Dead Space 3 is somewhat different from the first two games which threw me off for the first hour of game play. First off, new Necromorphs that wield axes and guns too. I can’t forget to mention you aren't only defending yourself against Necromorphs but also the Unitology soldiers trying to prevent you from destroying their sacred Markers. As Isaac, you encounter a variety of obstacles such as mountain rappelling, blasting through space debris with a shuttle, and floating through a spaceship graveyard all while avoiding getting smashed to bits. Unlike the previous games, I think Dead Space 3 has much more of a "Blow Up In Your Face' vibe. Also, you aren't stuck in a spaceship the whole game which gives it a fresh feel.
Unfortunately, there are some new features I dislike about Dead Space 3. Isaac’s space suits don’t really serve a purpose other than looks and use for specific missions. They simply don’t look as awesome as the suits from the previous games. It’s probably not an issue for most gamers but I enjoyed finding new suits with upgraded armor specific qualities that actually served a purpose for your survival. A bad ass looking spacesuit doesn't hurt either.
There are no more save stations! Dead Space 3 relies on an auto save feature that really only saves your inventory and occasionally your progress once you complete objectives. So, unless you don’t plan on turning the game off, expect to be set back and replay about 10 to 25 minutes of something you've already done. I had to redo an entire side quest because it set me back to the most awkward point of where two regenerating Necromorphs were after me. Lame!
Conserving was a challenge for me in Dead Space and Dead Space 2, but not this time. Dead Space 3 provides massive amounts of med kits and ammo clips to the point of where you are constantly running out of inventory space. The goodies were never lacking. This might be a good thing for some but I like the challenge of conserving health and ammo. Also, I find it rather annoying having to run back to a workbench to clear out my inventory or drop my items.
On a better note, you can build custom weapons! Actually, you have to make just about everything. I’m serious. A rocket launching flame thrower? Yes, please. Alien probe gun? Yup. Want a med kit? You can make that too even though you might have like 20 of them. It doesn’t matter because you’re freaking Isaac Clarke. So, no more shopping and no more saving up your credits. You have to scavenge for parts. Don’t forget your handy dandy scavenger bots! They lend a helping hand by finding all the miscellaneous parts you need and return to the workbench after 10 minutes.
RIG upgrades haven’t changed much. However, weapons don’t have permanent upgrades. You add upgrade circuits that raise the damage, reload, speed, or clip size of your weapons. You can always remove the circuits and play around with different combinations until you’re satisfied.
One of my favorite things about Dead Space 3 is having the option of doing side quests and co-op only missions to get rare weapon blueprints, upgrade circuits, and adding spice to the already insane story. It does make the game last longer even though 19 chapters is enough torture for Isaac. Curb stomping is therapeutic though. Do it enough and you can hear him shout profanities! Who doesn't love it?
As for my final thought, Dead Space 3 gave a better understanding of the Markers and Necromorphs origin. The plot and fast paced combat pulled me in until I had bloodshot eyes. I refused to blink! It's that good, but I won't spoil it. It took me about 20 hours to finally beat it including most of the side missions. I was satisfied with the length of the game. However, challenge was lacking. The final boss was a piece of cake while Dead Space 2's final boss had me raging. This one had me calmly sipping a beer. It's all good though as the story completely made up for it. As for replay value, it's totally worth playing again to do co-op and finding all the things I missed. I can honestly say that the previous games were superior, but that's due to not being use to some of the changes made. Overall, if you enjoyed the first two games then you will go nuts over Dead Space 3! Don't forget to blink!
Dead Space 3 is developed by Visceral Games and published by EA Games and was released on February 5th, 2013 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. A copy of the game was purchased by myself for reviewing purposes.
