Published by: EA Games
Developed by: Visceral Games
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Available on: Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3
INTRO: Keeping in line with my Dead Space 2 review from my last column, I realized that I have never reviewed Dead Space: Extraction, the little shooter that flew under the gaming radar a few years ago. Now you can play it if you pick up Dead Space 2 for the PS3 and chances are you can get it for a good price if you own a Wii where it’s a stand-alone title. I’m reviewing the Wii version, but from what I’m told the two versions are more or less the same except for a graphical overhaul on the PS3.
Anyway, Dead Space Extraction is a prequel (an on-rails shooter) that reveals the events leading up to Isaac Clarke’s mission on the USG Ishimura in the original Dead Space game released in 2008. Dead Space Extraction will marry the innovative motion controls of the Wii Remote with a frenetic first-person perspective to create a new action-packed horror experience.
GAMEPLAY:
Alrighty. Let’s get to it. A mysterious marker has been excavated, and ever since then the workers have gone crazy, macabre creatures known as Necromorphs have appeared and started massacring everyone in their sights. In this prequel you don’t play as Isaac this time around. Instead you play as Nathan McNeill, a detective caught in the middle of this nightmare. With a team of three other people, Nathan and crew must escape with their lives… or die trying. The story is one that will oftentimes mess with your mind, and it’s one of the Wii’s best.
As I mentioned before, this game is on rails. This is a good thing in my opinion, because it allows the developers to control the experience to maximize atmosphere. It feels more like a guided adventure and there are long stretches where you’ll learn a lot of exposition without shooting dudes so don’t expect an all-out firefight. Expect hallucinations and lots of nastiness leaping from the shadows. It isn’t as scary as Dead Space but hell, it works. On top of this, you can play this game with a friend in 2 player co-op and it is a blast- I love local co-op!
This isn’t an overly difficult game to play in terms of control. Shooting mechanics are pretty straight-forward: aim with the Wii-mote using the cursor on-screen and fire with the B trigger. You can use the ‘alt-fire’ on your weapon by turning it sideways, gangster style (if gangsters used Wiimotes) You can reload by pressing the B button again or at anytime by pressing the Z button on the nunchuck, and you can activate a “timed” reload by pressing the Z button again when the reloading gauge that’s on the cursor reaches a certain “sweet spot” (like in Gears of War) for a quicker and more efficient reload. The A button activates your kinesis beam, which allows you to pick up items and even use loose objects in the environment (explosive barrels, etc.) to throw at the necromorphs. You can also use Stasis with the c button to slow down various environmental hazards you’ll have to get past and of course to slow down charging necromorphs for easy dismemberment. In this game you have three shots of stasis to use, and it self-charges.
You’ll also have to make a jerking motion to charge your flashlight from time to time so you can see in dark areas. You can have up to 4 weapons at once and they’re pretty fun. You’ve also got an up-close melee attack that works well in tight quarters. As in the first Dead Space, dismemberment is key. Headshots aren’t going to get you very far, so instead you’ll be aiming for the joints of your various enemies. Getting rid of two arms, for example, is usually enough to knock them down for good. Aiming can be pretty tough though, because of the constantly moving camera—some may be turned off by this, but it helps capture the terror of being swarmed. If things get too crazy for you to handle, using Stasis can slow down a single enemy for easier decimation. Players can also use telekinesis to repel enemy projectiles, open lockers, grab items, and throw objects. Combat is extremely chaotic and will always keep you on the edge of your seat. Boss fights are a slight letdown, if only because it will take you awhile just to figure out what the hell you need to do to finally defeat them.
Other than that, there’s not a lot you need to do. You watch the story unfold through its various twists and turns and try to stop these Necromorphs from ruining your team. Luckily, there are several choices to take during a playthrough, but they don’t change much. The whole game only takes about 8 hours or so to complete and offers a challenge mode where you just shoot a bunch of dudes in various areas from the game. Like I said previously though, the game is pretty fun, polished and well put together. It’s certainly well-done enough to play through a couple of times and generally isn’t overly expensive anyway!
Gameplay: 7.5/10
GRAPHICS:
This is a pretty darn good looking Wii game. The environments are authentic and recognizable as being from the Ishimura, and are full of atmosphere. Lighting is also done well, and the whole ‘glow stick’ Wiimote shaking trick looks really nice. The character models look good from far, but far from good when up close. Monsters are scary looking though, and that’s important.
Graphics: 7.5/10
AUDIO:
The sound design here is almost perfect and the voice acting works really well, with a ton of dialogue to boot. There’s plenty of great, creepy sound effects and surround sound is a must. There will be times when you hear voices or screeches behind you and that’s a great clue in this game. Monsters are still horrific and guttural and haven’t lost a bit of their aural charm.
Audio: 8.5/10
FINAL VERDICT:
If you like Dead Space and have a buddy, grab this game today and blast your way through it. If you’re only so-so on rail shooters or the franchise itself, you might want to rent it first. There’s a lot of killing to do and a lot of story to be revealed and it certainly feels like a Dead Space game. Do you dare to play alone with the lights off in the middle of the night?
Final Score: 8/10