Dead Space 3

Developer: Visceral Games

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Dead Space 3 is the latest entry in Visceral Games 3rd-person survival horror series. You play once again as Engineer Isaac Clarke, who starts off hiding away from his past and growing a respectable beard, until he finds out his beloved ex-girlfriend Ellie has gone missing on the planet Tau Valantis, which could hold the key to finally destroying the Markers.

The one big difference between this game and past games, is that Visceral have decided to trade in the whole horror aspect for a more action packed, bigger guns, more enemies style. The main thing I liked about the first and second games was the crap your pants atmosphere and well timed scares, and although the shooting and killing was plentyful it never felt like there was too much and so the atmosphere remained throughout. Now, that one thing I really liked is basically gone, and instead I seemingly have to kill horde after horde of enemies, just to get a few more bullets to kill the next lot. But I'll get onto that later...

One thing I have to give credit to, is the graphics. Almost every minute of the game is visually stunning, even just bland gameplay sections set in corridors look amazing, with some of the best lighting I've ever seen in a game, but the big epic looking vistas of space with distant stars and planets were simply breathtaking and made me stop playing every so often just to take in the visuals.
Sound is very impressive too, but just doesn't have the same effect of fear of not knowing what was in the next room, because you know it's just going to be more shooting, so there's no real guessing or paranoia.



Gun Customisation takes a much bigger role here, with loot picks ups lying around everywhere and being dropped by enemies, meaning you can craft and build more powerful guns the longer you play. Things like Acid Rounds, Flamethrower attatchments, can all be attached to whatever random hybrid you'd want to make. Not many seem to be found through the first playthrough though, they are more for the New Game + Mode. I ended up using an upgraded version of everyones favourite (not) Ripper gun, that show acid rounds and shotgun shells that slowed the enemy down.

Co-op is also a new inclusion to the series, allowing drop in drop out action, where you can find loot in other peoples games, and share blueprints for those crazy weapons you've made in your own. There are also extra side missions that can only be accessed through playing as the co-op character, John Carver. Although it's a fun addition it does take what tiny bit of horror out of the game knowing that you're twice as powerful as a team.

Achievement wise it's the standard Dead Space fare, with things like Kill x enemies with acid, flames etc, dismembers thousands of limbs from living enemies, fully upgrade your suit and your bogstandard collectible based ones. They are pretty easy to unlock, with only the one for completing the game on the hardest difficulty being the one that may cause a problem as if you die you have to start the whole game again.


Overall, although the graphics are stunning and are worth playing the game for alone, and there are a few nice new additions, it's not really enough to justify changing the gameplay direction of the game completely. It felt like such a trudge playing through the games 19 chapters knowing all I was doing was climbing ladders, pressing a button to open a door which took 3 seconds to let me through, spending 20 seconds waiting in a ton of elevators, all just so you can press a button somewhere while fighting through tons of enemies that can take 30 shots before dying, then once thats done, just repeating it all again, 50 times. The animation of being knocked over and spending 4 seconds waiting to get back up is extremely frustrating when you have 10 enemies all knocking you down as soon as you stand up. Being a fan of the others made me feel I had to play this game, and in the whole time playing I just felt completely bored. If you are a massive fan of the others and feel you have to play this, then by all means do it and you might enjoy it. I personally would rather have kept the good memories of the others without having this borefest ruining them. I give it a not so good 6 out of 10.

Nice honest review fella. Got 2 to get through first and by that time this will likely be in the bargain bin.

Great review Leigh

I am pleased I read this as I was considering getting it after loving 1 and 2


have switched to avoid now!


Cheers matey

Good review mate. Avoiding this for now. The series has been on a downhill slope since the original. That one was amazing, but the second wasn't anywhere near as enjoyable to me. I'll pick this one up when it's dirt cheap.

Good work Lucky, thanks for reviewing this for the site