Game review: Dead Space 3

Scary stuff in space is nothing new these days and it wasn`t when the original Dead Space by EA hit our consoles in 2008 yet it did have something slightly different than the norm.

OK it wasn`t the best around at the time, yet Dead Space did have plenty of challenging gameplay.

2011 saw the release of Dead Space 2 which was mainly the same as the first one with a few tweaks and yes that went down well with the gaming fraternity.

So now we have Dead Space 3 developed by Visceral Games and to be honest it isn`t that bad.

They have stuck to more or less the same formula as the previous two, and included some more spectacular cut scenes very similar to Call of Duty just to beef it up a bit.

The story is a bit of a long-winded affair so I won`t bore you with the details.

Primarily set on the frozen planet Tau Volatis, the game follows Isaac Clarke and John Carver as they attempt to put an end to the Necromorph threat once and for all.

Gameplay is the same as it has always been. Dead Space 3 is a basic third person shooter really with some OTT cut scenes. Now, apparently, the new cover system and control system has been improved since the last one, yet I still find movement a bit sluggish and ungainly.

You pick up health and stasis (your ability to slow time down) packs by killing enemies or finding them around the environment.

I love the ability to stomp on your dead enemy and release a health pack or another item. This does come in handy as the bad guys don`t die easily, you have to shoot off their limbs to slow them down and even then they crawl after you that’s where the stomping comes in.

The kinesis module is also a very important element, enabling the player to open doors, lift objects and even dismembered body parts which you can throw at your enemies.

This is an important ability to master as you will use it on most occasions especially for reaching objects like crates that contain items, and they tend to be scattered everywhere.

Graphics are nicely done, sharp and clean textures and apart from some issues with the movement controls - a solid stable game.

As with the previous two there is plenty of roaming down corridors with assailants appearing randomly just to keep you on your toes.

With more action than the last two this is now more of an action game, so if you like killing things then you’re going to love this.