At E3 this year Microsoft choose to show-off its upcoming Sci-Fi Survival Horror game, Dead Space, with a previously unseen area and Boss Battle. Expectations have been gathering and hopes are now firmly high that Dead Space will fill the gap until Resident Evil 5, and Electronic Theatre‘s own impression of the game in its current state is available for you right here.
The build playable at E3 apparently comes in roughly half-way through the game. Playing as Isaac Clarke, the player finds themselves trapped aboard a city-sized space craft known as the Ishimura. At this point, Isaac finds the Hydroponic Deck, on which the food for the now somewhat deformed crew is grown. Many areas have been infected by the Corruption, a liquid secreted by the Necromorph aliens that have invaded the ship. The Corruption’s only negative effect currently is limiting Isaac’s ability to run. The atmosphere here has been altered by Poison Pods – former crew members who have been mutated by the Necromorphs. The player is tasked with finding this Poison Pods, and disposing of them.
Four weapons were available, including a Pistol, Flamethrower, scatter-projectile Shotgun and a Laser. The weapons are assigned to a specific direction on the D-pad, and each has their own strengths and weaknesses against differing enemies. You can upgrade weapons by collecting Tokens throughout the game and spending them at the Store, and any cash gathered in-game can be spent buying supplies.
The game features a slight remodelling of the industries recent passion for Quick-Time Entry set-pieces. An example shown was quite similar to those seen in Resident Evil 4 and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: LEGEND, and saw Isaac turning a corridor
to find an alien tentacle grabbing hold of his leg and dragging him down the hall. The player is given the chance to shoot themselves free, but failing to do so will initiate a Cut-Scene of Isaac’s unfortunate demise.
The zero-gravity sections add a wonderful change-of-pace. Debris floats freely and Isaac can easily jump from floor to ceiling with just a press of the Y Button. Similarly to Prey, the change of perspective when walking on walls or ceiling can be disorientating at first, but soon becomes second-nature.
Having located and eliminated all of the Poison Pods, the formally locked doors to a food-storage unit unlock. Through here lies a Boss in wait, a huge tentacle-covered beast lying at the bottom of a huge tank. The room is zero-gravity, and so the player can whip across the room to avoid the tentacles, while using Isaac’s telekinesis powers to return rocks thrown at you.
Once defeated, the demo ended. A Cut-Scene hints at the next part of the storyline, however, having missed roughly the first-half, it would be ridiculous for us to reveal such details. Dead Space currently looks on-form, and due for release in October, we’re likely to see much more of it over the coming months.
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