Support NeoGAF

[Version 3.0]

All the characters in the game are wearing a rig. They are the things on their backs with the life bars.

I did notice the Captain's life bars, but theirs look like pretty standard jumpsuits. They're not nearly as weird as Isaac's, even disregarding the helmet.

 

[klownboots]

I did notice the Captain's life bars, but theirs look like pretty standard jumpsuits. They're not nearly as weird as Isaac's, even disregarding the helmet.

That is because Issac is an Engineer. Meant to withstand the most extreme of conditions.

 

[BudokaiMR2]

I bought it from there at the weekend and the shelf was bare this afternoon. Do ask though, as they tend to hide stuff behind the counter on the odd occasion.

And yes, back in Osaka at last!

Yeah they said they had a 360 version but it was sold yesterday. So no luck

Oh well, guess I will just order it from play-asia and get around to it after Fallout 3. They had a sign saying more was coming in for 360 this week. I am just gonna call and see if they get a PS3 one in too.

 

[GhostRidah]

Cant wait for the pc version much longer! cant wait to play!! might just go and get the 360 version.

 

[Version 3.0]

That is because Issac is an Engineer. Meant to withstand the most extreme of conditions.

Fair enough. It's still weird enough to warrant an in-game reference to how weird it is. :lol

But enough about that, I don't mean to take away discussion about how awesome the game is! Based on the pages around my few posts, though, I need to run away before I see something I wasn't meant to. I'm only on Chapter 5, and I don't want to spoil even the tiniest detail.

 

[todahawk]

I'm still early in the game but I absolutely LOVED the part where you have to make your way through the maintenance bay and there's that huge hunk of junk/scrap hanging from the ceiling by chains, slowing swinging back and forth... creaking, casting odd shadows, water dripping from it. You could cut the tension with a knife.

It reminded of that scene from Alien where Brett was off looking for Jones the cat in the room with the chains and such and water dripping. The clanking and swaying was extremely eerie as part of a passive cinematic experience. I was practically shitting my pants playing through that part of dead space.

I especially hate when I'm faced with a corridor that i just can't bring myself to walk down. Here I am, sitting in my basement and I'm practically yelling at myself "it's just a game" but I just can't move forward. Then I do and when I'm finally attacked, even though I'm bracing for it my heart feels like it's going to burst out of my ribcage.

GOTY.

 

[Lostconfused]

Fair enough. It's still weird enough to warrant an in-game reference to how weird it is. :lol

Not really, he is the only guy that has to walk around in outer space unlike everybody else.

Edit: Man the graphic novel or the animated videos of it are sooooo much better than the animated movie. Hell its probably better to skip the whole movie thing or at least not watch it after the game.

 

[luxarific]

They really went "hands off" with him regarding anything that really had to deal with the story.

I think they generally wanted you to be able to move around and explore even during "story scenes". Having him talk to another character all while you've got him rooting around in a corner looking for phat lewts.

It's a small complaint of mine that I would have enjoyed seeing him act/respond more like a character and less like a soulless avatar much of the time.

This. One of the best (yet weirdest) parts for me is when you see

Spoiler

him reacting physically to the video of Nicole's death by holding his hand up and turning his head away but you don't hear him say anything.

I understand that they want the player to self-identify with Isaac, but it beggars belief that he wouldn't react vocally at that point.

I'm not a fan of the silent avatar, whether its HL2, Bioshock or Dead Space. The third-person perspective in DS just accentuates the suckiness of this design concept. The sooner it dies, the better.

 

[chespace]

Yup, the silent avatar named ISAAC. Why give him a name? Why not just call him HEY ENGINEER.

Again, it goes back to the helmet and the fact that he dons it instantly on the bridge before there's any sort of an atmospheric or environmental crisis. It might have even made more sense if he put it on after shit went awry behind the glass and they told him to run. As it is, it kind of feels like you're playing as a Big Daddy or Jason X in space.

 

[Lostconfused]

Yup, the silent avatar named ISAAC. Why give him a name? Why not just call him HEY ENGINEER.

