Dead Space 3 Review — IGN
Dead Space 3
By Casey Lynch
Posted: Feb 7, 2013 7:00 pm
I’m low on ammo and health when the attack comes but I’m not alone. Backed into a corner, my partner and I improvise. Every second counts as we systematically dismember the Necromorph front line, using our Jedi-like kinesis to impale enemies with their own torn off limbs. We stomp their corpses, loot the precious resources, and quickly reload in preparation for the next wave.It’s in frantic moments like this that Dead Space 3 truly shines — its superb combat and addictive new collection and upgrade system brought to life by the game’s crackling production design. The same can’t be said about the frequent errand-running, poor story and overwhelming sense of deja vu that marks much of the 19 chapter adventure. Dead Space 3 consequently becomes caught in the dissonance of the extreme glory of its combat and presentation, and the pervasive tedium of almost everything else it does. Despite its problems, one fact remains: I can’t stop playing it. Allow me to explain.LoadingDead Space 3 follows the galaxy’s unluckiest engineer, Isaac Clarke, as he takes up the fight to protect the human race from the mysterious Markers and its Necrospawn. This begins with Isaac heading off to rescue Ellie, his missing girlfriend who returns from Dead Space 2 with barely a mention about her missing eye (or busty chest makeover). Isaac is joined by John Carver, the first playable co-op character in the series.Few games boast as rich an atmosphere as Dead Space 3. Visceral Games’ highly modified Godfather engine handily renders everything in glistening, crystalline clarity (the game performs best on Xbox 360 and PC, with the PlayStation 3 version suffering some minor slowdown). The haunting depths of space stretch out indifferently in a solar haze, channeling the spirit of ‘80s matte paintings and pulpy sci-fi and horror movies, while the ice-driven snowscapes of Tau Volantis reimagine the Antarctic terror from John Carpenter’s The Thing.
The music and sound design are top-notch as well, supporting the world class visuals with crunchy, unsettling noises, and a rousing score from Jason Graves and James Hannigan that traces lines between classic genre soundtracks from Brian May (The Road Warrior), James Horner (Alien), and Hans Zimmer (Inception).
The voice-acting is high quality throughout, albeit a bit cliched. Oh, and props to whoever chose Pelican’s “Ephemeral” for the credit roll. Bravo for using metal tastefully.
The addition of co-op moves the franchise from the fringes of core survival horror onto the mainstream stage of action thriller. Playing in co-op erodes the sense of isolation, but the scares and the persistent sense of dread the series is known for remain intact (single-player purists can still play alone and enjoy a relatively faithful Dead Space experience). The game responds well to the addition of a second player, and in some of the tougher encounters the help is welcome, especially on higher difficulties. Carver’s presence introduces new lines of dialogue and a bunch of great optional co-op missions that explore his tragic past. These are actually some of the best parts of the story. It’s odd that these missions require an extra person in co-op to access. It would’ve been ideal if Carver’s side quests were also available as separate singleplayer missions.
Editor’s note: Many of you have asked how long the game is in the comments section below — played slowly and methodically, looking for every artifact, hidden item and Peng!, you can spend between 15-20 hours, including all the optional side missions. Once you beat it and start grinding for overclocked and supercharged weapon parts in New Game+, you can run it in 8-10 hours-ish. Same goes for co-op (it’s a faster playthrough).
Combat reigns supreme in Dead Space 3 — physical, viscous, feral combat. The dismemberment mechanic is the equivalent of Dead Space’s headshot. Severing enemy appendages slows them down and kills them faster than a bullet to the brainpan. Other tools like the slow-mo inducing stasis and gravity-manipulating kinesis put a fresh spin on typical shooter fare. Even if you played the first two games, Dead Space 3’s combat is still some of the most unique and satisfying of this console generation.
The new weapon crafting and upgrading systems really adds to the combat experience.
You’re constantly on the hunt for materials and resources to build a new weapon, to modify a favorite stand-by, or tune-up the performance of your RIG suit, but everything comes at a cost. Do you craft a Tungsten Torque Bar to access locked rooms (answer: YES) or do you make an Acid Bath modification for your Ripper blade (answer: DOUBLE YES)? Do you upgrade the hit points on your RIG or do you craft a surplus of med packs and stasis kits? This makes for tough decisions and creates a terrific tension all its own.
These systems work together powerfully to create a reward structure you’ll want to come back to. This is especially evident in New Game+ mode, which I immediately started once I beat the game. And I’m so glad I did. I very soon realized that I love Dead Space 3 for the same reasons I love playing replaying Diablo. Focusing solely on combat, collection and upgrades, the thrill of the fight and Visceral’s exquisite world had me hooked, despite the game’s shortcomings — of which there are plenty.
