Zero Punctuation: Dead Space
- Thread starter Yahtzee Croshaw
- Start date
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I'm not going to say that Yahtzee didn't get the game because honestly every single person takes something different away from the game; however, I feel like he was looking for the wrong things in Issac's occasional interactions with Nicole. They weren't intended to create empathy with the character, they were intended to make you question whether or not Issac was hallucinating. The idea that an unarmed girl could survive alone on the Ishimura when trained military professionals were slaughtered makes no sense, especially considering that she seems to just walk out of the room without worry whenever you see her. Issac's lack of emotional reaction is more of a sign that on some level he understood he was fooling himself. And he was characterized, just never verbally. If you read his notes on each objective, you got a clear sense of who he was as a person-- utilitarian, logical, and level-headed. Which is precisely why he survives when others die.
Also, his comments about the level design being cliche strikes me as odd. You can clearly see a practical theme to everything. And the gothic influences are astounding. You can see an amalgamation of old architecture and science fiction. I mean, a ship with influences clearly derived from flying buttresses? How is that not original?
Also, even though the story is cliche the religious overtones provided by the unitologist add a lot more depth than the standard sci-fi horror story contains. The obvious criticisms of accepting everything on blind faith and inadvertently worshiping the necromorphs as almost god-like because they have a relation to the marker, when in actuality the marker is meant to contain the necros? That's at least somewhat interesting on a story-telling level and it was certainly never explored in Alien/Aliens or Event Horizon.
And the game throws out a number of small treats for people who really paid attention. For instance, read the first number of each chapter. *SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS* Nicole is dead *END SPOILERS* Or the fact that in one of the middle chapters there is a sign scrawled with what looks to be a method of translating the alien symbols written on the walls throughout the entire game. And if you actually take the time to write down the method you can go back and translate every little bit of scrawling in every level. I doubt a generic game spewing machine would add that kind of detail.
I do have to say though, while Issac's silence may have had some interesting connotations on his interactions with Nicole, it certainly makes the opening scene seem incredibly awkward. The kinesis and stasis guns also feel incredibly shoehorned into the game and that the pacing never really hit its stride, but as a whole I'd have to say that the game is incredibly well done and does not feel generic in the least.
Final Note: Zero punctuation is the last review source I really trust, and I seem to have the exact same taste in games as Yahtzee because this is the FIRST review I have disagreed with.
Also, his comments about the level design being cliche strikes me as odd. You can clearly see a practical theme to everything. And the gothic influences are astounding. You can see an amalgamation of old architecture and science fiction. I mean, a ship with influences clearly derived from flying buttresses? How is that not original?
Also, even though the story is cliche the religious overtones provided by the unitologist add a lot more depth than the standard sci-fi horror story contains. The obvious criticisms of accepting everything on blind faith and inadvertently worshiping the necromorphs as almost god-like because they have a relation to the marker, when in actuality the marker is meant to contain the necros? That's at least somewhat interesting on a story-telling level and it was certainly never explored in Alien/Aliens or Event Horizon.
And the game throws out a number of small treats for people who really paid attention. For instance, read the first number of each chapter. *SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS* Nicole is dead *END SPOILERS* Or the fact that in one of the middle chapters there is a sign scrawled with what looks to be a method of translating the alien symbols written on the walls throughout the entire game. And if you actually take the time to write down the method you can go back and translate every little bit of scrawling in every level. I doubt a generic game spewing machine would add that kind of detail.
I do have to say though, while Issac's silence may have had some interesting connotations on his interactions with Nicole, it certainly makes the opening scene seem incredibly awkward. The kinesis and stasis guns also feel incredibly shoehorned into the game and that the pacing never really hit its stride, but as a whole I'd have to say that the game is incredibly well done and does not feel generic in the least.
Final Note: Zero punctuation is the last review source I really trust, and I seem to have the exact same taste in games as Yahtzee because this is the FIRST review I have disagreed with.
That's what I did, rent the game - it's extremely short, so I'm not going to throw down a bunch of money for something that I won't be playing for a month.FACT.50 said:
I agree to disagree with this week's Zero Punctuation - while he's correct on all his points (repetitive nature of quests and scared, relatively easy, unoriginal), I still liked it.
Well I tend to think that there is very little that is truely original anymore. Most of what people think of as original is oftentimes simply so old it's new again. On the occasions when someone does come up with something fairly original it's rapidly imitated into a stereotype.
That said, I don't think there have been many attempts at science fiction survival horror. It's not a totally original idea (Echo Night, etc...) but it's a workable one. All told I think Dead Space is probably the best game of that sub-genere created. Surpassing the previous champion "System Shock 2" which honestly was kind of a hard act to follow. The desician of the original System Shock creators to do "Bioshock" kind of opened the door for this.