Again, it goes back to the helmet and the fact that he dons it instantly on the bridge before there's any sort of an atmospheric or environmental crisis. It might have even made more sense if he put it on after shit went awry behind the glass and they told him to run. As it is, it kind of feels like you're playing as a Big Daddy or Jason X in space.

You really cant get over it, can you.

Edit: Well at least in the case of bioshock they have an excuse. Because if they took away the control from the player they might as well have just tossed the entire damn concept of the story and narrative in the game into the trash.

 

[luxarific]

I don't mind the helmet (I think it looks cool and the bit at the end

Spoiler

where he takes it off and you get to see his face for the first time is a reward in itself

). I just hate that his helmet mike appears to be on the fritz. :lol

Question: is

Spoiler

Isacc's face based on anyone real? He reminds me a little of this guy.

 

[Azrael]

Here's something.

The big fat...fatties that are attached to the walls and spit out single-tentacled cat-babies...

I'm missing something with them because it's taking me FOREVER to kill them. The odd time when there is two in a room...fuck...I get completely drained of ammo. What am I doing wrong?

Shooting their bodies doesn't do much, if any, damage. To kill them, you need to sever all their tentacles.

 

[Mango Positive]

Yup, the silent avatar named ISAAC. Why give him a name? Why not just call him HEY ENGINEER.

Again, it goes back to the helmet and the fact that he dons it instantly on the bridge before there's any sort of an atmospheric or environmental crisis. It might have even made more sense if he put it on after shit went awry behind the glass and they told him to run. As it is, it kind of feels like you're playing as a Big Daddy or Jason X in space.

Your complaint is not one I share. I can't imagine the game mechanic that would make you put on and take off the helmet every time a monster is coming at you. It's best to just leave it on. As for him not speaking... it's supposed to be YOU. YOU respond to the others. The game designers can't respond for you. Go ahead and talk to the screen if it makes you feel better.

I have zero complaints about the game halfway through chapter 7. I feel it's more immersive than even Bioshock.

 

[Azrael]

I really hope they patch the DLC suits issue. I want to use the Military Armor in my second playthrough =/.

 

[Azrael]

Yup, the silent avatar named ISAAC. Why give him a name? Why not just call him HEY ENGINEER.

Again, it goes back to the helmet and the fact that he dons it instantly on the bridge before there's any sort of an atmospheric or environmental crisis. It might have even made more sense if he put it on after shit went awry behind the glass and they told him to run. As it is, it kind of feels like you're playing as a Big Daddy or Jason X in space.

Plus the relationship between Nicole and Isaac completely falls flat because the characters have zero development. It's impossible to care about them.

Bioshock had a similar mute protagonist, but at least they went somewhere with it with the big plot twist.

 

[Sinatar]

Yup, the silent avatar named ISAAC. Why give him a name? Why not just call him HEY ENGINEER.

Again, it goes back to the helmet and the fact that he dons it instantly on the bridge before there's any sort of an atmospheric or environmental crisis. It might have even made more sense if he put it on after shit went awry behind the glass and they told him to run. As it is, it kind of feels like you're playing as a Big Daddy or Jason X in space.

He puts on the helmet after they crash land. I'd put my fucking helmet on too.

 

[calder]

Yup, the silent avatar named ISAAC. Why give him a name? Why not just call him HEY ENGINEER.

I really love the game, but damn during the opening I was *praying* Isaac would say just one damn word to someone. Just one "yeah, you got it" or a few non-committal sentences to the stuff going on around him. Anything. I dislike silent protagonists in general, and I find it irks me more and more nowadays. STOP SAYING SOMETHING THEN GIGGLING LIKE A GIDDY SCHOOLGIRL ALYX I HAVEN'T SAID SHIT.

 

[chespace]

You really cant get over it, can you.

Edit: Well at least in the case of bioshock they have an excuse. Because if they took away the control from the player they might as well have just tossed the entire damn concept of the story and narrative in the game into the trash.