At times Dead Space 3 feels more like Dead Space Again.
“
First and foremost, Dead Space 3’s story feels forced. Isaac has retreated from society, left his girlfriend, and turned his back on the fight against the Markers, but then he sets off to find Ellie when she’s in trouble? Why now, and not the other dozens of times earlier when she called and left messages for him? This leads to a fairly unbelievable love triangle and a long series of increasingly far-fetched events. I won’t get into spoiler territory, but let’s just say there’s no way in God’s green galaxy that the work that Isaac uncovers on Tau Volantis would just go unnoticed for 200 years. With what they found, what they knew, and what it meant in the long-term struggle against the Markers and Necromorphs, it’s just too big. The writers must have known this because there’s an entire Lindelofian prologue dedicated to trying to sell this exact single plot point. But when Isaac and his crew begin to serendipitously put the pieces together in the second half of the game, things just materialize way too conveniently.
In addition to the stumbling story, much of Dead Space 3’s progression involves a list of chores and errands. Poor Isaac. Anything bad that can possibly happen does, and the solution is almost always finding some lost thing in a building on the other side of wherever you are. This routine feels so similar to the structure (and weaknesses) of the first game, at times Dead Space 3 feels more like Dead Space Again.LoadingThis makes it appear that Visceral had nothing really new of substance to say. Isaac is a broken shell of his former self, and as a result he’s flat throughout the majority of the game with very little arc. And instead of some of the clever subversive gameplay we saw in Dead Space 2, like the straightjacket intro or the grueling eyeball needle sequences, we’re instead treated to a bunch of middling mini-games and fetch quests. Other nagging issues include a reoccurring boss fight with a creature you must face three separate times, a terrible fight against an angry drill, and a truly generic final boss fight that makes the giant Terminator encounter from Mass Effect 2’s finale feel fresh.
Considering the elegance and sophistication of the world, combat and upgrade design, it’s a shame everything else seems so ho-hum.
The combat system and the world Visceral has crafted in Dead Space 3 is so expertly built and well-wrought, I found myself consciously overlooking my main criticisms, because I love playing it and spending time with it. This is an important distinction to make: loving a game while being fully aware of its faults. Dead Space 3, when played the way I’ve been playing it, on New Game+, is an engrossing and satisfying experience. But it requires ignoring the bad story and the numbing to-do lists. It then becomes all about building up the most powerful, best outfitted Isaac you can imagine. It’s here and here alone that Dead Space 3 succeeds, mostly in spite of itself.
In This Article
Dead Space 3
Visceral Games
Rating
ESRB: Mature
Platforms
Xbox 360PlayStation 3PC
Dead Space 3 Review
good
Dead Space 3 has some glaring problems, but the combat and the stunning presentation make it well worth playing.
Casey Lynch
Dead Space 3 for Xbox 360 Reviews
Xbox 360
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Publisher:
Electronic Arts
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Release Date:
Feb 5, 2013 -
Also On:
PC, PlayStation 3
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Summary
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Generally favorable reviews
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Summary:
Dead Space 3 focuses on Isaac Clarke and merciless soldier John Carver who embark on a journey through space to discover the source of the Necromorph outbreak.
Crash-landed on the frozen planet of Tau Volantis, Isaac searches the harsh environment for raw materials and scavenged parts. HeDead Space 3 focuses on Isaac Clarke and merciless soldier John Carver who embark on a journey through space to discover the source of the Necromorph outbreak. Crash-landed on the frozen planet of Tau Volantis, Isaac searches the harsh environment for raw materials and scavenged parts. He then puts his engineering skills to the test to create and customize weapons and survival tools. The ice planet hides the key to ending the Necromorph plague forever, but first Isaac needs to withstand avalanches, treacherous ice-climbs, and the violent wilderness. Facing deadlier evolved enemies and the brutal elements, Isaac can choose to team up, not only for his own survival, but for that of mankind’s. Play together with a cohort or do it alone as Isaac Clarke using the seamless new drop in, drop out co-op functionality.… Expand
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Developer:
Visceral Games
- Genre(s): Action, Action Adventure, Shooter, Shooter, Linear, Third-Person, Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi
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# of players:
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Special Controllers:
Kinect Compatible
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Score distribution:
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Dead Space 3 evolves the winning formula into a title not only befitting of the fantastic series, but also one of the best games of this generation.
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Quotation forthcoming.
