizzy (sometimes literally) with delight. By using your weapon's reticule you can leap through an entire anti-gravity room with ease and instantly land on the other side. Why is this cool? Well, mostly because there are floating cadavers in most of these rooms, which you often collide with as you fly through the air. There is something extremely eerie about seeing dead bodies and various limbs suspended in thin air. If you recall, the first instant we entered a zero-gravity room we both said how cool it would be to actually fight something while commencing airborne acrobatics. EA didn't let us down. I appreciated that I could shoot my line gun at the enemy's feet, severe them, and slowly watch them float away. Yet my opponent still scratched and drug his body towards me with an unforgiving creepiness and a desperate unwillingness to die. So awesome and such a great use of physics.
Ronnie: Yeah, I loved how the enemies absolutely refused to die, and will do everything in their power to survive. The mother aliens (I'm only guessing here) are especially grotesque in their will to live; watching them give birth to multiple other disgusting creatures as the life drains from their limbless bodies was something I won't soon forget. But as impressive as the enemy design was, I was also pleased to see that the missions, although very similar in context, had interesting gameplay designs that helped them seem less like clones of each other. Don't get me wrong, there were a few decisions (mainly the odd turret gun sequences) that just didn't seem to fit, and in a way this is Dead Space's only real problem. Since much of the storyline revolves around one ship, you end up revisiting areas you've explored countless times before. It's not a big deal thanks mostly to the variety of missions, but it is noticeable enough to be a concern.
Wes: There were a few 'fetch' missions that left me thinking 'come on EA, this game is better than this' because it really was. But for some reason, probably to help extend the game length, I found myself retracing my foot steps a lot. But you're right, you're basically on one ship, so how big can one ship be? Later in the game there is a break in the familiar surroundings, and without slipping in a spoiler, I will say it was a welcome change that tied into the story seamlessly. As the narrative progresses the enemies (known as Necromorphs) become faster, smarter, and more difficult to destroy. Each new foe has a weak point to attack; some require you simply de-limb them one by one, while others have exploding bags of pus they drag behind them that must be targeted. When several opponents start falling from overhead ducts and scrambling on the walls, you'll find comfort in Stasis and Kinesis, two gameplay extras you absolutely can't live without.
Stasis slows time for brief periods while Kinesis gives you the ability to pick up and move various objects (think gravity gun from Half-Life). Occasionally you'll enter a room with a puzzle style layout, where using Kinesis to reveal hidden areas or alternative paths is a must. I have to say, making sure I closed off a particular doorway because the Necromorphs continued to use it against me was both terrifying and impressive. Stasis comes in handy when you have to work on fast moving machine parts, bypass electrically unstable doors, or when setting traps for enemies. There are a few moments in the game that are perfect for this; it doesn't get much better than freezing an enemy, scrambling to a switch, and then activating it to let the gruesome blood-bath ensue. This is truly ingenious gameplay design, and honestly just another example of the forward thinking that Dead Space brings to the genre. 
Ronnie: Yeah, I'm very pleased with the different directions you can take when diffusing each situation. We both seemed to have different approaches, though. I relied less on the environment and went straight for the limbs on most enemies, while you made it a point to use everything around you to help conserve ammo. This lead to some of the most memorable moments found in gaming so far this year, especially during your play through.
Wes: You're correct, the amount of variation or number of ways to dispatch your enemy in Dead Space is staggering, but I'm pretty sure I tried them all. I started with simply standing my ground and shooting limbs off (like yourself), but that frame of mind quickly evolved into something much more sinister. Before you know it I was using the severed legs and arms from previous encounters as ammunition against my current attackers. Next I experimented with objects found immediately around me. By using Stasis to freeze two enemies dead in their tracks, I was able to send a fuel tank rocketing their way only to watch them explode instantaneously. Body parts flew everywhere and blood/entrails painted the walls. Just about everything in a room can be picked up and shot like a projectile at a high velocity, with amazingly gory results. I haven't had this much fun with an environment in quite some time, and it's small examples like this that will leave Dead Space forever ingrained in my mind. It is so refreshing to see a title perform well above what the source material would lead you to believe is possible. In many regards, Dead Space is nearly a perfect game.
Ronnie: I couldn't have said it better myself.
Closing Comments
It's not often that a game of this magnitude comes along. Nearly perfect in every aspect, Dead Space is one of those rare occurrences that not only stands out in its particular genre, but could in fact be labeled a measuring stick for future titles industry wide. With a heart-pounding score, panic-inducing enemy encounters, and a well-paced narrative, Dead Space is no doubt one of the best titles of this generation.