Give me one example of an advantage that Dead Space has over the traditional narrative protagonist with its use of the silent avatar device.

Heck, even RPGs where they encourage you to use your own name so that every NPC says "Hey BALLZAK" don't really make me empathize more with the in-game proceedings. But when it's done well with characters like Solid Snake, Prince of Persia, Ico, and other identifiable avatars, it's so fucking good.

The silent avatar device is lazy writing and a complete buzzkill for good storytelling.

Even the old Choose Your Own Adventure books imposed dialogue and even internal monologues upon your faceless avatar.

 

[shuri]

I.. I like the game so far but the gameplay feels a bit last gen generation. I'm at chapter 2 now, and the doom3-style spawning ennemies is already wearing thin after 20 minutes. And I can't stand heroes with no personalities. I also hope the game doesnt become a non stop fetch quests where you have to active stuff all the time.

Great Atmosphere so far.

 

[Lostconfused]

Give me one example of an advantage that Dead Space has over the traditional narrative protagonist with its use of the silent avatar device.

I am not arguing about the whole idea of the character representing you is a good or a bad idea. Its just that this isn't a brand new idea in anyway and i am wondering why you pick this moment to hash this whole thing out instead of many previous opportunities.

I.. I like the game so far but the gameplay feels a bit last gen generation.

Most games are still iterating on gameplay mechanics from the last generation.

 

[Zeliard]

I.. I like the game so far but the gameplay feels a bit last gen generation. I'm at chapter 2 now, and the doom3-style spawning ennemies is already wearing thin after 20 minutes.

They come in through the air ducts. They don't just randomly appear.

 

[chespace]

I'll drop the silent avatar/helmet complaint.

So should I start this on Hard or Medium?

I like fear and a good challenge, but I hate frustration.

Crysis on Delta was perfect.

 

[BuckRobotron]

Haven't even had a chance to open up the game itself yet, but noticed the Xbox Elite Suit is just plain available to all rather than the absurdity of it being reserved for Gold only in the first week.

 

[Lostconfused]

I'll drop the silent avatar/helmet complaint.

So should I start this on Hard or Medium?

I like fear and a good challenge, but I hate frustration.

Crysis on Delta was perfect.

Well its not like anyone is trying to take personal shots here, maybe some are being too defensive. Its just thats the decision the devs made and until they get a brilliant flash of insight and change the way they do things, we cant really do much about it.

Heres a quote on the difficulties from PA

I chose to play the game on Normal, because for a very long time Normal meant Normal - as in, if you are playing a videogame, you are a gamer, and Normal for you constitutes bitch-ass hard to the greater population. Given my full playthrough, Normal is sometimes Nasty, but never Brutal. Hard would most likely be about the level I would expect, which would have shorn up some of my expectations vis a vis "an atmosphere of omnipresent danger." I did unlock a new mode by completing the game, that's true, but I'm choosing to take "Impossible Mode" at its word.

edit:

Haven't even had a chance to open up the game itself yet, but noticed the Xbox Elite Suit is just plain available to all rather than the absurdity of it being reserved for Gold only in the first week.

Its free for only the first week, maybe two, i think.

 

[Vustadumas]

I can't get over how amazing this game looks. Wish it were actually scary (it's shocking in a few places, some good jump scares here and there, but I don't find it "scary") but the game has been a blast so far.

AND IT LOOKS SO GOOD

Yeh, I was really really really hoping for an Event Horizon sort of creepy/scary vibe. The occasional jump scare is just a gimme. Running from the bigger monsters is tense at points, but I really wish they would've pushed the psychological aspect of the game more. It's really the only thing missing for me.

 

[Decado]

How far are you in? I found that on hard, the game got a little easier as you go along because you start making money hand over fist so ammo becomes less of a problem.

Not very far. Chapter 2. I get my ass kicked during the second large fight of the chapter, though. Even knowing what is going to happen doesn't change my fate

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

I'll drop the silent avatar/helmet complaint.

