Dead Space: Extraction
Score: 90% ESRB: Mature Publisher: EA Games Developer: Visceral Games Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Action/ Survival Horror/ Light Gun Shooter
Graphics & Sound: Though it practically wears its inspirations on its sleeve, Dead Space is a fantastic game. Its outstanding production values, intriguing storyline, and brutally satisfying gameplay make it one of the best games of 2008. Not only that, it's one of those IPs that has enough potential to forge connections with other outlets (e.g. Dead Space: Downfall). When done right, this kind of expansion is hugely rewarding. Dead Space: Extraction is such a project. This fascinating prequel remains faithful to the original vision while expanding upon it in several meaningful ways. From the craggy surface of Aegis VII to the relatively virgin hallways of the USG Ishimura, Dead Space: Extraction rarely fails to impress with its quality visuals. It wouldn't be a stretch to call it one of the best-looking titles on the Wii. The superb lighting effects of the original game don't quite make the transition, but you won't miss all the strobes and shadows quite as much as you'd think. The entire game may be scripted, but the animations are fantastic. You'll see genuine emotion on the faces of your fellow survivors, and as a result, you'll grow attached to them -- although you know you probably shouldn't. Each Necromorph form is brilliantly designed, repeat offenders aside. Taking them apart limb by limb is as gory and satisfying as it ever has been. Creepy ambience and ethereal whisperings are staples of the survival-horror genre, and Dead Space: Extraction is chock full of both. That's not all that makes the game's sound design so exceptional. The soundtrack is standard Dead Space fare, which is definitely a good thing. Timpani glissandos lend tension to every empty corridor, and Necromorph attacks are punctuated by screeching strings and blatting horns. The borderline silence of each zero-gravity vacuum sequence is brilliant in and of itself. To top it off, the voice acting is fantastic across the board.
Gameplay: If you took Isaac Clarke's bloody tour of the USG Ishimura last year, you eventually found out that the cause for all the bloodshed was a sinister-looking artifact that was hauled out of Aegis VII's crust before the planet was cracked. Dead Space: Extraction begins during the final phase of the Marker's extraction, which you actively take part in. The second you finish your job, the you-know-what hits the fan, and the colonists who don't go completely bonkers are transformed into Necromorphs. You'll witness the events that lead up to the USG Kellion's fateful encounter with the Ishimura from several different perspectives. By bending the rules a bit, Visceral Games is able to do some really amazing things with the storytelling. Chronologically, Dead Space: Extraction is the first game in the series, but I wouldn't recommend getting into it until you've played Dead Space to completion. The most I'll say is that Extraction unceremoniously spoils one of the original game's most shocking moments. To call Dead Space: Extraction a rail shooter would be unfair. The developers prefer the term "guided first-person experience," and after playing Extraction to completion, I'm inclined to agree with them. You cannot control your character's movement, and you can only occasionally control where you look, but based on the places you go and the things you see, Extraction is all the better for it. Once you've finished Story mode, you might want to check out Challenge Mode. It cobbles together several action-oriented bits of the campaign and encourages you to take on wave after wave of enemies. You can do this cooperatively, which adds a bit of competition.
Difficulty: The difficulty level of Dead Space: Extraction is variable, though you're only able to choose from two when you start the game for the first time. Playing the game cooperatively naturally makes the game quite a bit easier, but the targeting reticles are occasionally problematic. They are a bit too large for comfort and they are brightly colored; this clashes with the otherwise dark visuals. There's more replay value in Extraction than practically every other game in the genre. Most of this has to do with the unlockables you earn over the course of each playthrough. The most impressive of these is the motion comic series that was released online last year. While you're in the field, you can acquire upgrades for your weapons, as well as audio and text logs that once belonged to the Aegis VII colonists and the crew of the Ishimura. This is a difficulty-related issue because the camera angle is rarely static. Some upgrades are incredibly difficult to obtain on your first playthrough; you'll often have very little time to grab them, and the automated movement of your character can make the Kinesis module somewhat unwieldy.
Game Mechanics: There's more to this game than pointing and shooting. Dead Space: Extraction features the ever-satisfying Strategic Dismemberment combat system, as well as all of the traditional Dead Space weapons. Since most of the game has you playing as a P-Sec Officer, you've got access to more conventional weaponry -- whereas in Dead Space, Isaac is forced to turn his toolbox into a crude but devastating arsenal. Each weapon has an alt-fire mode, but you must tilt the Wii-mote 90 degrees to the side if you want to use it. You'll also have to use the Wii-mote to solder damaged circuits. Wii-waggle is aptly mapped to the game's more mindless mechanics, such as shaking a Glow Worm to illuminate the halls or thrashing at Necromorphs who are trying to make lunch out of you. In addition to all the great weaponry, you've got access to two key modules that veterans of Dead Space will no doubt recognize. Pressing the (C) button will fire the Stasis Module at whatever you're targeting. Stasis doesn't just help you get past environmental hazards, but it slows down attacking Necromorphs, giving you time to aim carefully at the limbs. In addition to Stasis, you've got the Kinesis Module, which you can use at almost any time by pressing (A). There are a lot of pickups in each level; most of them are ammo refills, but you'll also find weapon upgrades and personnel logs. You can also use Kinesis on an explosive container and turn it into a homemade rocket-propelled grenade. Dead Space: Extraction is a great companion to Dead Space. Sure, it's a different kind of experience, but it absolutely earns its place alongside last year's horror masterpiece. There is only one major problem with Dead Space: Extraction: it doesn't make waiting for Dead Space 2 any easier.
-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos
Related Links: Official Website of Dead Space: Extraction Game Vortex's Review of Dead Space (PlayStation 3) Game Vortex's Review of Dead Space: Downfall
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