Em 2005, Resident Evil 4 mudou a forma de se fazer jogos de horror. Sumiram os ângulos de câmera fixos, o inventário podia ser expandido, foi introduzido um sistema de economia e upgrades (Whadaya buyin’?) e não tinha mais zumbi (em teoria). Também foi introduzido um ângulo de câmera Over The Shoulder que mais tarde se tornou padrão até em jogos de tiro em terceira pessoa, como Gears of War.

Claro que com isso, vieram também alguns absurdos, como os “Quick-Time Events” (eventos durante o jogo que obrigavam o jogador a apertar um botão rapidamente, ou algum efeito ruim aconteceria, normalmente morte instantânea) ou o round-house kick de Leon que daria inveja a Chuck Norris (nem nosso querido Chuck faz cabeças explodirem com um chute), além de fazer a história da série RE mais confusa do que já era.

Mas apesar dos pesares, Resident Evil 4 provou ser bem sucedido em mudar a franquia e revitalizar o gênero. Vendeu milhões de cópias, tanto para Gamecube quanto para Playstation 2, e altas notas nos sites especializados e Metacritics da vida. Mas por melhor que seja, RE4 não era perfeito. Eu mesmo, depois de jogá-lo, pensei “Cara, esse sistema dá pra ser melhorado e muito.” Pois é, a EA atendeu ao meu pedido com o excepcional Dead Space.

HISTÓRIA

Num futuro distante, a humanidade esgotou todos os recursos naturais da Terra. Felizmente (ou não), a raça humana já havia desenvolvido sistemas para viagem interestelar, e para extrair recursos que já não existiam mais na Terra, foram feitas enormes naves chamadas Planet Crackers. O nome é auto-explicativo. Essas naves “abrem” planetas e extraem recursos diretamente do núcleo dos mesmos. A primeira e maior nave desse estilo, a USG Ishimura, é enviada numa missão para “crackear” o planeta Aegis VII, quando, subitamente, todas as comunicações são cortadas. Assim, é enviado uma equipe de especialistas até a USG Ishimura para descobrir o que está acontecendo na nave.

Nesta equipe, estão Kendra Daniels, especialista em computadores, Zach Hammond, chefe de segurança, e o personagem jogável Isaac Clarke (que tira seu nome de dois autores de ficção cientítica, Isaac Asimov e Arthur Clarke, provando de onde os desenvolvedores tiram suas idéias), engenheiro de sistemas, e mais alguns camisa-vermelha que só estão ali pra morrer. A missão é saber o que tem de errado na Ishimura, e consertar qualquer problema que tenha ocorrido nas comunicações. Obviamente, não é tão simples quanto parece, e assim que a equipe entra na nave, são atacados por monstros chamados Necromorphs, que procedem imediatamente a picotar todos os camisas-vermelhas e fazer a sua missão se transformar num inferno.  Não só isso, mas Isaac também tem uma missão pessoal. Ao que parece, ele tem uma namorada ou ex-namorada a bordo da Ishimura, a oficial médica Nicole Brennan, que enviou a Isaac uma mensagem perturbadora. Então, é missão do jogador correr pela nave consertando pepinos, procurando por Nicole, tentando descobrir de onde vem esses monstros e qual o motivo de tudo isso, e fazendo picadinho de morto-vivo.

E ninguém vê esse bife com pernas na sala, Cristo!

É claro de imediato que a história não é original, sendo que eu acho que eu já vi esse filme antes. Alguns paralelos podem ser feitos com o filme Alien (a Ishimura é basicamente uma Nostromo) e The Thing (alguns dos monstros lembram claramente as abominações cheias de tentáculos do filme, principalmente os monstros maiores). Mesmo assim, a narrativa consegue prender a atenção, e não foi simplesmente jogada de lado, como na grande maioria dos jogos não-RPGs. Dá pra perceber que a história foi bem pensada, com coisas aparentemente insignificantes acontecendo no começo para eventualmente terem conseqüências desastrosas. O final apresenta dois “plot twists” surpreendentes, um levando à incertezas sobre o jogo que acabou, e outro que dá a certeza de que haverá continuação. Mesmo assim, o jogo se mantém sozinho, o que é um feito.

GRÁFICOS

Os gráficos em Dead Space não são a coisa mais espetacular do mundo, de fato. Mesmo com todas as opções de qualidade em High, as texturas ainda são bem borradinhas, mesmo olhando de longe. Os modelos de personagem são bem mais bem feitos, principalmente o modelo de Isaac, o seu personagem principal (e não é pra menos, você irá olhar para as costas dele por boas 8 horas ou mais) e dos monstros e outros personagens. As animações são convincentes, a voz é bem sincronizada com as falas, e o jogo é levíssimo (eu joguei até o fim pela primeira vez num PC de 5 anos atrás).

Onde Dead Space realmente brilha (trocadilho não-intencional) é em sua iluminação e atmosfera. A iluminação é realmente muito bem feita, e foge do pecado que Doom 3 cometia. Lição para a ID Software, tudo totalmente escuro não é assustador, é frustrante! Não poder usar uma lanterna com a arma é mais frustrante ainda! Dead Space tem a quantidade certa de iluminação e sombra para causar arrepios. Assim que o jogo começa, já dá pra ter uma idéia da qualidade dos efeitos de iluminação, já que o jogo abre num plano da ponte de uma nave viajando em direção a uma estrela. A iluminação também reage bem com os personagens e principalmente com os monstros.

Exemplo dos efeitos de iluminação espetaculosos

Outra coisa realmente bem feita são os efeitos de física. Não em qualquer lugar, pois os efeitos são realmente bem mundanos se comparados a Half-Life 2, mas Dead Space tem seções jogadas em gravidade zero (mais sobre isso na seção de Jogabilidade), e os corpos, sangue e membros removidos flutuando graciosamente no ar são… perturbadores, pra dizer o mínimo.

Se tem algo que eu reclamaria sobre os gráficos, é a falta de escolha quanto à métodos de Anti-Aliasing. Existe uma opção pra Anti-Aliasing, mas ela aplica um blur sobre a tela toda que não disfarça o aliasing nem um pouco, mas jogando em uma resolução alta, isso é menos notável.

Uma coisa a se notar, para as pessoas mais sensíveis a violência, é que Dead Space é extremamente violento. Dada a natureza do jogo, e ao sistema inovador de “Desmembramento Estratégico” (mais sobre isso na seção de Jogabilidade), o jogo contém cenas de mutilação, sangreira e tripas espalhadas pela nave. De fato, os modelos de membros decepados foram baseados em fotos de acidentes de trânsito, o que já é perturbador o suficiente. Então, se você achar que não aguenta violência extrema, não jogue Dead Space. Ele é certamente um dos jogos mais violentos que já joguei, senão O MAIS violento.

Esse jogo não é para os fracos de espírito.

SOM

O design sonoro em Dead Space realmente é brilhante. O posicionamento dos sons é muito bem pensado para que o jogador nunca se sinta seguro. Eu não joguei o game com um sistema surround, mas acredito que seja o setup ideal para se jogar. Mesmo num sistema estéreo, você entrar num banheiro e ouvir sussurros atrás de você é bem medonho.

Os efeitos sonoros são todos muito bem feitos e acreditáveis. As “armas” soam pesadas, como se realmente pudessem decepar membros. Os monstros são outro ponto alto, com seus gritos perturbadores a toda vez que pulam em direção ao jogador. A atuação de voz também é bem feita, ao contrário da série Resident Evil (nada de “Master of Unlocking” ou coisas do gênero) e os atores que fazem Kendra Daniels e Zach Hammond fazem uma performance convincente.

Outro efeito de nota é quando Isaac está no vácuo (mais sobre isso na seção Jogabilidade). Todos sabemos (e Star Wars ignora) que não há som no vácuo. Dead Space não ignora isso e faz um efeito curioso quando a sala não tem ar: todos os sons que deveriam ser feitos fora da armadura de Isaac desaparecem, e todos os sons produzidos dentro da armadura de Isaac são amplificados. Digamos que quando o oxigênio começa a se acabar, o som é desesperador.