So should I start this on Hard or Medium?

I like fear and a good challenge, but I hate frustration.

Crysis on Delta was perfect.

Hard.

I'm about to dip my toes in the pools of Impossible.

...stay tuned.

and...

I haven't enjoyed extremely polished, tight, flawless graphic like this since MGS IV. The engine they used is SO nice. The little things...like the extended screen on his chest that sticks out just enough so that when you tilt the camera you can see stuff scrolling on it and make out the scrolling numbers in the top right corner.

 

[JPBrowncoat]

Just finished my first playthrough. Pretty damn cool. I decided to go for the One Gun trophy right away since I thought the Plasma Cutter was a badass weapon anyway. And doing eiher New Game+ or Impossible will be more interesting cause I never even touched any of the other guns. :lol

Final

Spoiler

boss was damn awesome. Pretty easy though. Mostly just had to strafe. Although the part where you're hanging upside down was tense.

Also, I need to find out about this Peng Treasure. I was hoping I'd find it on my own the first time.

 

[Snapshot King]

Someone else mentioned it, but I'd like to confirm it. I beat round 2 on medium, got all the achievements save for one gun and epic tier 3 engineer and when I started up impossible he was wearing the level 6 rig, which should interest a bunch of you guys.

Hmm, just tried it again, hilariously enough it seems to be a bug, because it only works if you beat the game, save, and immediately go for impossible. I loaded it clean and it didn't work.

Edit: Tried it again, and look at that, didn't work there either. Not sure how to replicate it but I'm feeling pretty stupid now.

 

[Alaskanbullworm]

I don't mind the helmet (I think it looks cool and the bit at the end

Spoiler

where he takes it off and you get to see his face for the first time is a reward in itself

)

Actually,

Spoiler

you can see his face right at the beginning of the game, it might not be noticable at first, but you can move the camera around and have a look at good ol' Issac.

At Chapter 7 (Hard) right now, it's pretty much my Bioshock for 2008. Great graphics, fun gameplay, oohs, ahhs, *screams*.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Also, I need to find out about this Peng Treasure. I was hoping I'd find it on my own the first time.

Fluked my way into it. Send me a PM if you want to know when/where to look.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Okay, so yeah...

Impossible is no joke. It takes two clean shots with an unmodified cutter in chapter 1 to sever a limb and ammo is DEFINITELY a commodity.

I died once in a room where five of them spawn. It has suddenly become a tactical, environmental battle where I'm running away, doing damage when I can and blowing up canisters when I can.

Cheering wildly when I get a kill so I can scoop up more ammo and hopefully avoid the other fuckers chasing after me.

...so fun.

I miss telekinesis SO bad.

Also, I messed up and used the Xbox suit my first time through on medium. I love, love, love the original suit and can't wait to see how it changes through upgrades.

Oh...and don't get hit on Impossible.

 

[Kadey]

The only sad thing about this game is that it ends. I'm having a blast. Stasis, stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp!!! All the little details, the surround sound, interesting puzzles and virtually no sign of loading during gameplay. Could be GOTY.

 

[fernoca]

Just finished this.
Story was kinda "meh!", but interesting enough to not be a snore-fest....and it relied to much on backtracking, which I hate in any game..
But the atmosphere, suspence, score, visuals,..darn..really great experience overall. Hope they make a sequel or something.

 

[Draft]

Halfway through my second playthrough and it's official: Action Horror is my favorite genre.

I love action games above all others.

I love horror settings above all others.

Combine them and well you get the picture.

Dead Space is amazing. But the sequel needs a few tweaks. One of you EA virals run this over to Team Renegade:

Skippable cutscenes. Thankfully there's barely any cutscenes at all, but the ones that are there, you can't skip.