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Even if this episode has turned the series into a action game – even though there’s many survival horror fans out there – we must admit it’s a very good game. It provides great closure for the trilogy: long, spectacular and relatively different, but keep in mind that terror is not the main theme any longer.
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This is a game rife with options and flexibility, building on the strengths of the franchise with clever new ideas that let you tailor the experience to your liking.
It hits a few sour notes in its story and struggles at times when it steps away from the core combat, but Dead Space 3 is a thrilling and worthwhile sequel.- All this publication’s reviews
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Dead Space 3 is a roller coaster ride. In Space you’ll find interesting missions, a nightmarish atmosphere and a brilliant sound design. But as soon as you land on the ice planet, not only do the temperatures drop, but also the motivation. The further you progress the more irrelevant and run-of-the-mill the game design gets.
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Could’ve used touch-ups in existing areas, but hey.
[Apr 2013, p.64]All this publication’s reviews
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Dead Space 3 is a let down because it’s not a very good action game, and a really substandard horror game. It is devoid of ideas, hung up on laborious combat and obsessed with making even the exciting seem boring. In truth, it’s a bit of a shocker.
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Score distribution:
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Positive:
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56
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36
out of 184
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So what its not as focused as the «survival horror» as the others it still and incredible game with a great story that will keep you on theSo what its not as focused as the «survival horror» as the others it still and incredible game with a great story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
the boss battle thingys can be annoying but its still easily up there as one of the best games to start 2013 so, if you like dead space or third person shooters pick it up!!!… Expand -
Currently Im in chapter 15 and absolutely love the game, looking forward to finalize it and then play the new game+ classic mode, for theCurrently Im in chapter 15 and absolutely love the game, looking forward to finalize it and then play the new game+ classic mode, for the better DS experience. This game is pure fun and still the thrill is there I am playing Solo campaing during night time on 50″ TV with home-cinema surround system and for sure the creepy atmosphere is there. Again this one is not the same pure horror experience as in DS1 when you needed to explore the dark, creepy locations of the Ishimura starship, it is more like horror/adventure with some more action but still with a lot of creepy, dark corridors/rooms mixed with outside areas with atmosphere similar to John Carpenter’s «The Thing», with limited view due to permanent snow storm and necromorphs jumping out from the ground.
..The gameplay is very smooth giving you great control of each Isaac’s movement, mostly you will fight the necromorphs with some soldiers occasionally, as I have mentioned ealier the weapon crafting is fun, no need for microtransactions, I stick to two or three favourite guns which are working well against any enemy. This game is a blast, will keep you at the edge of your seat from the beginning, would recommend it to any action/horror game fan!… Expand -
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The game was great! If i had to rank the games i would say dead space 2 is the best, followed by 3 and then finally the original. While othersThe game was great! If i had to rank the games i would say dead space 2 is the best, followed by 3 and then finally the original. While others have complained the game has gone full action it hasn’t, the scares are still there but occasionally there are sections where you feel like its a shooter.
In my personal opinion i like it when developers innovate as i think games that don’t change at all aside from story get boring. The crafting is amazing makes the combat more varied, and i liked the addition of the side missions, you didn’t have to do them and they filled in the back story a little. My only complaint would be pacing there were times when i felt the game was dragging but other than that it was fantastic. Hopefully there will be another dead space.… Expand -
This game is solid. Most certainly not as good as the first and second games, but still good. The graphics are much improved over DS1 and DS2,This game is solid. Most certainly not as good as the first and second games, but still good. The graphics are much improved over DS1 and DS2, the horrors still lurk in the shadows and co-op mode is fun with a friend, but the story is a lot worse than the previous games.
However, this game was still worth buying.… Expand -
First of all this game is not a 10, 9, or 8. But it is definitely not a 0, either. After finishing Chapter 11 today, the game is definitelyFirst of all this game is not a 10, 9, or 8. But it is definitely not a 0, either. After finishing Chapter 11 today, the game is definitely the worst in the Dead Space Trilogy. However, with that being said, it is still a satisfying game, albeit ‘actiony’. Worth a play for fans, but maybe for a cheaper price. I cruised half-way through the game in a morning and afternoon session. Solid 7 score is what this game honestly deserves.… Expand
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I have major issues with this game. I’m a veteran Dead Space player and am disappointed with DS3.
