Dead Space (360/PS3)

[Village Idiot]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

GTTV tonight focused on this game. Yeah man, pretty cool.

[Flawless]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

Couple new videos. Good bit of new gameplay is shown, including zero gravity.

<embed src='http://videomedia.ign.com/ev/ev.swf' flashvars='object_ID=850402&downloadURL=http://xbox360movies.ign.com/xbox360/video/article/874/874843/deadspace_vidinterview_flvlowwide.flv&allownetwork ing='all' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='433' height='360'></embed>

<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=34167"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=34167" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object>

IGN: Hands-On

Unlike some games where being shot anywhere will cause significant damage, the monsters in Dead Space will adjust their tactics based on how you attack them. For example, the more we tried to shoot at the skull creature, the more tentacles it spawned until some of them started spitting viscous fluid at us while others crawled towards Isaac. In another case, you might blast a creature's legs off, and its stump will slither towards you. To survive, Isaac will have to learn to exploit specific weak points.

For example, certain weapons, such as the three barreled mining tool that we've seen in previous screens, can fire in either a vertical or horizontal spread. This lets Isaac target different body parts of monsters so he can focus on hitting the weak spots he needs to exploit. Isaac will also acquire a module that allows him to generate a stasis field, slowing down time and movement for anything trapped in its wake.

Dead Space will be littered with these vignettes as players explore the ship, giving you a sense of what's going on within the walls of the ship and how the entire thing is quickly moving from bad to worse. In fact, this device will be used to help ramp up the tension that players feel as they move through the corridors and levels of the ship. The crewman infection was one such example, and we also found that as we approached a turn, we expected a monster to come barreling around the corner. When it didn't happen, we relaxed – only to have a beast fly from the ceiling and give us a serious jump. While some of these moments are calculated, the majority of them, particularly in regards to monster movement, will be unscripted, making it much scarier as you move through the world.

Another thing that the development team has done to heighten the scares and put the player within the game is the removal of the HUD. There are no visuals to block your view of a monster that's descending upon you, nor are there counters that will constantly flash up in your way. Instead, holographic imagery will pop up whenever you are interacting with an item, such as a representation of an air canister or ammunition box. Not only does this help you find them in the middle of a dark room or gore filled corridor, it keeps the player constantly in the action. Similarly, Isaac's health bar runs down his spine, while his stasis meter and air supply pop up on his shoulders. This way, players can instantly glance at him and sense how damaged he is, or if he's running out of energy or air.

However, if you're expecting pre-determined death animations, forget it. Dead Space features an extensive gore and dismemberment system to ensure that no death (that of Isaac's or monsters) is the same. Once time we saw Isaac get his leg ripped off, with a successive strike that knocked his head off his shoulders. Only his spinal cord kept the head connected to the body. A second time, his body was completely dismembered by a frightening creature kown as the brute in a hydroponics lab, who basically flipped Isaac over and leapt onto him, popping his limbs out of their sockets.

Team Xbox: Hands-On

The “weapon” we started out with was called the Kinesis Module, and it’s reminiscent of the Gravity Gun from Half-Life 2. Not only does it have the ability to damage enemies with a powerful kinetic blast, but you can also use it to move certain objects around, solving environmental puzzles. Hitting the Right Bumper activates alternate fire, which in this case switches the Module’s beams back and forth between horizontal and vertical. This is important for hitting some enemies the way you want to. For example, one of the horrid beasts we encountered was defeated by cutting off the tentacles shooting out of his back at us. This was much easier when the gun was in horizontal mode.

We also got to play around with solving some of the environmental puzzles, which are especially challenging in zero gravity. You do have the advantage of magnetic boots which stick you to the floor, but in a room with zero G, you can stick to the walls and ceiling as well. You’ll have to use the Kinesis Module to pull yourself to different spots around the rooms, making it possibly one of the most useful tools in a video game ever.

EA has been keeping Dead Space mostly under wraps, only allowing small peeks of its awesomeness out so far. But if the small amount we actually got to play is any indication of what the entire game is going to be like, then Dead Space is going to be one of the hottest games to release on the Xbox 360 this Fall.

[Scott]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

The zero gravity sure seems interesting, I'll keep an eye on this one.

[Flawless]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

1UP Preview

Since Clarke is walking through exposed wreckage, he must use his space suit (dubbed "The Rig") to trek around. And because he's in open space, he has a limited amount of time to roam about before his oxygen depletes (shown via a meter on his spine). While it didn't take Clarke long to find safety, we can see how the lack of oxygen coupled with fighting off creepy creatures could cause some serious scares. Once Clarke was done exploring the ruined remains of the ship, he made his way to one of the many zero-gravity rooms. These areas allow you to propel Clarke to any point nearby with the push of a button. The purpose of this first zero-G room, aside from the giddy thrills of zipping around, is to get you used to using your telekinesis ability (think Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun without the, well, gun). While the first use of this ability is pretty straightforward (you're tasked with putting a box in a hole), we're hoping later uses will involve more of a mental workout. But from what we've seen, these zero-gravity rooms could potentially hold some insanely excellent moments in the game...especially if the developers mix the wall-hopping with some frantic creature killing.

If taking on a bunch of gruesome freaks wasn't stressful enough, the game purposely shortchanges you on ammo, forcing you to strategically conserve your rounds. Sounds easy enough, you say? Well, when three or four enemies rush toward you, it's not exactly easy to save your shots. The best part about this section of the demo is the ominous atmosphere caused by the bloodstained windows and the alien-infested walls. The monsters are scary, sure, but we think the spaceship itself (like Rapture in BioShock) may be the real cause of scares.