JOGABILIDADE

A primeira coisa a se notar sobre Dead Space é a total ausência de Heads-Up Display. Sim, não há nenhum marcador de vida saindo da tela e quebrando a imersão. Os marcadores estão todos integrados ao personagem principal, o que faz o jogador nunca sair do mundo do jogo em nenhum momento. Por exemplo, seu marcador de vida é uma barra horizontal instalada nas costas de Isaac. Seu inventário é holograficamente projetado (com direito a detalhes como Isaac olhando para as coisas que você aponta na telinha) e comunicações em vídeo que você recebe durante o jogo são exibidas holograficamente na sua frente. Isso prende o jogador firmemente na atmosfera do jogo (e faz você poder tirar screenshots muito bonitas).

O jogo é basicamente uma versão melhorada (e muito) de Resident Evil 4. A perspectiva ainda é Over The Shoulder, a câmera é talvez mais claustrofóbica do que a de RE4, e o jogador segura um botão para que Isaac levante sua arma, e a mira é laser. A diferença é que os controles são mais próximos de um third-person shooter do que de RE. Isaac anda de lado, corre de lado, e pode atirar enquanto anda, ao contrário de Leon, que pode dar super piruetas em Quick-Time Events, mas não consegue nem andar de lado em jogo normal (uma incongruência tremenda). Não existem Quick-Time Events em Dead Space, o que é um alívio, já que tudo quanto é jogo pós-Resident Evil 4 achou que seria legal copiar em seu próprio jogo, e eu já tava cansado de morrer porquê larguei o teclado e relaxei durante uma cutscene. O jogador também nunca fica perdido, pois basta uma tecla e você pode abrir um mapa detalhado do setor da nave onde você se encontra, ou pode segurar outra tecla e Isaac irá desenhar holograficamente uma linha que vai em direção ao seu próximo objetivo, portanto não há perigo de ficar travado no jogo.

O principal marketing do jogo é o tão notado “Desmembramento Estratégico”. Basicamente, ele muda a sua forma de matar monstros. Normalmente, num jogo de terror ou third-person shooter, você mira na cabeça. Em Dead Space, arrancar a cabeça de um Necromorph só o deixa com mais raiva e faz ele vir te arrancar a cara mais rápido. Necromorphs podem tomar tiros e mais tiros em seu corpo que não adianta nada. Eles só são suscetíveis a terem seus membros decepados. Cabeças, bracinhos, perninhas, tentáculos, qualquer coisa que saia pra fora do corpo é justa, aponte ali e arranque fora. Isso faz o jogo ganhar uma dinâmica diferente dos demais jogos e uma experiência mais original.

Hmmm, carne moída

Falando em decepamentos, Isaac não é um super-soldado ou um ex-Delta Force com anos de carreira militar aos 20 (sim, Jill Valentine, tô olhando pra você), mas sim um engenheiro e especialista de sistemas. Apenas uma arma é realmente arma, as outras são instrumentos de mineração ou conserto. Por exemplo, a primeira (e melhor) arma do jogo, a Plasma Cutter, é um revólver que atira plasma usado para cortar e soldar metal. Felizmente, tais armas servem perfeitamente para cortar membros de mortos-vivos, e fazem um trabalho excepcional. Outros equipamentos que ajudam durante o jogo são o módulo de Stasis, que faz objetos ou monstros ficarem lerdos, como se estivessem em slow motion, e Kinesis, que age praticamente como uma Gravity Gun do Half-Life 2, e permite que Isaac pegue itens a longa distância ou atire objetos pesados (ou até mesmo pedaços decepados de Necromorphs) para matar monstros. E, já que toquei no assunto de Isaac não ser um soldado, ele também não é lá muito atlético (ou ele é gordo feito uma baleia, ou aquela armadura é pesada demais), ele anda devagar e corre bem desajeitadamente.

A variedade de monstros é ótima. Você vai enfrentar zumbis mutantes, bebês mutantes, monstros em forma de escorpiões, e mais uma infinidade de bichos estranhos durante o jogo. Os locais também são variados, mas nem tanto. É uma nave espacial afinal de contas, os ambientes são todos recriados para viagem no espaço. Mesmo que não existam muitas localidades distintas, todas elas fazem sentido numa nave como a Ishimura. Você vai visitar o necrotério (ótimo lugar pra se estar numa infestação de mortos-vivos), a enfermaria, a ponte de comando, o convés de produção de alimentos, enfim, vários lugares que não são tão diferentes um do outro, mas que fazem sentido.

Outro aspecto são as situações em gravidade zero e no vácuo, mencionadas anteriormente. Em certas partes durante o jogo (para vários quebra-cabeças, um mini-game e até mesmo um chefe) você estará em uma sala em gravidade zero. Você não flutua no ar de forma livre, como em Crysis, já que Isaac tem botas magnéticas capazes de mantê-lo no chão, mas ao apontar a arma e apertar um botão, Isaac pode deixar o chão e flutuar até o teto, ou até uma outra parede, que, depois que Isaac a atinge, gira a câmera e muda a perspectiva (pessoal com labirintite, tomem cuidado). Essa movimentação tende a ser um pouco limitada, mas isso é mais usado durante quebra-cabeças, e é usado de forma maravilhosa no primeiro chefe, que se passa dentro de uma sala circular onde você pode andar por todas as superfícies. Já as partes no vácuo são exatamente isso, salas onde por algum motivo não há ar. Para essas ocasiões, Isaac conta com uma reserva de oxigênio limitada em sua armadura, que você pode recuperar guardando tubos de oxigênio no inventário.

Um exemplo de vácuo

Falando em inventário, Resident Evil 4 tinha um sistema de upgrade nas armas e um sistema de compra e venda de tesouros e equipamentos. Dead Space também refina esse sistema. Basicamente, você tem lojas holográficas espalhadas em certos pontos da nave (normalmente perto dos save points) nas quais você pode comprar de tudo, contanto que tenha encontrado as especificações do item em questão. Por exemplo, para comprar um lança-chamas, você tem que ter encontrado as especificações do lança-chamas no capítulo 2 e levado até uma loja. Para obter créditos, basta matar inimigos, e explorar cada canto das fases para achar “semi-condutores”, que são como os tesouros de RE4, que vem em variações ouro, rubi e diamante, valendo 3 mil, 10 mil e 25 mil créditos respectivamente.

As mecânicas de upgrade dos itens são melhores que as de RE4, pois elas incorporam o tema do jogo e levam em consideração o fato de que Isaac é um engenheiro. Para fazer upgrades nas armas, você deve achar estações de upgrade localizadas em certos lugares da nave. Feito isso, Isaac irá estudar as especificações da arma ou equipamento que você deseja melhorar. Cada equipamento ou arma tem um tipo de “mapinha” formado por slots nos quais você pode inserir Power Nodes (que você encontra nas fases ou compra nas lojas). Cada slot aumenta um certo aspecto da arma, como dano, capacidade e velocidade de tiro. O problema é que os slots são interconectados, e você só pode soldar um Power Node a um slot que seja adjacente a outro slot que já contenha um Power Node. Isso faz você ter que gastar alguns Power Nodes em slots que não possuem upgrade algum. É um sistema muito mais interessante do que o de Resident Evil 4, que simplesmente faz Leon magicamente recarregar mais rápido, ou uma espingarda magicamente ter 100 cartuchos de capacidade. Aqui as coisas fazem sentido.

Também notáveis são os chefes. Esses sim são batalhas épicas contra monstros desproporcionais que ocupam espaços enormes da tela e tem pontos fracos visíveis. Bem old-school, eu sei, mas a trilha sonora desses encontros e visual dos chefes fazem essas partes do jogo serem memoráveis, principalmente o chefe final, que apesar de ser mais fácil que tirar doce da mão de criancinha, é uma batalha realmente épica.

RE-JOGABILIDADE

Dead Space dá um certo incentivo pra se jogar de novo com um modo New Game + que te dá, assim que você termina o jogo uma vez, 10 Power Nodes, 50 mil créditos e mais um nível de armadura pra comprar, e abre também mais um modo de dificuldade. Em geral, querer jogar de novo depende se decepar membros de Necromorphs ainda não ficou chato pra você, mas por experiência própria, eu diria que demora até ficar chato.