Where do I begin? The weapon crafting systemI have major issues with this game. I’m a veteran Dead Space player and am disappointed with DS3. Where do I begin? The weapon crafting system is awful in my opinion, the game does a terrible job of explaining it and I found it complicated and boring (maybe cause I’m not an RPG fan?). I don’t want to spend 10 minutes at a time crafting weapons and figuring out what parts go where, just give me my damn line gun, plasma cutter, and pulse rifle and let me continue. Also, there are very little new necromorphs, and the ones that are new are not that different and unique. Some have been «re imagined» but that does not really help in creating that sense of wow that came with DS2. I wont say much about the story, since I’ve always thought it was pretty dumb, but I don’t play Dead Space for the story anyway. Lastly, I don’t like co-op games and DS 3 is definitely meant to be played on co-op. I was hoping they would make a solo mode that would stay loyal to long time DS fans, but they clearly built the game for co-op and just threw single player in at the end.
In solo mode you will find yourself outnumbered by enemies in a small room more than once, and clearly these parts are meant for two people to play. Bottom line, if you love co-op action games, you’ll probably love DS 3, but if you’re a long time DS fan like me, and were hoping for a polished single player experience, look elsewhere.… Expand -
Dreadfull from the start. Worst in the series. Terrible controls. Impossible missions even played on easiest mode. It’s like you never haveDreadfull from the start. Worst in the series. Terrible controls. Impossible missions even played on easiest mode. It’s like you never have touched a video game before. These developers should recall this unplayable pile of crap.… Expand
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Retro review | Dead Space (2008) — XboxEra
Reviews
Cut Off Limbs
Jesse ‘Doncabesa’ Norris
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September 5, 2022Last updated September 5, 2022
6,538 Read 4 minutes
Dead Space is the start of one of my favorite gaming trilogies.
With a remake of the first game coming out in January 2023, I wanted to take a look back at why this 2008 release has become such a beloved classic. You are Isaac, an engineer assigned to find out what happened to the Ishimura, a spaceship in orbit above the planet Aegis VII. It’s a terrifying, brutal, yet brilliant game that holds up a lot better than I could imagine playing it on my Series X. It’s available through EA Play if you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, so let’s see why. she is so good. worth checking out.
Don’t play it on PC unless you’re willing to tinker
I was originally going to try playing the game on my PC through the EA Play app. Unfortunately, it was released back in the era of real crappy PC ports and it requires a lot of manual fixes to work properly. I soon ran into a bug in the game that prevented me from progressing, so I switched to my Series X. Unfortunately, there is no FPS boost or resolution improvement, but despite the low resolution and blurry textures, the game still looks fabulous.
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The history of these games, and I loved all three in different ways, is best taken with a minimum of foresight. You are an engineer sent to find out why the ship has stopped responding. A lot of bad things happened and you were immediately introduced to the Necromorphs. The best way to stop them is to use your trusty plasma cutter to carefully cut off their arms, legs, midsections, heads… pretty much everything. This is a survival horror game, so your inventory is limited, ammo can be low, and the first playthrough is still absolutely terrifying.
For such an old game, the text holds up well, and overall the voice acting is solid. It wasn’t the most budget game out there, but you can see the craftsmanship, craftsmanship and, ahem, «dedication to work» that the creators of this series possessed. The game is played in a fairly close-up third-person perspective, focusing on shooting and telekinetic abilities. While aiming, you can press X to initiate time dilation for enemies and the environment, or B to move certain items and environmental objects.
As with the limited ammo system, you have a very limited amount of this stasis power in the beginning. By finding energy nodes and credits, stomping dead bodies, or opening crates, you can increase your overall health, stasis abilities, and reserves, as well as purchase new weapons and healing items.
There are areas of weightlessness where you jump from surface to surface like a rocket. Atmosphereless sections as the timer on your back slowly ticks down when you run out of oxygen, all served up by a minimalistic user interface that has your health bars and stasis counters built into your engineering suit. Along with the design of the helmet, it is iconic and is complemented by a functional user interface for your inventory. One of the other interesting parts, although you’ll need to use it often, is that whenever you press the right stick, Isaac will set the path of the indicator, which is displayed as a holographic image in the environment. Looks amazing but fades too fast.
One of the few other (very minor) annoyances I have with the game is how the upgrade tree works.
You regularly have to waste hard-to-find power nodes on empty slots that don’t seem to do much, which is a bit of a tease as the power boost/quality of life improvement doesn’t come with every use. . It’s a very minor thing in a game that still feels well balanced, keeping it tough but rarely unfair.
