Dead Space: Extraction - Review
They say in space no one can hear you scream. They have not played Dead Space extraction, the new on-rail shooter for the Wii.
Extraction is a prequel to the highly acclaimed survival horror original, but with a new system comes a new design. Instead of porting the original game to the Wii, the developers decided it would be best go in a new direction altogether.
Being a survival horror game, audio is key in delivering scares and thrills. Unfortunately, due to the way it’s presented, it’s never really able to surprise you. The sound effects themselves are good however, and for the most part the voice acting gets the job done. The dialogue is well written and you’ll never get bored listening to the characters as they escape impossible situations.
Much of the immersion in Dead Space came from its graphical beauty, and Extraction doesn't disappoint here. Even on an admittedly weaker console, the game looks great on most accounts. Of course you’ll run into some muddy textures and the framerate tends to stutter, but overall Extraction shines in terms of visual fidelity.
The game does an excellent job of introducing each of its protagonists and you really do care about their fates. Unfortunately, the plot itself lacks originality. It’s a decent tale, but one you’ve heard many times in countless science fiction movies. It does, however, tie into the original Dead Space quite well, and if you’re a fan of the series this is definitely an interesting beginning to it all.
An area that may disappoint fans of the series however, is the gameplay. Don’t misunderstand though, Extraction is a great game, it’s just not a great horror game. Because the gameplay is always moving and you’re never in control of where it goes, scare tactics tend to be predictable. Unlike its predecessor, enemies can no longer sneak up on you because you’re always going to be facing them. While this doesn’t make for a very scary game, it does make for a rewarding action experience.
This time around, you’re no longer alone throughout the game and every scenario becomes a struggle for you and your allies to survive. The controls lend themselves well to the shooting and there are nice mini-games scattered throughout the levels to break up the action. My one major complaint aside from the lack of scares would have to be the collecting. In order to obtain ammo, weapons, logs, and other items you have to use quick reflexes to snatch them up as the game progresses. It works to keep the pace going but a lot of missed items are a result of this and it often feels a bit unfair. Too many times will you not get nearly enough time to gather stuff up, and sometimes it can be impossible to get all the items on screen.
That aside, the action is great fun and with a 7 hour campaign there’s much action to be found. There are also multiple routes in many levels adding a bit to the replay value as well as some unlockable challenge maps. These challenges are basically shooting galleries that can be fun by yourself but a blast with a friend. All in all I was hoping for something a bit more frightening but if you’re just looking for a fast pace shooter set in the Dead Space universe this is an impressive addition to the series.
Visuals: 8.5
Audio: 8.0
Story: 7.5
Gameplay: 8.5
Entertainment Value: 8.0
Overall: 8.4