PRÓS E CONTRAS

+ História bem narrada e acontecimentos aparentemente insignificantes que levam a consequências graves

+ Iluminação dinâmica impressionante

- Texturas borradas

+ Uso excelente de som para criar uma atmosfera sombria

+ Ausência de HUD

+ Upgrade sobre todos os aspectos introduzidos em Resident Evil 4

+ Chefes épicos

+ Itens extras para uma segunda sessão de jogo

CONCLUSÃO

Em todos os aspectos, Dead Space é um jogo muito bem produzido e muito bem pensado, baseado nos fundamentos que Resident Evil 4 proporcionou. Dead Space refina tudo que RE4 introduziu, desde a sua câmera Over The Shoulder até o mercador e sistema de upgrade, passando pelo desmembramento estratégico. É um jogo que oferece uma experiência como nenhuma outra em games de horror, e que realmente merece um lugar na coleção de qualquer fã desse estilo.

You’re going to have to excuse the rather frightful poster if there ever was one. It is however entirely relevant to its morbidity, Pandorum definitely lives up to the hype of its horror, especially with a tagline such as ‘Don’t fear the end of the world. Fear what happens next.’ The German/American sci-fi horror was one of the better films I’ve had the pleasure of seeing within the last couple of months, and definitely worth a look at. But why?

Pandorum is one of those fist-clenching, mind-warping, jump inducing films where you are literally on the edge of your seat for a good minute at a time. Directed by newcomer Christian Alvart, whose only earlier works include ‘Curiosity & The Cat‘ and ‘Antibodies‘, but who will also be directing the upcoming ‘Case 39‘ featuring Renée Zellweger. Filming staff also includes Paul W. S. Anderson, director and writer of ‘Alien VS Predator‘, and Jeremy Bolt, both the producers of the ‘Resident Evil‘ trilogy. Stick AVP and Resident Evil in a blender and what do you get? Pandorum. Throw in a little sprinkle of ‘Sunshine‘, and you have the complete movie smoothie. However, was it a good idea to put all of their eggs in one basket? I’m afraid it wasn’t entirely. Many gamers are calling it a Dead Space wannabe.

The plot of Pandorum, a rather nice one at that for sci-fi fans, is set around the human race overpopulating the Earth. As a result, the first sleeper ship to head for Earth’s replacement, Tanis, holds 60,000 humans, except as the film opens up… You can’t see any of them. It is notably a unique blend of psychological thrills combined with action packed sequences filmed in classic, sci-fi grated-floor corridors. At times, Pandorum forces you question your OWN sanity, and explores some of the deep-rooted fears within its viewers. Specifically some of the more frightening fears which often take host, such as; a fear of the dark, loneliness, claustrophobia, lack of memory and it definitely plays upon those fears throughout the film. However whilst it was excellent in provoking thought, it was not exceptionally well constructed, despite the fact there was a plot (unlike most films these days!). This, alongside its lack of publicity, marketing and such may have been why it didn’t even make half of it’s $40 million budget.

A good film if you’re a sci-fi-aholic, or even if you enjoy video games, harnessing a strange familiarity to a first person shooter. However if you’re not that into chasing and racing in space, this isn’t the film for you. A possible DVD buy.

You’re going to have to excuse the rather frightful poster, if there ever was one. It is however entirely necessary in its morbidity, Pandorum definitely lives up to the hype of its horror, especially with a tagline such as ‘Don’t fear the end of the world. Fear what happens next.’ The German/American sci-fi horror was one of the better films I’ve had the pleasure of seeing within the last couple of months, and definitely worth a look at. But why?

Pandorum is one of those fist-clenching, mind-warping, jump inducing films where you are literally on the edge of your seat for a good minute at a time. Directed by newcomer Christian Alvart, whose only earlier works include ‘Curiosity & The Cat‘ and ‘Antibodies‘, but who will also be directing the upcoming ‘Case 39‘ featuring Renée Zellweger. Filming staff also includes Paul W. S. Anderson, director and writer of ‘Alien VS Predator‘, and Jeremy Bolt, both the producers of the ‘Resident Evil‘ trilogy. Stick AVP and Resident Evil in a blender and what do you get? Pandorum, throw in a little sprinkle of ‘Sunshine‘, and you have the complete movie smoothie. However, was it a good idea to put all of their eggs in one basket? I’m afraid it wasn’t entirely. Many gamers are calling it a Dead Space wannabe.

The plot of Pandorum, a rather nice one at that for sci-fi fans, is set around the human race overpopulating the Earth. As a result, the first sleeper ship to head for Earth’s replacement, Tanis, holds 60,000 humans, except as the film opens up… You can’t see any of them. It is notably a unique blend of psychological thrills, which at times forces you question your OWN sanity, combined with action packed sequences filmed in classic sci-fi hallways. Pandorum explores some of the deep-rooted fears within its viewers. Specifically some of the more frightening fears which often take host, such as; a fear of the dark, loneliness, claustrophobia, lack of memory and it certainly plays upon those fears throughout the film. However whilst it was excellent in provoking thought, it was not exceptionally well constructed, despite the fact there was a plot. This, alongside its lack of publicity, marketing and such may have been why it didn’t even make half of it’s $40 million budget.

A good film if you’re a sci-fi-aholic, or even if you enjoy video games, harnessing a strange familiarity to a first person shooter. However if you’re not that into chasing and racing in space, this isn’t the film for you. A possible DVD buy.

]]> http://stuffisstuff.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/dead-space-2-teased-in-magazine/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:03:41 +0000 Nick Towers http://stuffisstuff.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/dead-space-2-teased-in-magazine/ http://suryodesign.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/dead-space/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:46:21 +0000 suryodesign http://suryodesign.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/dead-space/ http://ihorse.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/dead-space-pc-review/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:03:15 +0000 tomvidarmichalsen http://ihorse.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/dead-space-pc-review/

Survival horror never interested me much – my idea of the genre has always been frequent use of jump scares as the main design choice, and for me, that is bad. Dead Space is littered with these. Although they are effective, put in context of the game, they do spoil the replayability of the game. However, this game has so many redeeming qualities to it, it’s not worth arguing over it’s few flaws. They are but trifles.

EA has shown some real muscles with this game – it’s polished from top to toe, it has a great storyline, cinematic presentation and fantastic audio. A lest I forget; the Dead Space-universe has a lot of potential for sequels.

The game itself takes place in the future, a time when humans has found a way to crack open planets to strip mine them, using large spaceships called planet-crackers. In the game, radio contact has been lost with one of the oldest of these; the honorable USG Ishimura. Our protagonist is an armoured chap named Isaac Clarke, an engineer on the way to investigate the radio silence in company of the company a female (of course) computer engineer, a security officer and an expendable security staff of two. As the genre suggests – something is wrong. They are met by some rather unpleasant hospitality, because some extra terrestrial viral outbreak had occurred prior to the installation of this game.

Our enemies, the so-called necromorphs, are revolting abberations – animated corpses with grotesque features – the result of some biological mutation which originated from some artifact. Our mission is of course, to escape, though Isaac has some other purpose to be there too. During the course of this game, we witness an highy enjoyable ride of jump scares, terrifying atmosphere (i did mention the fantastic sound), plot twists and lumps of flesh hovering peacefully about in space. It’s not just gore and violence – this game also has a quite disturbing elements to it too. As you explore, you will find audio tapes and video logs, pretty much like in Doom 3. They give you subtle (and often grotesque) hints as to what has happened here before your arrival.

Gameplay

Dead Space is an incredibly tense game, and it is not pleasant at all. The game is separated into fairly large although somewhat linear levels, which take place at different parts of the Ishimura.

You may have read some reviews, where the camera is portrayed as an annoyance. This game is played in a third-person perspective, with the camera put  closely behind our protagonist, put to claustrophobic effect as the field of view is very tight and constrained. The feeling of vulnerability is ever present, and – in my opinion – this is what makes Dead Space such a terrifying experience. Some may disagree with me, but the designers made a good design choice when placing the camera.

Another nice touch is the absence of an on-screen HUD. The health of our protagonist is shown on a neon colored spine on the armor, and the ammo of our humble mining equipment is shows as a hologram when aiming.