The Power of Backward Compatibility
The game was originally released on the Xbox 360 back in 2008. I was able to download it and play it on both PC and Xbox Series X thanks to its inclusion on EA Play. As an older game, it also usually sells for a pretty low price if you prefer to «own» your games. It’s a completely single player game and it worked flawlessly on my Series X. It supports Quick Resume and I’ve never had a problem with it while playing. The game froze at 30fps at fairly low console resolutions, but aiming was nice, which was a goddamn surprise. I go back to most 360 era games that make me uncomfortable using the right stick to aim, largely due to the 30fps goal, so it was nice that this game feels good right off the bat because no no options for fine tuning.
customize any of the controls otherwise.
The story, the graphics and sometimes the music remains relevant after all these years. I’ve streamed a lot playing this game, and while the gameplay uses a lot of jump scares, the story is truly terrifying at times. This is a great start to what I consider to be a great trilogy of games, with Dead Space firmly in the survival horror category, Dead Space 2 moving into the Action Horror genre, and Dead Space 3 being a co-op oriented action game filled with colorful moments of terror.
In conclusion
Dead Space is holding up much better than I had hoped. It plays well, looks good, sounds great and is one of the best in its genre. Few games mix jump scares with a story that delivers a creepy, terrifying, and well-written plot like this one. You can download it now on PC or Xbox via Game Pass Ultimate, and if you’ve never played it before, do yourself a favor and play it.
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August 31, 2020
Game review Dead Space 3
Dead space.
Behind this phrase lies a whole world of the distant future, full of mysteries and secrets, far from the most pleasant, and sometimes frankly frightening.
Dead Space 3
Publisher : Electronic Arts Developer : Visceral Games Platforms : PC, PS3, XBOX 360 In the previous parts of the Dead Space series, the unfortunate engineer Isaac Clarke, using all sorts of tools from the arsenal of a futuristic engineer, fought against necromorphs, once people who turned into what after death sort of like a zombie. Naturally, they became so not just like that, but due to the influence of mysterious obelisks, as it turned out, scattered in different places of the galaxy. They, in turn, are copies of the Black Obelisk, once found on Earth by a scientist named Altman. But Altman lived long before the events of the games, since then he has been elevated to the rank of saints and built around his personality and the idea of rebirth a whole religion called unitology.
Unitologists, oddly enough, are terribly afraid of Isaac, because only he knows how to destroy the obelisks, which undoubtedly spoils all plans for preparing for rebirth into a new entity. The government does not like Clark either, because they believe that the obelisks are relays of a colossal amount of energy, which is most valued in the dying world of the future. So our hero is constantly between two fires.
He wanted to settle somewhere in a distant colony, but that was not the case. Ellie, with whom he went through hell in Dead Space 2, leaves him, and after some time two incomprehensible martinets from the Earth Government fall to him, beat his face and say: “You will come with us, destroy the obelisks and save your love! » There is no choice, forward to the mysterious planet Tau Volantis, to learn the secrets of the origin of obelisks and necromorphs! Actually, the first half of the game, as in the previous parts, takes place in space. Or rather, on the remains of a flotilla that died near the planet’s orbit 200 before the events of the third part.
Here, the gameplay is a classic Dead Space — we walk through gloomy corridors, afraid of every rustle. Necromorphs constantly jump out of the ventilation shafts, sometimes in decent quantities. Of course, we need to fight back against them. And this is perhaps the main problem of the third part — it undoubtedly keeps the level of its predecessors, but does not even try to show something really new. And dynamic staged scenes in the style of Uncharted do not save the situation, although they look impressive. A really significant innovation against the backdrop of all this is the ability to collect from scratch and modify weapons due to spare parts that can be selected in the open spaces of the levels. The machine now serves us not at all for pumping a suit and kinetic / stasis modules, but just for crafting. In addition to weapons, you can “forge” all sorts of modifiers that give bonuses to damage, reload or fire speed, and even consumables like first-aid kits or cartridges. All this is natural, not free.
It is necessary to collect resources that fall out of defeated enemies, or send a bot in search of it. The wardrobe is also in place, even slightly improved — everything related to the change of costume and its pumping now takes place in it.
The second half of the game moves the scene to a snowy planet. Here we have to fight not only with necromorphs, but also with unitologists. Unfortunately, the latter do not pose any serious threat, they are killed quickly and boringly. At such moments, it will be necessary to crawl on your haunches and hide behind shelters, which looks somewhat ridiculous. Fortunately, the game did not turn into Gears of War, and thanks for that.
The cooperative mode deserves special praise. In the process of passing the storyline, a partner joins you, who is given the role of John Carver, one of the surviving members of the EarthGov squad. And this is where the fun begins. Cheerfully talking over voice chat, you knead enemies, solve puzzles together, come up with tactics for a successful passage, and just have fun.
