Let's talk Dead Space 3

[Machine Man 1992]

So Dead Space 3 is coming out in a few months, and ever since the announcement and promo images and trailers and such, many fans (myself included) called BETRAYAL on this game. It looked like the game was going to get turned into a balls out shooter like Gears of War, removing all the things that made the series good (Zero gravity, vacuum sections, claustrophobic hallways full of monsters, actually being in space) and replacing it with homogenized crap to appeal to the masses, because EA is completely incompetent and blind to what people want.

And yet, I'm still looking forward to this game, and here's the reason's why:

It pays homage to John Carpenter's The Thing, one of the greatest sci-fi horror movies ever.

It has optional drop in/out co-op, so if I wanna kill shit with a buddy I can.

It lets you build your own guns, so having a plasma cutter/flamethrower or a pulse rifle/contact beam is no longer an impossible dream.

And the giant monsters, while a bit to close visually and functionally close to the Akrid for my taste, are just the kind of things I like to see in games. And if you're going to rip off another game, rip off Lost Planet. That game was awesome.

What do you guy's think? Are cautiously optimistic? Or are you shouting in the streets, "BETRAYAL! BE-TRAYAL! BETRAYED ME! This game SUUUUCKS!!!"

 

[DJ_DEnM]

I'm optimistic about it so far. I hope they renew the fear aesthetic so that I don't expect the same crap repeatedly like I did in DS2 after DS1. I don't care much for the Gun building, since I'm gonna go through the game with nothing but the plasma cutter as I have for the first two games. I don't even like the other weapons, I go all Melee/Plasma Cutter.

 

[Smeggs]

The sad thing is, I have little faith that the fearfactor will be anywhere near the other games, and yet I know I'll still end up buying the fucking thing...

Here comes another disappointing final installment by EA.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Honestly, I never played Dead Space for the scares, I played them for the atmosphere, of which both games so far have had it in spades.

Seriously, walking through the space station in DS2 just after the outbreak is one my favourite things in gaming.

Looking forward to DS3.

 

[piinyouri]

I'm indifferent.

The first game had some high points but was overall kind of lacking.
Didn't play the second one so I have no investment in the threequel.

 

[SoranMBane]

While my immediate reaction to seeing the first Dead space 3 trailer was one of rage and indignation, now that I've had some time to cool off and think about things, there may actually be ways some of the new seemingly homogenized mechanics could work in the game's favour. Namely...

-The new combat roll mechanic would have to be imprecise and clunky, in keeping with the Dead Space series' theme of Isaac being an untrained action survivor rather than a hardened soldier. I believe I've read somewhere that this is indeed the case. Plus, the guy's like 46; how sprightly could he possibly be?

-The cover mechanic should be just a crouch button. I hate games that make me buy a damn engagement ring for its chest-high walls. I believe I've heard that is also the case.

-Shoot-outs with human enemies should be extremely difficult. Humans have always been bigger threats to Isaac than the monsters. It's been a lot like Rock, Paper, Scissors, in fact; Isaac dismembers necromorphs, necromorphs maul soldiers, soldiers shoot Isaac. I'd very much like that trend to continue in full force in some way, again to continue the theme of Isaac being a survivor and not a hardened soldier. Extra points if all or most the encounters with humans can be avoided by sneaking or running past them, and even more extra points if Isaac shows clear, human dismay at the prospect of having to kill other people.

-The co-op would have to have absolutely no effect on the story. So, no different endings depending on if you played with a buddy or not. I doubt Visceral is that stupid, since they did avoid attaching multiplayer achievements to Dead Space 2 precisely because they didn't want to punish people for wanting to play by themselves. But there's no reason they couldn't have had some sort of collective aneurism since then, so we'll see.

-They'd better not turn Ellie into Dead Space's Newt by killing her off at the beginning of the game. This is a series that's already dangerously close to being a massive Aliens ripoff without Dead Space 3 following the example of Aliens 3 and its bullshit.

So, yeah, Dead Space 3 could actually end up being good, but I'll be highly skeptical until I've got a solid demo in my hands.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

The first 2 are simply too easy, even on the hardest difficulty so i'm setting my sights at gutter level so as not to be disappointed by getting myself hyped up. I'll rent it at some point but it won't be a priority

 

[StylinBones]

I think it will be good. DS1 and DS2 campaigns were both amazing, no reason to doubt them in my book. Can't wait for this to come out!

 

[Terminate421]

EA destroyed the Dead Space spirit. The first two were great and felt Dead Space. This one....no. It doesn't look anything like Dead Space.

And the PR is the worst I've ever seen. "We're making it less scary so it can "Appeal to a broader audience", oh don't worry, it'll be scary! We're just taking all horror out whatsoever."