You probably won’t be running around like in an average FPS – caution is both your bane and blessing on the Ishimura. For the most part, you’ll be fighting off your foes and exploring. The rest consists of finding money, upgrade your equipment and purchase items in the holographic store. The latter seems a bit wierd, even in the context of the futuristic setting, but it doesn’t take away the experience.

Aesthetics

Visually, Dead Space is nothing short of amazing. The graphics are impressive, and the sounds and music really adds to the atmosphere. Whenever you are attacked by the necromorphs, your ears will be punded by some really instense music. These moments (and they are many!) are really frightening, and a few of them are actually very memorable.

Even though we are far into the future, we are not presented to a Star Wars-looking setting. There is always an industrial feel to the surroundings, and you will learn to fear the many ventilation shafts onboard. The art directors has done everything right here, from the details on Isaacs suit to the grotesque features of the necromorphs, all from the beautiful opening scene to the sudden end. To put it short: Space has never been this beautiful, with the possible exception of EVE.

Beautiful.

P.S: When killed by the necromorphs, you will be rewarded with some gruesome (and rather amusing) death animations. Try them!

Conclusion

Dead Space is an unpleasant game. It’s a thrill to play the first time, but when playing a second time, the jump scares you have learned to love and hate will be too predictable to be enjoyable. Nonetheless, this is a must-buy for fans of genre. It’s a claustrophobic experience and very well done. Without doubt, Dead Space deserves its universal acclaim despite it’s replayability issue.

Binarily rated 1001/1010 (9/10)

Electronic Arts was a powerhouse of great gaming during my formative gaming years. Classics such as Road Rash, Desert Strike, FIFA, the Mutant League series, PGA Tour Golf and James Pond to name a few, were always innovative and a delight to play.

But somehow over time EA became the ‘bad guy’ – the heartless corporation who were happy to churn out yearly updates of average games, often with little or no improvement.

Suddenly we had Burnout, Need For Speed, Harry Potter, SSX, the Def Jam fighting games and a host of annual sports updates. The difference being that these games (possibly excluding a few Burnout titles) were just not that great.

They started buying smaller, rival studios and created big rifts in the industry by often closing the studios down and taking their best talent.

And then all of a sudden things changed a few years ago – as well as the usual updates they announced two games which turned people’s impressions of EA on their head: Dead Space and Mirror’s Edge.

Two games which were highly polished, innovative, produced to an extremely high level… and were original ideas. Not a sequel or prequal – or even a film tie in. Just cleverly made great games.

Now I’m the first to admit that maybe Mirror’s Edge had it’s faults but that isn’t the issue here – what I’m talking about is EA’s willingness to take a shot at launching a new brand, based on something no-one had tried before.

Brutal Legend is another fine example – while the game appears to have tanked at retail, which is a shame, EA backed it all the way with marketing and promo. Not all of their new ideas come off so to speak.

The other shift was that the year updates, sporting especially, got good again. The Fight Night series was a serious return to form, culminating in Round 4’s superb simulation of the sport. Likewise FIFA – which has now overtaken long standing champion PES as the best football game around.

With Rock Band they are looking to take on Activision (the new ‘bad guys’ apparently) and Guitar Hero, a battle which will rage for years to come.

The standard of games forthcoming as well looks really positive with Army Of Two: 40th Day, Dante’s Inferno, Mass Effect 2 (not for us PS3 folks… yet ) and Battlefield Bad Company 2 (the Beta of which is truly stunning) all arriving in the first quarter of 2010!

When I think back to 5 or 6 years ago it seems insane that EA of all people would be pushing the envelope and delivering top quality, fresh and innovative titles – long may it continue!

¡Bienvenidos de nuevo a la sección del gore y los calzones manchados! La semana pasada hablamos sobre los básicos de los Survival Horror, así que continuaremos la introducción al género con algunos monstruos clásicos que se arrastran por ahí: espectros, alienígenas, fanáticos y demás calaña. ¡Empecemos!

Los espectros: Un amigo mío tiene una teoría sobre los monstruos que intentan asustar, resumible en que los monstruos que aterrorizan a una generación le dan risa a la siguiente. Sólo hay una excepción: los fantasmas. ¿Por qué? Porque nadie se toma en serio a los fantasmas, y con razón: ¿Qué demonios puede hacerte algo translúcido e inpalpable? ¿Qué poderes tienen: chillar mucho, contarte sus traumas y atravesar las paredes? ¿Cómo te matan, de miedo? ¡Venga ya! De hecho, creo que la única forma de joderte que tienen es dándote envidia, porque ellos no necesitan abrir puertas y tú sí.
Por estas razones, los fantasmas en los videojuegos casi siempre está en un segundo plano, como enemigos flojuchos o apariciones contándote sus estúpidas penas. Si de todas formas queréis jugar a un videojuego sobre fantasmas, creo que lo único decente que hay es la saga Project Zero, donde veréis muchas cosas translúcidas chillando y atravesando paredes sin parar. Hala, que os divirtáis.

Los alienígenas: Un clásico del cine de serie B muy mal aprovechado: bichos con exoesqueleto, que parasitan rápidamente a los humanos, que aparecen en un ambiente ideal para un juego (una nave espacial de la que no se puede escapar), y sobre todo, porque hay montones de películas de terror con las que se podrían hacer juegos soberbios de Survival Horror y que vendieran a porrones por la licencia. ¿Ejemplos? Un juego de Alien que no fuera un shooter, por ejemplo. O mejor aún: un juego de La Cosa para consolas de nueva generación (el de Xbox/PS2/PC no estaba mal del todo, pero no conseguió aprovechar bazas como el tener que ir comprobando si tus compañeros estaban infectados, algo que hubiera sido genial si realmente fuera más problemático que darse la vuelta e inflarlo a tiros). Es una pena que esos simpáticos visitantes del espacio exterior prefieran la compañía del Jefe Maestro y similares, pero ya está ahí Dead Space para ir abriendo boca.

Los zombies: Otro clásico del cine de serie B, y que últimamente se están poniendo muy de moda gracias a los libros de Max Brooks. No creo que haga falta una presentación de estos muchachotes no-muertos, ni tampoco empezar a distinguir entre los zombies “clásicos” (lentotes, que sólo mueren de un tiro a la cabeza) de Resident Evil y la nueva concepción de zombies que hace furor ahora (Rápidos y hechos de papel, a la Left 4 Dead). Simplemente recordaros que no ha habido otro monstruo que haya pasado tanto por tantas consolas. Os queremos, comecerebros.

Los locos: Posiblemente la única entrada en la lista que no desciende directamente del cine, los enfermos mentales son un gran añadido a los videojuegos, tanto para dar ambiente (hay mucha gente que cree que Bioshock es un Survival Horror por los comentarios de los splicers del principio), como para ser los enemigos principales, porque aunque pierdan el factor horripilante ganan el poder del habla, que asusta también lo suyo (Los enemigos en Forbidden Siren asustaban muchísimo cuando les veías buscandote y hablando consigo mismos, y estoy seguro de que RE 4 habría asustado lo suyo si los enemigos no llegan a tener ese extraño acento mexicano).

Las monstruosidades: Incluyo aquí cualquier bicho de Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark y cualquier cosa de Resident Evil que no sea un zombie. Bichos mutados, demonios, alucinaciones mentales… Dar rienda suelta a la imaginación da mucho de sí. Sólo una advertencia, por si algún diseñador de monstruos me está escuchando: a ser posible, dejad a los malditos perros mutados tranquilos, salen en todas partes y estamos hasta los cojones de ellos. Gracias.

Y hasta aquí la ración de hoy. La semana que viene, más y mejor.

Dead Space

Dead Space from EA is sure to please any action-adventure gamer looking for a bloody battle against deadly aliens. Dead Space for PlayStation 3 begins when a massive mining ship, the USG Ishimura, comes in contact with a mysterious alien artifact and suddenly loses its communications with Earth. Engineer Isaac Clarke is sent to repair

Deep Space pits Isaac Clarke against deadly aliens. View larger.

Zero-G game play allows you to walk on walls and the ceiling. View larger.

EA delivers an incredibly frightening experience with state-of-the-art graphics and effects. View larger.