Still I do tend to agree with Yahtzee that like everything this could have been better and polished up in a lot of areas. Perhaps if we see a Dead Space 2 it will surpass the original in all respects like System Shock 2 did with the original. Hopefully the designers of the game are listening to some of these criticisms.
The biggest criticism I have of Yahtzee's review is the referance to "Event Horizon". Other than being in space, I see very few similarities. The game is much closer to say Aliens, or Supernova in premise (the latter is a 'B' movie I expect few have seen, but it's so close to some aspects of Dead Space it's uncanny).
"Event Horizon" was more of a haunting clique, it didn't have monsters crawling around for the most part. It used haunted house type scares, and largely cereberal events, combined with possession. It had an entirely differant feel overall I found.
>>>----Therumancer--->
That said, I don't think there have been many attempts at science fiction survival horror. It's not a totally original idea (Echo Night, etc...) but it's a workable one. All told I think Dead Space is probably the best game of that sub-genere created. Surpassing the previous champion "System Shock 2" which honestly was kind of a hard act to follow. The desician of the original System Shock creators to do "Bioshock" kind of opened the door for this.
Still I do tend to agree with Yahtzee that like everything this could have been better and polished up in a lot of areas. Perhaps if we see a Dead Space 2 it will surpass the original in all respects like System Shock 2 did with the original. Hopefully the designers of the game are listening to some of these criticisms.
The biggest criticism I have of Yahtzee's review is the referance to "Event Horizon". Other than being in space, I see very few similarities. The game is much closer to say Aliens, or Supernova in premise (the latter is a 'B' movie I expect few have seen, but it's so close to some aspects of Dead Space it's uncanny).
"Event Horizon" was more of a haunting clique, it didn't have monsters crawling around for the most part. It used haunted house type scares, and largely cereberal events, combined with possession. It had an entirely differant feel overall I found.
>>>----Therumancer--->
hmm yahtzee, apparently not liking a game is reason enough to get sloppy and half-ass the journalist portion of your rant. Now, and comically enough, i'll be critical. It seems that you either rushed through the game, didn't finish the gane or stayed up on tuesday night after procrasting wondering how you could throw together a mutant offspring of your other reviews. Now unfortunately Issac Clarke infact does take off his suit in the ending cutscene but i highly doubt your attention span made it their. while it's one thing to rag on the color scheme, oh by the way their were carpets: see level 11 and you fail to notice the change in settings to a very different style, yet again near the end you didn't get too. And Nicole is actually his girlfriend and I fail to find the physics "gun". i dont think they had a weapon like that but oh well, i bet you banked on people over looking that. See its a little unfair to criticize a game because series before it have been similar or used the same mechanics, but i dont think you get it. Well if a game can't borrow popular elements an implement them correctly and expand on them, were does that leave the franchise. Sure you could play Resident Evil four because it master the third-person perspective but after the thrity playthrough it gets boring thats why theirs resident evil five. Your claims fall short because like the motifs you criticize, your work follows suit and the lack of complaints from your audience is what keeps you from changing. I sit back and laugh as you label it repetative, then show games from ranging 10 years ago to 6 and explain how a new game with great foundations can't possibly be good when its anciestor is in the back of our mind. In a sense im glad you dont use numbers to grade any games because you'd give it a 5/10 because it was repetative, then again thats what your program would rate too.
I can't lie and say this game is original or inivative, but do you realy require a compleatly fresh concept for a game to be good ie. fun? I'm not saying this game is great, but the fact that the game basicaly boils down to Doom 3 + Resident Evil 4 isn't such a bad thing in my mind, especially considering the total lack of general survival horror games in the marketplace. Furthermore, I think anytime EA accomplishes the task of a serviceable title it diserves a freaking parade.
I think Doom3 was more of a shooter than horror. And I liked the game.Jerakal said:
WHy does that feel like a defense for Mass Effect? If you have to read to get characterization you'd be better off with a book.
While that is awesome, I don't think that's what Yahtzee likes about subtle horror.
Well I guess I won't be buying that game anytime soon. I would actually like for Yahtzee to give a review of Quantum of Solace which came out on every console recently. Work some of that cynical magic on Bond.
Looks like a fun rental.
Irony.mairsil said:\gamer_award said:aaa, Yahtzee, admit it, u love this gamemany people sayd this game will be a pice of...... before it eaven got out, but now lock at it, it cool.
I am geting so sick of people who have the grammar skills of a dead person.
And I really liked dead space as a game. It is like all other horror games you have to play with the lights out. they should state that in the manual I think
Too many fanboys here.
Don't ever let one single person make the decisions for you!
Don't ever stop questioning someone's opinion!
Always think for yourself!
Don't ever let one single person make the decisions for you!
Don't ever stop questioning someone's opinion!
Always think for yourself!