Also, Isaac, an CEC engineer is partnered with....a generic sergeant guy with a "Dark past" who comes right the fuck out of nowhere.

And we're on an ice planet. The first one was on a dead mining ship, the second was on an infested city, the third....an ice planet. And the necromorphs? Giant, as in, lost planet giant. The Hive Mind was allowed to be giant because he was built up to and it made sense, human corpses could not possibly make many monsters of that size.

New enemies include ones that shoot at you, not something like the puker or the spitter, but people with guns. Last I checked, Isaac wasn't a soldier nor had the ability to roll or use cover the way a soldier does.

The worst part? It must make 5 million copies, the total number of the first and second games sales (A little more than that actually) or the game is considered a flop and the franchise dies. A great franchise, huge universe, interesting set up, all being held hostage to a fucking sales number.

 

[afroebob]

My opinion? Making Dead Space Co-Op because it is to scary is like mutilating Michael Moore's face because he is to handsome.

 

[Reaper195]

It looks alright. I wasn't much of a fan of the games, namely because a guy I know hyped the first one to hell and back, saying it was scarier than Silent Hill (Scariest game I've played, Amnesia and Slender aside). Instead, what I got was a sci-fi action game with some jump scares.

So...it was kind of ruined before I even played it, but I can see it's potential and it's appeal to some.

 

[skywolfblue]

I'm looking forward to it with excitement and my fingers crossed. I really hope it turns out good. I do have worries about it since it might be being rushed and the whole near-cancellation fiasco.

I'm semi-ok with it being more Gears of Wars-ish as I like gears of war.

I was skeptical of the two-weapon limit but it looks like the guncrafting compensates for that by having each gun do two things.

I'll miss the Zero-G sections, but I love Ice Planets so I'm happy about the environment.

I never cared about Dead Space being "scary". Dead Space 2 was "fun" in a bombastic thrilling way, not "scary". I'd want Dead Space 3 to be the same.

 

[Gone Rampant]

I'm interested. I was never scared of the first two games, so I'm gonna roleplay Isaac as a Tranquil from Dragon Age who remembered how to talk normal.

 

[King of Asgaard]

EA destroyed the Dead Space spirit. The first two were great and felt Dead Space. This one....no. It doesn't look anything like Dead Space.

And the PR is the worst I've ever seen. "We're making it less scary so it can "Appeal to a broader audience", oh don't worry, it'll be scary! We're just taking all horror out whatsoever."

Also, Isaac, an CEC engineer is partnered with....a generic sergeant guy with a "Dark past" who comes right the fuck out of nowhere.

And we're on an ice planet. The first one was on a dead mining ship, the second was on an infested city, the third....an ice planet. And the necromorphs? Giant, as in, lost planet giant. The Hive Mind was allowed to be giant because he was built up to and it made sense, human corpses could not possibly make many monsters of that size.

New enemies include ones that shoot at you, not something like the puker or the spitter, but people with guns. Last I checked, Isaac wasn't a soldier nor had the ability to roll or use cover the way a soldier does.

The worst part? It must make 5 million copies, the total number of the first and second games sales (A little more than that actually) or the game is considered a flop and the franchise dies. A great franchise, huge universe, interesting set up, all being held hostage to a fucking sales number.

Exactly.
I'm absolutely fine with co-op, as long as there is an option for splitscreen.
What I'm not OK with is the whole dodge roll, crouching behind cover, fighting enemies with guns bullshit that EA probably bullied Visceral Games into putting in the game.
I thought the whole appeal with Dead Space was the claustrophobic environments, and the clunky, tense combat. But what I've seen makes it look more like Gears of War than Resident Evil, which no one asked for.

 

[Nadia Castle]

I fell in love with Dead Space because it was the rightful successor to Resident Evil 4. Whilst Resident Evil 5 became an action packed homogenized mess, Dead Space took the mechanics that worked, polish them to a tee and give us somewhere new and fun to play with them. Dead Space 2 went off in the wrong direction a little with a multiplayer aspect and now its throwing the baby out with bath water exactly the same as the beloved titles of old.

Im sure the problem is developers (or more likely publishers) decided to add all the things they can for the sequel without stopping to think if they should. Yes you CAN add multiplayer, but it will kill the atmosphere, yes you CAN create giant graphically impressive monsters, but that's not scary. There not even all bad ideas. If Resident Evil 5 had just had a co op mercenary mode than fan-dildy-astic, but no it will just get shoe horned into the entire campaign for no good reason.

Yeah that was longer and more of a rant than I intended, but I'll be saving my money for the next game series that remembers its supposed to be survival game not a barely off rails spectacle shooter.