Neutralize the attacking enemies with weapons and telekinetic powers. View larger.

the Ishimura’s communications, but arrives to find a floating vessel that has become a complete bloodbath. The crew is mutilated and infected with an ancient alien scourge. Clarke’s repair mission is transformed to one of survival as he fights to save himself and return the artifact to the planet at any cost.

Fight with Weapons and Telekinesis
The alien hordes are incredibly resilient. You’ll have to find creative ways to neutralize the attacking enemies by shearing off limbs with powerful weapons. And when the ammo runs out you’ll be thankful that you can use your telekinetic powers to pick up objects (even the aliens’ own severed arms and legs) and hurl them at your advancing enemies.

Graphics, Effects, and Sound Increase the Horror
EA delivers an incredibly frightening experience with state-of-the-art graphics and effects, an audio system that will have you jumping out of your seat, and a truly horrific atmosphere that is permeated with death, mutilation, and despair. You’ll have to be resilient to slash through the alien onslaught and stop this virulent scourge. As you explore the ship, the tragic story of the USG Ishimura will unfold in gory detail as you discover frantic logs from the hideously transformed crew in their final days.

True Zero-G Effects
You’ll be able to take full advantage of zero gravity in Deep Space. Battling enemies and solving puzzles takes on new challenges and present ingenious opportunities with the Zero-G game play. You can use zero gravity to create your own path around obstacles by walking on walls and the ceiling. Leap across vast distances or change your perspective to gain a strategic advantage over your enemies.

Reviews from Customers

“Scariest game ever? Naw, but it is damn good”
After reading reviews that Dead Space was the second coming of the original Resident Evil, I decided I’d give it a try. Review sites were claiming it to be “the scariest game evar!” Hell, when I picked the game up from a local store I was boldly told, “within two minutes of gaining control of your character, you will jump out of your skin!” Eagerly, I rushed home, ready for my next jolt of adrenaline. So, it was with a pair of rubber underwear (I kid…or do I?) and some excitement that I set out to see what dark terrors Dead Space would contain.

Turns out there’s not much here we haven’t seen before. No, I didn’t jump two minutes into the game…and in fact the first chapter felt pretty tame. Monsters pop out of vents or can be seen in the distance, usually followed by a loud “DUN!” from the soundtrack. Maybe I’ve grown so hardened from my years of playing horror games that the thrills in Dead Space don’t amount to much. I’m also wondering who these reviewers are. If Dead Space is so terrifying to them, I’d hate to see what’d happen if they got their hands on F.E.A.R. or Condemned, for example, two games that have made me jump out of my skin.

Things improve as the story continues, though, with some disturbing images (usually involving a crazed survivor) and some stick with me, even now. The game does improve on its terror level, the further in you get and there are some shocking moments, both in terms of graphic depictions but also in a “holy crap, I’m being dragged by a tentacle” way. But, as a personal opinion, I’ve never really been fond of the silent protagonist. And here we have not only Isaac, the mute, but Isaac the faceless since he’s always holed up behind some mask. Sure there is a personal story here for him, what with his girlfriend stuck on the ship somewhere, but it never really clicked for me simply because Isaac felt like a doll and not a real person.

This isn’t to say Dead Space is a bad game, just the opposite! I had an absolute blast playing it because what it does, it does exceedingly well. The weapons are never your cliched space marine-type fare, which brings a fresh feel to the game. They can be “leveled up” via work benches, and you can really design both your suit and your weapons to fit your play style. Dead Space also controls amazingly well and you’ll never feel like the game is hampering you by horrible movement. The graphics are pretty damn awesome, especially in terms of the grotesque monster designs (which remind me of The Thing) and the animations. The concept of “strategic dismembering” is also a fun little twist of the genre, as you’ll find yourself blowing the hell out of their limbs, just to keep them from coming at you.

I also appreciate how each level feels completely different from the last and EA has truly made the Ishimura come alive. When I first heard that the game took place on a ship, I was worried. Usually that means the same old corridors and bad level design, but here it means a fully realized space ship. Breaking up the action are sections taking place in zero-G areas, which are great, and some puzzles that require you to utlize the environment.

All in all, and even though I don’t share the opinion that it’s the scariest game ever, Dead Space is a terrific game. The plot is very intriguing and pulls you along, but it’s everything else that really adds up to making it what it is. In the end, Dead Space feels more like Aliens than Alien, and that ain’t shabby.

Definitely recommend a purchase.

“Seriously they have nailed it. What a start for this holiday season”
I have been playing shooters for a long long time. After DOOM, no one had the guts to move away from head shots. Almost 3 decades has come and gone and shooters have remained the same. Woow these guys did get away with it, and they have come out with amazing results. This is the power of creativity.

We have played shooters with zombies in them, horror sci-fi games, different permutations and combinations. All have few different monsters as enemies. Either you shoot them in the head or it is some kind of quick press events to kill the bosses. Here you have to understand what every enemy is, remember how to kill when you see them again. As you walk through the levels, you see clues written in blood on what to do with each enemy.

The game continuously throws new surprises. You have to explore every level to find items to upgrade your weapons. When you first step into ZeroG… the fights gets crazy. Enemies will come from every direction, the map is a big globe. The level design is fantastic. Every single detail from hospital rooms, kitchens what ever that will be required in a big space ship is there. It is not like the super tidy carpeted Trek space ship. It is supposed to be some thing like a dirty mining rig, and you surely get the feel of it.

There is lot of creativity that has gone in.. which I didn’t expect from a big publisher like EA. You don’t find any M16, AK46, turret gun here. All the weapons are mining equipment. Our future mining equipments are lot more interesting than what we have today. As the main character is a engineer lot of things he does very cohesive with the gameplay. When you actually fix a lever and move things around it feels lot more natural.

I do have to say one thing about this game. It is truly meant for mature audience. Please don’t buy this game for very young children. There are few sections where you have to kick and stomp baby zombies. It gets too violent and scary. But as a horror/survival/thriller you need creepy enemies. Also they do give you a reason to keep searching and not quit half way around. The theme may be slightly similar to DMC4 girl friend search… but executed very well.

One gripe I have with this game as with DMC4 is backtracking. The game is quite long by today’s standard. The space ship feels much better because you are visiting some of the same areas while backtracking. It is not horrible, but it is there. I wish they hadn’t done that.

To give developers credit, they have done enough to avoid the regular backtracking nightmares like lost routes. You can always use your analog stick to show the dotted green walk line.

Previously I thought this one will be like Silent hill, this one is more closer to Resident Evil. Falls more in the creepy, scary game than survival horror game.

Technically, I don’t have to say much. Any one who has seen videos of the game already know this game looks stunning. Fantastic way to start the holiday season. Brand new IP, silky smooth game play, really well done game. Go treat yourself.

“Aliens”
I’m very late to the party with this review, so I’ll keep it informal and short…

I know I raved about BioShock, and I think my raves were warranted. But I compared my Bioshock experience to Resident Evil 4. I guess that I didn’t completely remember how exhilarated and immersed I was in RE4, because I started Dead Space this past weekend, and I never felt like I was going to have a heart attack playing Bioshock like I did in Dead Space.

Everything in Dead Space screams terror, and everything in Dead Space is presented terrifically! You’re team has just boarded the USS Ishimura in deep space…er…I mean Dead Space. It’s like a busy space station that supports a mining colony. Let’s put it this way: it’s supposed to have a pretty decent sized crew. But something’s wrong…there doesn’t seem to be anyone on board. After about 5 minutes on the ship your separated from your team, and you are rudely introduced to what is wrong.

The creatures in Dead Space are scary. When they’re not scary they’re disturbing. When they not disturbing they’re viciously ruthless. The background sounds are creepy send chills down your spine. The background music is orchestrated precisely, and build you right up to a heart attack when the action starts. The layout and map of the ship are super realistic.

You play as a third person as Isaac Clark, and you wear an upgradeable suit that shows your health via illuminated LED lights on the spine of the suit. Very cool. You have a holographic HUD that you can bring up at any time to show your inventory, map & objectives. There are save stations throughout the game positioned almost everywhere you start hoping for one.

Dead Space is just awesome! And to top it off I bought my first Dualshock 3 Wireless Controller, and what a cool thing I’ve been depriving myself of. The first affect was when I stomped on something. I never thought that a silly controller vibration could add much to the gaming experience….but don’t knock it til ya try it certainly applies here.

