For a disgusting adult flavored holiday treat mix two cups of James Cameron’s Aliens and ID Software’s Doom 3 as a base. Then add a healthy dollop of Bioshock, System Shock 1 & 2, and pretty much every other occult/space themed horror 3D shooter. Cook until a fork comes cleanly from its bleeding and lacerated heart … then frost in goo made from Resident Evil IV pureed with creme d’Half-Life 2.

Dead Space is derivative. Woefully, shamelessly, gloriously and enjoyably derivative. I find myself nodding in recognition rather than groaning and while I’m playing this seriously fun gore filled shooter and thrilling to some of the scares – which are cheap really, they rely on “surprise! the monster is behind you!” to “monsters that screech and scream and look awful so it’s scary by default.” This doesn’t have Resident Evil’s absurd yet usually really creepy plotline. System or Bioshock’s unique spin (I confess, when I see the Store’s in Dead Space, I think “Circus of Value” to myself. It has some decent puzzles and the whole thing has a thrill ride aspect. It’s boring that you’re reduced to “go here, get that, go there, push that button, go back here and do this, NEXT CHAPTER, now we have to go there and do that, get this go there and push that, move this go there and do that” but it’s done well and the monster fights are fun.

It’s got Alien and Alien’s sense of a grim and gritty blue collar future. The idea that something was brought up from the planet and the idea that in space nobody can hear you scream or sing Hannah Montana. The “Company” that sent you to investigate a mining colony’s distress call seems to know more than they let on.

Like Doom 3 and Aliens = Mining Colony

It’s got Doom 3’s monster closets (monster pop out at you because they’re in the vents), the monsters are warped twisted corpses, corpses are everywhere, a flashlight must be used but it’s thankfully part of the gun and a crazy religious guy who thinks god is involved in all this mess. He’s a bad guy, he has an accent, and he talks to you.

From Half-Life 2 we have the bad guy, with accent, who mocks you and the twisted human monsters. We also have a special upgradable suit and a way of manipulating gravity for the sake of puzzles and even combat.

Like Bioshock there are stores to buy things in… and money. 

Like System Shock, System Shock 2, Bioshock, Doom III there are audo and video cues to tell you the backstory.

Like a lot of games your main ally is acting suspicious and is probably a traitor (I’m not done with the game yet.)

Who can ask for more?  We should. But for now, Dead Space is a familiar and solid horror show and shooter. It’s far to bloody for the kids, but if your kids watch Aliens, Rambo, that sort of thing, then Dead Space is nothing shocking. You’ve just played it before. Many times.

That’s all off the top of my head.  Still, fun game.

Tags: Game Reviews, Misc