They're BABIES!
Following in the footsteps of the Resident Evil 4's killer success, the Dead Space franchise hit the market in 2008. It stars one Isaac Clark, a stoic miner from the 25th century who finds himself barely escaping the Planet-Cracking ship Ishimura after investigating a distress signal. Planet-Cracking is a term used to describe the act of stripping minerals and resources from other planets, since the Earth is all dead and such. On board the ship was something people referred to as The Marker, which was brought on board by the ship's captain who doubled as an agent for the Church of Unitology, a Religious Cult. The Marker was apparently some key religious object to them. Soon after, shit hit the fan and an alien organism ran rampant, first making people hallucinate. Soon after, people starting turning into fleshy, lumpy, scythe-handed Necromorphs. It was up to Isaac to use mining tools to "Strategically Dismember" his way off of the ship while also fighting hallucinations caused by The Marker.
Dead Space has enjoyed the rewards for success. It has birthed spin-offs in the forms of prequels, comic series, and animated features. I personally find the series very enjoyable for several reasons. These reasons include:
- The Enemies -- The Necromorphs are a very unique enemy to the survival/horror genre. You can't just remove the head or destroy the brain to kill them: They will still wreck you. You have to use the weapons given to you to dismember the many different enemy types in such a way as to disable first before you can kill. Legs, arms, torso, head; They're all fair game.
- Anti-Gravy -- While short in the first game, the anti-gravity sequences were a great way to put the physics engine to work. The second game looks to feature more of this mechanic, upgraded with a rocket-booster system to make floatin' around even better.
- The Weapons -- There is but one military weapon in the entire first game: A machine gun. All of the other weapons you use are futuristic mining tools. From the rivet gun to the line gun, there were many unique ways to chop your enemies to bits.
- The Story -- While standard as far and Science Fiction/Horror goes, the storyline is still very solid and it's obvious that the writers are having fun with the mythology. The stoicism of Isaac in the first game also made him that much more interesting. The second game will feature a more vocal Issac, which will lend itself well to his dealings with dementia.
- HUD -- Health and other meters are delegated to Issac's mining suit, clearing space on the screen. The health bar ran along the suit's spine and was a mechanic used for every character in the game. The holographic HUD also made for quick menu access and allowed the player to see all of the graphically-impressive environments without having to worry about a menu blocking an enemy.
- The Suspense -- Dead Space mixes up the scare factor a lot throughout the game. What takes thirty minutes to jump at you could take ten seconds later. A creak could be an enemy or it could be nothing. A giant tentacle could send Issac to the ground at any second, or it couldn't. You aren't able to look at an area and say, "Man, an enemy will appear right there! One did from a similar entrance not too long ago!" The creepy pseudo-Religious background and derelict ship structures also help the heeby-jeebies.
Dead Space 2 takes place three years after the events of the first game. Issac Clark finds himself on the Moon Titan. Mental Illness, seemingly born from The Marker, has left him a little bit crazy. The game starts off in a hospital, and Issac must deal with the Necromorph infection taking over the station.
Be on the lookout for my first impressions of the Dead Space 2 Demo real soon. As of typing this, there are already two reviews for the game, with the average score being 9.25/10. A definite good sign!
Below is the official trailer to hold you over until then (Smashing Pumpkins included):
(I apologize for any errors ahead of time. I'll fix'em tomorrow.)
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