Gotta say, I’m not sure that watching Dead Space: Downfall first was such a great idea. It was actually kind of a spoiler; I kinda had to play like I was able to watch a log of the Ishimura’s events before landing on it.

Sick. Game. Did you like the movie Aliens? Do you like to be scared? Add this to your cart, but prepare for an adventure that’s perhaps more intense than any movie you’ve ever watched or any game that you’ve ever played.
See all detials of Dead Space

Buenas, soy Aviron y esta noche nos vamos a partir el cul… Estoo, entretenernos con la nueva sección de los Viernes.

Ya que tras una semanita de retro gaming, juegos memorables, OSTs y reflexiones qué mejor que seguir con una sección sobre uno de los géneros más interesantes: los Survival Horror… O por lo menos lo era. Sí, ese género que hacía que nos cagáramos en los pantalones está ya junto con las aventuras gráficas en la papelera de reciclaje, esperando su destino. “Te equivocas”, diréis. “El año pasado salió Dead Space, y Alan Wake está de camino…” Mal. Muy mal. ¿Os importa que repasemos por encima los básicos del miedo?

Por un lado tenemos la estructura principal del género de terror: momentos de suspense y el susto que actúa como clímax del momento. El suspense atrae la atención del jugador/espectador mediante algo (un ruido, una sombra en la nada), y le mantiene atento mientras trata de predecir lo que va a ocurrir… Espera que acaba con el susto, sea de los previsibles o de los que intentan pillar desprevenido (Tipo el susto tras el anticlímax de las películas tipo Scream). Ésta es la estructura del terror: sucesiones de suspense y susto. No es mala estructura… Si hablamos de una película. El problema que tienen los juegos de terror últimamente es que olvidan que son juegos y se creen películas de terror.

La razón de que los videojuegos sean la mejor plataforma para una historia de terror es que al contrario que un libro o una película, en las que eres un espectador pasivo (la película continuará tras un proceso de suspense-tensión, tanto como si has bostezado como si te has desmayado de la emoción), el juego te obliga a actuar: esa situación terrorífica va a seguir ahí hasta que hagas algo al respecto. Esta “obligación” de enfrentarse a lo que pase es lo que hace que la experiencia sea increíblemente real, llegando a provocar verdaderos ataques de pánico (¿Principio de Silent Hill 1, alguien?) y el tener que enfrentarse a o que te asusta. Los desarrolladores lo saben, y también saben que gracias a ello pueden escapar del ciclo de suspense-susto e ir más allá: pueden desesperar a los jugadores.

Desesperar es algo muy sencillo: dificultar al jugador sus posibilidades de actuar correctamente ante el miedo. Hay varias formas de desesperar: una forma muy usada y efectiva al mismo tiempo es la de reducir las capacidades del personaje: El héroe de un Survival Horror no debe ser Isaac Clarke, el ingeniero con armadura, herramientas láser capaces de destrozar lo que se ponga por delante y cientos de máquinas expendedoras, sino James Sunderland, el repartidor desentrenado, con chaqueta cutre y una cañería como arma.

Otra forma es hacer que los peligros sean variados y por tanto el jugador siempre esté inseguro. Sí, que el necromorfo que creías muerto volviera para arrancarte las tripas asustaba mucho al principio, pero tras 10 encuentros y los continuos mensajes de “ARRÁNCALES LOS MIEMBROS”, sabías perfectamente cómo actuar… Justo al contrario que en Project Zero, en el que todos los fantasmas actúan y atacan de forma diferente, de forma que nunca sabes a qué atenerte.

También se puede desesperar al jugador con un ambiente desesperanzador en el que se sienta incómodo: zonas extremadamente confusas en las que necesitas el mapa constantemente para no perderte, o muy oscuras, o totalmente esquizofrénicas… directamente con la sensación de estar abandonado en un entorno totalmente hostil: En Dead Space había un par de locos, sí, pero también mantenías conversaciones por radio con gente normal. En Silent Hill, los contactos con humanos eran extremadamente raros, y éstos se comportaban de forma extraña, como si no se dieran cuenta de lo que ocurre a su alrededor.

Este ambiente no vale de nada si el jugador se dedica a correr por el escenario, por lo que los Survival Horror obligan a empaparse del ambiente, obligándote a explorar para conseguir las escasas provisiones que pueda haber y sobretodo pistas para los acertijos que debes resolver para abandonar la zona (Otra costumbre que se está abandonando bastante, por cierto: que un juego haga pensar).

Todas estas características, únicas de los juegos de terror, están desapareciendo para acercarse al mainstream: no algo malo, por supuesto (RE 4 fue probablemente el juego que metió a los Survival Horror en un ataúd y sigue siendo un juegazo, Dead Space es un fantástico juego DE ACCIÓN), pero sigue doliendo que cada día se pierdan más géneros porque deban fusionarse con los shooters para vender algo más que cuatro copias.

Nunca te olvidaremos, Survival Horror.

Gamers Forcing EA To Return To Old Ways

by dkpatriarch

© 2009 David Hilton

Remember the bad old EA so many of us gamers spent oodles of time criticising?

EA was the big time publisher that made huge amounts of cash off only releasing games from their pre-existing IPs (Intellectual Properties) like Medal Of Honor, Battlefield, and Burnout, their yearly sports ‘updates’, and off movie licenses like James Bond and Lord Of The Rings.

Most of the games were good, and some of them were bad, but what annoyed many of us the most was that they were being safe and not bothering to try and bring creative new gaming experiences, especially to consoles.  They had the money and the clout to try and be fresh and innovative, but they were just sitting back because they could.

Then they changed.  But now huge financial losses and a layoff of 1,500 staff may herald the end of their positive experiment into new IPs and innovation and a return to the old EA business model.

And it’s our fault.

While EA Games were changing their attitude and creating new IP games like Dead Space, Mirror’s Edge, Brutal Legend, and The Saboteur, the other big publishers like Microsoft (Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Halo 3, Halo: ODST), Ubisoft (Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, Assassin’s Creed 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Avatar), and Activision (Wolfenstein, Modern Warfare 2, Shrek, Spider Man, X-Men) seem to have adopted EA’s previous philosophy particularly this year after the financial crisis.

Sure there are exceptions like Endwar by Ubisoft and Prototype by Activision, but on the whole the games have been sequels or film tie-ins.

But this problem is not just due to the financial crisis.

As I wrote last year, EA didn’t sell enough of either Dead Space or Mirror’s Edge, despite both games being critically acclaimed by the gaming media.  At the time I argued that their releasing the games during the busy end of year rush was to blame, with new IPs not getting a look in next to the better known titles.

While I still agree with that statement, with some exceptions like the original Assassin’s Creed, a lot of new IPs haven’t done so well this generation next to their sequel or movie tie-in counterparts.  And it hasn’t always been a question of quality.

The top selling Xbox 360 games so far are:

1. Halo 3 (8.1 million)

Big name sequels sell

2. Gears of War (5 million)

3. Gears of War 2 (5 million)

4. Grand Theft Auto IV (4 million)

5. Call Of Duty 4 (3.77 million)

6. Call Of Duty: World At War (3.35 million)

7. Forza 2 (2.6 million)

8. Fable 2 (2.6 million)

9. Halo: ODST (2.5 million)

10. Assassin’s Creed (2.28 million)

Of those titles, only the original Gears of War and Assassin’s Creed were new IPs.  The story is only slightly different for the 360’s major competitor, Sony’s PS3, which has Motorstorm, the original Uncharted, the original Resistance, and Heavenly Sword in their top 1o.

While many gamers demand innovation and new IPs, the reality is that it is a hit or miss risk for the publishers.  Ubisoft last generation released the wacky but highly praised Beyond Good & Evil, only to see the gamers shun it.

And this is why I say it is our fault.  We will happily fork out extra cash over usual retail price for Modern Warfare 2, but Dead Space, despite great reviews and price cuts soon after, was not attractive enough.  Mirror’s Edge, despite giving us the innovation many craved, scared off many gamers who instead forked out for Gears of War 2.

What chance has Brutal Legend got against MW 2?

Brutal Legend, also highly regarded by most critics, as of October 24 apparently has sold 370,710 copies on both consoles.