Rethink your upgrade and new game + system a bit. It's like the two of them don't get along. Clearly, new game + is designed to encourage you to replay the game and max out upgrades on all your gear. However, new game + doesn't allow you to move up in difficulty, so the first new game + is going to be pretty easy with one or two fully upgraded weapons, and the second new game + is going to be hilariously easy with almost all upgraded weapons and upgraded HP/stasis/kinesis. And then rounding up the weird upgrade system choices, on ONE playthrough, you don't get nearly enough nodes to upgrade even half of your stuff.

So you end up with this really weird upgrade/new game + combo that discourages multiple playthroughs by making them too easy, but also discourages just starting a new game every time by not giving you enough nodes to build a really distinct character.

Either bump up the nodes on a single playthrough slightly, or do a Devil May Cry new game + system where you are supposed to beat the game on normal, take those upgrades into hard, beat the game on hard, and take those two sets of upgrades into impossible.

FWIW, I prefer the first method, since it's what RE4 does. I like RE4's system more than DMC's, because I enjoy the pseudo RPG style mechanic of character customization via gear, rather than the inexorable march towards having every single upgrade that ultimately removes any meaningful character customization.

Of course, you COULD fully embrace the DMC style system. You'd need a scoring mechanic in the game, which might be a little too much for the Dead Space setting, and you'd basically be calling impossible the "real" difficulty. Eh. Maybe a little too much.

But put in a scoring mechanic. Letter grade or something at the end of the game, or maybe even the end of the level. Bonuses for not using health items, limited use of stasis, shit like that.

Mercenaries style game. Bloody Palace style game. Mission Mode style game. Anything that would let people just jump in and start to go nuts with the combat engine without having to replay the story mode over and over.

More boss fights. Dead Space is an action game, action games need lots of bosses. The ones in the game are pretty good, but they could be better. Consider hiring a Japanese person to design them. The Japanese have a pretty good handle on the boss fight.

Dead Space is, at the moment, clearly GOTY. Maybe Left 4 Dead knocks it off. Maybe Mirrors Edge. Maybe Gears 2. Maybe Castlevania (lol.) But I'm not really expecting it. Dead Space is just that good. Bring on Dead Space 2.

 

[Y2Kev]

Halfway through my second playthrough and it's official: Action Horror is my favorite genre.

I think the same here. I love these types of games.

 

[Zeliard]

I really hope they patch the DLC suits issue. I want to use the Military Armor in my second playthrough =/.

I think you can do that just fine, but only in a new game +, which means only in the same difficulty you already beat it at. The military suit shouldn't be gimped like the DLC suits are.

Which is dumb. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this version of new game + just doesn't work. I can easily see some of the logic behind it - beating a game on hard should be some sort of a tough achievement, not a picnic aided by previously acquired items and upgrades. Still, what's the motivation in going through a game on the same difficulty that you just beat it at, but with a lot more stuff? You beat it, so now you're gonna go through a much easier version of it? It's a lot more helpful and useful for harder difficulties.

Having said that, I'd be perfectly fine with it if they ever decide to remove the stupid armor limit on DLC suits.

 

[Outtrigger888]

Just beat the game earlier, I nearly shit my self at the end of chapter 12, loved the game from start to finish, all the guns are fun to use after you upgrade them, I fuckin loved the force gun and knocking aliens on there asses, the game is worth the price, as plain and simple the game might seem, its really beautiful as you dig in. I seriously had no interest or plan to buy this game, but so glad I took the chance. After playing chapter 12 I really want a dead space 2.

 

[Spire]

Give me one example of an advantage that Dead Space has over the traditional narrative protagonist with its use of the silent avatar device.

Heck, even RPGs where they encourage you to use your own name so that every NPC says "Hey BALLZAK" don't really make me empathize more with the in-game proceedings. But when it's done well with characters like Solid Snake, Prince of Persia, Ico, and other identifiable avatars, it's so fucking good.

The silent avatar device is lazy writing and a complete buzzkill for good storytelling.

Even the old Choose Your Own Adventure books imposed dialogue and even internal monologues upon your faceless avatar.

I would urge you to finish the game. I'm not going to spoil anything, but Isaac isn't as much of a silent, blank avatar as you think.