The best part isn't watching the multiple ways that Clarke gets torn apart (seriously, gore geeks -- this stuff will put a sinister smile on your faces) -- it's that the developers were so giddy to show off the creative ways in which their character bites it. Bravo, EA -- you've successfully made us want to die, you sick bastards!

The "no heads-up display" approach is rather ballsy, but it really works for Dead Space. Eliminating all of the clutter on the screen really does make the game feel a wee bit more atmospheric. And everything makes sense -- for instance, your health bar is shown via the previously mentioned blue bar on the spine of your character. Even your ammo count is displayed creatively through a hologram that appears on your gun.

After seeing a good 20 or so minutes of space gore, we're definitely stoked about Dead Space scaring us. If the developers at EA stick with what makes Dead Space unique (the zero-gravity rooms and the creative use of dismemberment), we can see ourselves lost in its spook-filled spaceship -- and loving it.

[bkfount]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

interesting. I welcome the new original IP EA. This and Mirror's Edge look like nice games. Even though Army of Two wasn't my type of game, it was new and they spent the time to make it better, even delaying it.

[Flawless]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

New dev diary:

<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=34942"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=34942" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object>

[in mid air]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

[Flawless]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

New video

<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=35448"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=35448" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object>

[Flawless]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

Looking like EA has got a winner on their hands.


Pre-E3 2008: Dead Space Updated Impressions

What sets Dead Space apart from many other recent survival horror shooters is the inventiveness of its enemies and weapons. In the spirit of the original Alien, our hero must turn work tools into weaponry. Conveniently, many futuristic mining tools are very helpful in dispatching enemies. The Line Cutter, for example, fires a trio of lasers which can saw through enemies. With a quick toggle from a button, you can change the line to fire vertically or horizontally.

Even your "powers" are explained as part of the miner's typical tool set. Your suit is empowered with a temporal freeze ability, which can be used on enemies and traps. Apparently this is used by miners in case of a mine collapse... or mutant invasions. There is also a limited telekinesis ability that can affect metallic objects. You can pull explosive canisters towards you and then toss them at enemies and you can move heavy doors that would otherwise bar your path. I'm not sure what the rationale is from a miner's perspective, but I imagine it has something to do with the operation of heavy machinery.

After wading through a number of rooms with angry enemies waiting in the corners, I made it to a very unique section. The anti-grav rooms completely change up the flow of gameplay. Enemies come crawling from all sides, but there is technically no floor or ceiling. Just aim at a wall you want to move to, hit a button and you will leap through the gravity free zone and plant your grav-locked heels onto that wall -- which then becomes your floor for the time being.

Like many third-person horror games, Dead Space has a very deliberate pace. But while your character moves slowly through the environment, EA wisely gives you a very fast turning radius. So, no, you can't just run and gun through the levels, but each room you enter becomes a heated contest that is very fast and can become very challenging as the AI looks to swarm you from all sides.

Dead Space is going to keep you on your toes. Not just with some good scares, but by mixing up the types of enemies you'll face and adding new gameplay twists from start to finish. There are many survival horror shooters that feel as if each level is identical, just with a different coat of paint. But even in my short time with Dead Space, it felt as if this could be one of those rare games to make each stage feel distinct both visually and in terms of gameplay.

And there is more depth to be discovered. EA has promised to unveil an upgrade system that "is unlike anything you've seen before." Though EA is mum on the details of how you will upgrade and what that will entail, the developers say that the upgrades you choose will profoundly affect the game as you play. EA assured me it won't be as simple as Bioshock, where you slot in a few custom items.

Let's hope Dead Space lives up to its potential. It certainly has a shot at being one of the best games of the year.

<embed src='http://videomedia.ign.com/ev/ev.swf' flashvars='object_ID=850402&downloadURL=http://xbox360movies.ign.com/xbox360/video/article/883/883605/dead_space_commentaryc_06230_flvlowwide.flv&allown etworking="all"' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='433' height='360' ></embed>

[in mid air]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

LOL at 6:08-6:17

[Flawless]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

Gamespot demo. Same area as the IGN video, but the producer shows a little more and talks more in detail.

http://www.gamespot.com/video/943338/6192884/videoplayerpop?

...

[in mid air]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

Edit: Since it didnt work when I tried to embed itm, Ill just post a link

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/35487.html?type=flv

[in mid air]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

The official box art was unveiled today. Click the spoiler button to see it. (put it in spoiler because the picture is huge)

Spoiler

[Cyros]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

Too awesome.

[Flawless]

Re: EA announces Dead Space (360/PS3)

“Loved Ones” Dead Space trailer for GTTV debut tonight.

EA’s announced that a new Dead Space trailer, entitled “Loved Ones” will debut tonight on Gametrailers TV. The piece has been put together by James Wan, director of the Saw movies.

“Being a massive fan of space horror stories, I leapt at the opportunity to help out on Dead Space”, stated horror Director James Wan. “When I saw the early development stages of the game, I was blown away by the cinematic visuals and the philosophy behind the story. I knew I had to be involved in this project in whatever capacity. It was a new but fantastic experience working with the Dead Space creators. My imagination was so fired up that I approached the trailer like I was crafting a suspenseful, short movie.”

“We wanted to create a trailer that showcased the horror and terror that awaits players in Dead Space, so of course we turned to someone who is a master at delivering those emotions,” said Glen Schofield, Executive Producer for Dead Space “It was incredible working with James on this project. His insight into the horror genre and experience as a Hollywood Director led to the creation of “Loved Ones” This trailer will definitely ensure that viewers will want to play Dead Space with the lights on.”