Thursday 26 Nov 2009

Dead Space: Extraction may at first glance seem to be another average entry in the survival horror genre, but a few innovations ensure that given a bit of time it will soon engross you and may even deliver a few scares along the way.

Let’s start with a little background on the game. Extraction was developed by Visceral Games, the same studio that worked on the 2008 original Dead Space. It is a prequel that allows gamers to fill in the gaps of the events leading up to Isaac Clarke’s mission on the USG Ishimura from that original.

The Aegis mining colony is located in the furthest regions of space, so when a terrifying infection breaks out in the colony there’s no one to hear their screams. The handful of space colonists who have miraculously survived the infection are left to try and escape the confines of the colony to the apparent safety of the orbiting Ishimura. It soon becomes clear that not only is a mysterious dementia infecting the minds of the colony inhabitants, the dead are mutating into horrifying creatures called Necromorphs too. Why this group of colonists remain immune to the dementia remains unclear, but they hope that by sticking together they may just make it out of this nightmare alive.

The game is on rails which goes a long way to add to the sense of lack of control that you have over the events unfolding. It also adds to your fear because you can’t look to your left or right to check whether creatures are about to attack you. Sometimes you hear them scuttling above you and you tense up because you don’t when or if the creatures will drop on you. However, sometimes you will be given the opportunity to choose which path to follow, and at other times free look enables you to look around for a brief period of time, at which point I advise you to madly start collecting any items that you see.

You use the analogue stick of the Nunchuk to move forward, B on the Wii Remote to fire your weapon and Z on the Nunchuk to reload. The control scheme of the game is well matched to the motion control system of the Wii, should you be unlucky enough for a creature to get too close you shake the Wii Remote to dismember it. You will use this same technique to activate glow worms to deliver an eerie green light in dark areas. You will also be able to perform melee attacks by shaking the Nunchuk.

The game supports two player drop-in co-operative play, a first for the series, which is very handy should you need some assistance in taking out an onslaught of Necromorphs along the way. Although I will admit it took me a little while to warm to Dead Space: Extraction, as soon as I tried it out with a friend I was immersed in this horrifying journey, not knowing what was going to happen next or how things would turn out. The game really shines with two players, somehow the adrenaline rush is pushed to the max when you are fighting alongside a buddy, yelling ‘take that one down on the right’ or ‘grab that health pack while I pump some lead into this one,’ timing your weapon reloads and comparing stats such as the number of dismemberments, ammo fired and enemies killed.

As you progress in the game it’s very important to collect ammo, health and guns. Simply press A on the Wii Remote to activate your Kinesis and collect anything that vaguely looks like it could be an item, using the left analogue button on the Nunchuk to change weapons. As is the case in most games, some of the weapons will appeal more to you, I enjoyed proposing a toast with the flamethrower but the quick fire of the pulse rifle was very handy when a horde was laying siege. You can also twist the Wii Remote sideways to activate alternate fire on your weapon or even freeze the onslaught for a few seconds thanks to the Stasis ability.

As is the case when facing zombie-like creatures, head shots work best in taking the enemies down and making sure they stay down. Most people have a perception that they are slow-moving dumb creatures, however, you will soon learn that they are pretty quick on their feet and quite nimble in ducking to avoid your shots too. Shooting out their legs will slow them down a little, but they will continue to drag themselves towards you in their never-ending quest for your blood.

Stay alert at all times, especially when you are making your way through air vents with nowhere to escape and nowhere to hide. It’s here when you will notice your character’s heavy breathing and the swelling discordant music the most, creating a dark and creepy mood. You will not only be cutting through hordes of enemies, but facing very interesting boss battles, soldering deactivated consoles to restore electrical connections, jumping through zero gravity and, of course, getting to know the well –crafted characters a little better.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, there is a bit of light comedy injected into the non-stop Necromorph-slaying action thanks to the wonderfully voiced South African accent of Warren Eckhardt. In fact there is a very colouful cast of characters including a Russian, an Indian and an Englishman so I am happy that South Africa was included in the mix. I have to report that even though, not unexpectedly, Eckhardt is not the most likeable character in the game, he will make South African gamers stifle a grin or two along the way.

The game also offers a Challenge mode where you must fight off waves of Necromorphs, earning points for killing enemies as quickly and accurately as possible. This challenge mode adds to the replayability factor of the game and, coupled with the comics that you can unlock, offers good value for money.

Dead Space: Extraction combines a solid rails shooter with the best survival horror has to offer to deliver an adrenaline rush from start to finish. It surprised me by drawing me in, scaring me more than once and keeping things fresh because you play as different characters along the way. Lastly I have to say that this is the only game that I have ever had to do something as hideous as….but that would be spoiling the plot so you are just going to have to play the game and find out for yourself.

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Contributor:	Lisa

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