 

[MiniDitka]

I think you can do that just fine, but only in a new game +, which means only in the same difficulty you already beat it at. The military suit shouldn't be gimped like the DLC suits are.

.

Yep, just started a new game and was able to switch from the Elite to the Military Suite(same difficulty though)

 

[RavenFox]

I'm still early in the game but I absolutely LOVED the part where you have to make your way through the maintenance bay and there's that huge hunk of junk/scrap hanging from the ceiling by chains, slowing swinging back and forth... creaking, casting odd shadows, water dripping from it. You could cut the tension with a knife.

It reminded of that scene from Alien where Brett was off looking for Jones the cat in the room with the chains and such and water dripping. The clanking and swaying was extremely eerie as part of a passive cinematic experience. I was practically shitting my pants playing through that part of dead space.

I especially hate when I'm faced with a corridor that i just can't bring myself to walk down. Here I am, sitting in my basement and I'm practically yelling at myself "it's just a game" but I just can't move forward. Then I do and when I'm finally attacked, even though I'm bracing for it my heart feels like it's going to burst out of my ribcage.

GOTY.

*claps* welcome to Dead Space my friend.

 

[RavenFox]

I.. I like the game so far but the gameplay feels a bit last gen generation. I'm at chapter 2 now, and the doom3-style spawning ennemies is already wearing thin after 20 minutes. And I can't stand heroes with no personalities. I also hope the game doesnt become a non stop fetch quests where you have to active stuff all the time.

Great Atmosphere so far.

Stop being a stuck up snub and enjoy the damn game. There isnt any 'doom style' spawning enemies.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

So...Impossible is fun.

It doesn't throw any curves at you other than toughness of the necromorphs and they move with a bit more alacrity.

You let your guard down for a moment with ammo and you'll be falling behind. Kill with telekinesis and melee whenever possible. I'm thinking that the rooms later on where multiple necros come at you will be the challenging part of Impossible but anyone offsetting it with weapon and suit upgrades should be able to mitigate some of that trouble.

The necros hit like trucks on Impossible. Infact, they hit like a giant truck full of trucks. A level two suit with no node upgrades has me dying in two hits. Getting "tackled" where you need to pound on the A button has been a kill everytime and I've been as high as three bars on the rig for health.

I have two damage upgrades on the cutter and although it's still taking two shots to remove a limb, three on the legs sometimes, the overall damage DOES seem to be more effective when my aim is shit.

 

[Kadey]

WTH? :lol

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=24zylu1&s=4

 

[I_D]

WTH? :lol

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=24zylu1&s=4

Sorta ruins that immersion factor, eh? :lol

 

[JPBrowncoat]

WTH? :lol

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=24zylu1&s=4

Needs Yakety Sax!

 

[MorisUkunRasik]

I just beat DS for the second time, got the One Gun trophy. It's not as good the second time around, but still fun. I might return in a month or so to do the impossible mode

 

[rollingstart]

My only big complain so far about Dead Space (I'm at chapter 11) is that every encounter is a surprise. Oh, and the sections where you are on the mounted guns -- only part I'm dreading in my second playthrough are those mounted gun sections. With the exception of those minor problems, the game is fantastic.

Oh, and the weapons and so incredibly satisfying to use.

Halfway through my second playthrough and it's official: Action Horror is my favorite genre.

I love action games above all others.

I love horror settings above all others.

Combine them and well you get the picture.

I can agree with this. Well, not my favorite genre, but it's up there.

 

[Flunkie]

hay costanza can i has hulp with dead space plz im stuck rele bad lulz plz help i asked on gamefaqs nd they didnt wanna help me plz help plz lololol

 

[Dark Octave]

Just let my cousin play the game today from the beginning.

The characters, a black guy, an Asian woman, and a white guy on the bridge of the starship.

My cousin sarcastically says "I wonder which one of these three is the main character".

:lol White guy proceeds to put on his helmet and stand up ready to be controlled by the player.

Spoiler

You had to be there I guess.