EA went out on a limb and tried to change its image and corporate strategy to expand its gaming philosophy beyond sequels, sports title rehashes, and movie tie-ins, and did we support that after all our winging?  No.

The situation is that the average gamer has limited funds and may not play as many games as the hardcore.  The casual gamer will buy whatever they know will give them the fix of fun they are after and don’t follow the updates and innovations of new IPs.  They see Mirror’s Edge or Dead Space and think- never heard of it.

The Call of Duty or Halo series on the other hand is not only well known, but is in a genre that is easy to identify and play and their friends are likely to also have it.

This gives big publishers who have the funds to create strong new innovative games less incentive to do so.  Creatively, I’m sure their staff would love to try new things, but the risk outweighs the potential benefits, especially now.  They are more likely to try mini new things within an existing franchise, like the upcoming Splinter Cell: Conviction is.

Which brings me back to EA going back to what they were before.

In January EA CEO John Riccitiello said:

I also believe that there is no inherent conflict between great creativity and achieving strong profitability – I believe they go hand in hand.

This is a business and much of our success will be measured with a calculator – sales, revenue, profit and improving shareholder value. There is also a qualitative aspect of our industry. Making games we can be proud of. Pushing boundaries. I believe the quantitative and the qualitative measures go well together.

However, he now looks to be saying that EA will be concentrating on known franchises, some to be released twice a year:

Electronic Arts has a core slate of games label and sports franchises that we will iterate on a either annual or bi-annual basis. And I think you know what those major titles are – all of them are selling or have sold in their most recent edition 2m units or more.

What does this mean for innovation in the gaming industry?  Well to me it looks like innovation will now be mostly focused within existing franchises and, increasingly, in the casual market where the big publishers expect bigger returns for less cost.

Innovation Future?

So for example Microsoft’s Project Natal and Sony’s motion controller will seem to publishers as a safer investment in finding ways to innovate for a larger gamer and casual market.

Innovation will also come to gamers in smaller form like downloaded Xbox Live Arcade or Sony PSN games, and the even portable gaming like the Iphone and DSi.  Some of these might make a big enough name for themselves to get a bigger budget version for the consoles, but they would be sequels.

If it turns out to be true that EA and the other publishers shy away from new IPs in the future and we are still playing Call of Duty 15, really we only have ourselves to blame.

But then it seems most gamers are quite happy with their sequels, and so perhaps that’s fair enough.  For me, though, new upcoming IP games like Alan Wake and Heavy Rain seem more interesting, even if I’m still staying fairly cautious about them.

What do you think? Comment below.

© 2009 David Hilton

Jakoś przypadkiem o uszy obił mi się tytuł „Pandorum”. Do wczoraj myślałem, że to jakaś azjatycka produkcja z duchami i panienkami płaczącymi łzami o kolorze krwii… Jakże się zdziwiłem, gdy moim oczom ukazało się klimatyczne i zarazem enigmatyczne wprowadzenie w tematykę tego filmu. Pierwsze skojarzenia? „Event Horizon”, „Dead Space”, „Alien” i pewnie nie tylko, natomiast każdy kto widział te tytuły zauważy pewną wspólną, bardzo zimną, zielonkawo-niebieską specyfikę, pokrytą kablami, żelastwem i tawotem do smarowania plazmowych rdzeni, gdzie coś czai się w ciemności.

„Pandorum” można rozumieć dwojako, jako termin określający chorobę wywołaną przedłużonym czasem hibernowania objawiającą się paranoją, tendencjami maniakalno-depresyjnymi, skłonnościami samobójczymi, halucynacjami, drgawkami i innymi fajnymi symptomami bez których obejść się w kosmicznej próżni nie można. „Pandorum” to również twór niemiecko-armerykańskiej współpracy filmowej, dodać należy że w mojej opinii bardzo dobry twór. Scenariusz napisali wspólnymi siłami Travis Milloy i Christian Alvart, których w zasadzie nie kojarzę z żadnego tytułu, zatem debiut komercyjny można powiedzieć że jest mocny niczym czarna kawa z Peru.
Jako główne mordy przewijają nam się Denis Quaid (który jakieś doświadczenie w s-f już ma: Frequency, Innerspace, The Day After Tommorow), oraz Ben Foster (znałem go wcześniej tylko z negatywnej roli w 3:10 to Yuma i Punishera). Jak się sprawdzają? Bardzo dobrze, inne role niż te dotychczas znane, autentyczne, pozbawione kretyńskich skryptów i poważne w tym co robią.
A co i gdzie robią jest tutaj jak najbardziej na miejscu. Pierwszy bohater, którego mamy okazję poznać (nie licząc tych z wprowadzenia) to kapral Bower. Facet budzi się właśnie z hibernacji nie wiadomo jak po długim czasie, trzęsie się, nie wie gdzie jest, nie bardzo pamięta jak się obsługuje tutejsze urządzenia, jest głodny i sam-a reszta śpi w kosmicznym letargu.
Już pierwsze sceny obrazują statek Elysium jako miejsce potężne, samotne i pogrążone w czymś nieznanym i niebezpiecznym. Do Bowera dołącza przed chwilą zbudzony z hibernacji Payton i razem starają się rozwikłać tajemnicę statku widmo na którego pokładzie się znaleźli. Prowadząc dialog przypominają sobie coraz więcej, a układanka zaczyna tworzyć coraz wyraźniejsze kształty. Dowiadujemy się, że Bower należy do grupy inżynierów i pewne rzeczy w temacie mechaniki okrętu po prostu wie, a mostek jest miejscem do którego powinni się udać. Obaj uświadamiają sobie równie, że powinni zostać zbudzeni z hibernacji przez grupę 4 (należą do 5) na swoją 2 letnią wachtę, jednak po grupie czwartej śladów żadnych nie ma. By było ciekawiej okazuje się, że statek ma rozregulowany generator energii i potrzebny jest restart systemu nim wszystko rozleci się na kawałki. Brak narzędzi i broni, oraz konieczność skradania się szybami wentylacyjnymi nie jest ostatecznie najgorszą z możliwości o ile jest bezpiecznie. Tutaj oczywiście sprawa się komplikuje, a Bower już po chwili znajduje pierwsze ciała- jedne już nadkruszone przez czas, pewnie ofiary podobnej podróży do reaktora, inne świeże- lekko żywe, podwieszone pod sufitem na kablach… W tym momencie już pewne jest, że statek skrywa mroczną tajemnicę, pewne jest że z załogą stało się coś złego, pewne jest że pozostanie w takim miejscu gwarantuje jedynie objęcia lodowatych dłoni Kosmicznego Żniwiarza i pewne jest że w tej podróży poszło coś nie tak. Poznajemy historię smutną, straszną i w zasadzie całkiem świeżą, a film stanowi zastrzyk adrenaliny w już lekko zestarzałym i opuszczonym gatunku space-horrorów. Pomyślcie, że w locie który ma trwać ponad 100 lat coś idzie nie tak, a bohaterowie budzą się w miejscu w którym za pancerną szybą nie ma gwiazd, tylko ciemność. W miejscu z którego nie ma już jak wrócić, a towarzysze wiją się w amoku pandorum, bądź śpią snem z którego nie można ich zbudzić. Nie chce pisać zbyt wiele, zdradzać fabuły, która jest świetnie prowadzona i karmi nas okruszkami przesmacznego pieczywa w którym ukryta jest śliwka. To jest tytuł, który podobnie jak polecane poprzednio przeze mnie filmy albo się kocha, albo nienawidzi. Jest coraz bardziej otulające bohaterów szaleństwo, samotność, zagrożenie i statek kosmiczny. Tutaj boimy się nie tylko potworów z mackami, czy pełzających po ścianach xenomorfów, ale nas samych. Ludzi którzy utonęli w obłędzie podczas za długiej podróży przez wszechświat, samotnych, niepoczytalnych i zaadaptowanych w nowych warunkach bytu.
Inaczej mówiąc: świetne role, kapitalny klimat, dobra fabuła i pomysł, rezurekcja gatunku, oraz zaskakujący finał.
Uth poleca!

 

Trailer leciutko spojlerujący:

Looking back through some old articles I came across this list of the best single player games on PS3: Linkage.

This list was only written in April and yet the time since has probably been the best 6 months of my gaming ‘career.’

Not only have some fantastic solo player campaigns been released but I have also caught up on some single player epics I missed when they came out.

I knew the list needed to be extended and improved, as too many great single player games were missing.

So here you go – the top 10 is now a top 20 and any game from the initial list has it’s original chart position in brackets. You can also check out my full reviews (where possible) by clicking the title of each game:

20. PROTOTYPE

In Prototype you take on the role of Alex Mercer as he awakens during his autopsy ,wondering what the hell is going on. He quickly escapes, realising he now has various superpowers.

Mercer needs to find out what the hell has happened to him and why New York is infected with a virus that has turned half the population into zombies.

Prototype is definitely a game worth playing despite it’s various faults – it was a blast to play through if a little frustrating at times.

19. RESISTANCE 2

After saving England in the previous installment Hale is back in business to rescue the U S of A – since his incapacitation the Chimera have launched a full attack on America and Hale, as part of the Sentinal squad (made up of soldiers injected with the Chimera virus but kept under control), have to step in and stop them in their tracks.

A hard hitting but fun first person shooter.

18. MIRROR’S EDGE (10)

Mirror’s Edge wowed everyone with it’s crisp, clean graphics and it’s unique first person perspective.

The view takes a while to get used to and it had a few really annoying parts where it was difficult to time jumps etc because of the view but Mirror’s Edge is certainly worth playing through as it offers a style of gameplay that is totally unique in the current games market.

17. RAINBOW SIX VEGAS (9)

If you like your first person shooters with a bit of brain behind the brawn then Rainbow Six Vegas may be the game for you.

With a good old fashioned SAS vs Terrorists style plot and lots of fun set pieces Rainbow Six Vegas is definitely worth a shot.

16. RESIDENT EVIL 5

For all it’s faults Resident Evil 5, taken as a whole, is a brilliant game and one that I would recommend. Graphically it’s stunning and while it isn’t a hugely difficult game you’ll enjoy playing through and unravelling the story.

It survives the huge expectation of following Resident Evil 4… just. This is a game that everyone should play as Resi comes to the new generation of consoles.

15. KANE AND LYNCH (8) 

You take control of Adam ‘Kane’ Marcus, a criminal on his way to death row for crimes committed in Venezeula. Kane is busted out of his prison van by a mysterious group called The7 who he worked with previously. They think Kane stole the money from their last job and stashed it somewhere.

If he doesn’t get them the money back in three weeks his wife and daughter will be killed. Kane claims he doesn’t know where it is but he does know who took the cash and will hunt them down. And so begins a thoroughly enjoyable ride into the desperate life of Kane…

14. BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY

Chock full of explosions and with some really impressive destruction of buildings etc, Battlefield: Bad Company is like a huge big budget Hollywood blockbuster.

It’s a great, mindless blast of a game. Add some memorable characters into the mix and you’ve got yourself a very enjoyable, and playable, package.

13. HEAVENLY SWORD (7)

Another game that didn’t garner the respect it deserves, primarily because it didn’t live up to the pre-release hype.

If you like God Of War you will like this game as it’s similar in style but it looks gorgeous in HD and I believe did a few bits (combos/blocking etc) better than the first two God Of War games.

12. ASSASSIN’S CREED (6)

In Assassin’s Creed you play through Desmond Mile’s repressed ancestrial memories as Altair in the Medieval Holy Land (with brief interludes as Desmond struggling to find out what is going on in the present day).

You will need to research targets and carry out assassinations using a variety of options – sword, hidden blade, knife etc.

This game is great fun and I’m looking forward to the sequel which is on it’s way shortly.

11. GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME

Ghostbusters: The Video Game’s plot is essentially the third movie – set in 1991 you’re a rookie who’s been drafted in to help with the ever increasing ghost workload. A huge paranormal blast sets off a chain of events that only one group of guys can deal with…

For me Ghostbusters was a short (5 hour) game that had me chuckling and geeking out despite it’s flaws – it won’t be to everyone’s tastes but it has a good single player storyline.

10. KILLZONE 2 (5)

Killzone 2’s biggest achievement is, possibly because of the brilliant graphics, sound and AI, that you feel involved and become embedded in the Killzone universal whenever you pick up the pad.

It’s not perfect by any means but it’s easily the best first person shooter I’ve played and I recommend anyone with a remote interest in this genre to check this out immediately!

9. BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM

With some wonderful voice acting from the cast of the animated series, Batman: Arkham Asylum’s story moves at a good pace and familiar enemies are used to good effect throughout.

With such a vivid setting and a memorable selection of bad guys from Batman’s career it’s no surprise that Arkham Asylum is such a great game.

Despite the odds being stacked against it, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a quality title that has had a lot of care put into making it. I’d recommend this to anyone.

8. INFAMOUS

So good it’s the only game this generation I’ve played through twice (seeing it’s rating bumped from 8/10 to 9/10), Infamous is a great game.

You control Cole McGrath, a courier who just happens to be carrying a package containing an electronic bomb when it goes off, devasting the city. Somehow Cole survives and, after coming out of a coma, realises the explosion has given him electrical superpowers.

From there on out the city is your oyster and there is plenty to do as you try to track down the people behind the explosion.

7. BIOSHOCK

Bioshock has a great story to tell and it does it well with some interesting objectives and brilliantly designed levels.

There are several twists and turns in the plot, most of which are not obvious and it’s no surprise to me that a film version is in the works (although I believe currently suspended due to budget concerns).

Dark worlds like Rapture aren’t to everyone’s tastes but you really would be missing out on an awesome story if you decided not to book a trip to the underwater city.

6. GRAND THEFT AUTO IV  (4)

One the biggest selling games of this generation GTA IV features the fortunes (and lack therof) of Niko Bellic – an immigrant arriving in the US at Liberty City to find empty promises and broken dreams from his cousin Roman.

As you work your way up the criminal ladder you’ll encounter all sort of dodgy characters and befriend even more.

Liberty City is a wonderful, if run down, place and Niko Bellic’s story is one you will enjoy playing through so make sure you pick this game up as soon as possible.

5. FALLOUT 3

After a tough few hours at the start you will find yourself rewarded greatly for sticking with this awesome FPS / RPG.

The story line sprawls across the world depending on your actions and you’ll find yourself taking a break from main missions to explore the wasteland or help out other characters.

I could go on and on about various things that happened and how cool it was, how great the story was or whatever.

But Fallout 3 is a game that needs to be experienced first hand and your story will no doubt play out differently to mine.

4. METAL GEAR SOLID 4  (3)

Hideo Kojima’s tale of Solid Snake’s final mission is a brilliant showcase of the Playstation 3’s power.

This is a game that often gives you three or four different ways of approaching things – whether you realise it or not.

Metal Gear Solid 4 rewards those patient enough to stick with it by giving them a great gaming experience, with some memorable boss battles, that they won’t forget.

3. DEAD SPACE (2)

Coming on somewhere between Event Horizon and Aliens, Dead Space is a third person survival horror game.

You take on the role of Isaac Clarke, a ship engineer who finds himself trapped onboard a stricken spaceship infested with an alien outbreak which is threatening to take over the ship.

This was one of the best games I played last year, it’s use of sound is immense and the fear of the unexpected they create is awesome.

I am not a big fan of horror movies or being made to jump all the time but Dead Space kept on the right side of all that by being unpredictable enough to be enjoyable as a ‘horror’ experience.

2. UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE (1)

Uncharted maps the  journey of Nathan Drake as he tries to find the lost treasure of El Dorado encountering, among other things, rival treasure hunters and mercenaries.

The graphics are unbelievable and the gameplay is well paced and well thought out. The characters and story and really well conceived and Nolan North, who voices Drake, is absolutely spot on with his irreverent humour and wisecracks.

At its heart Uncharted is an action adventure game much in the vein of Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider but, and I say this as a fan of both of these, it is better than either of them.

1. UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES

Uncharted 2 is a complete gaming package. There is plenty of taking out bad guys, lots of puzzles and some wonderful dialogue.

Naughty Dog really have done a great job on the voice acting and the expressiveness of the character models. It is easily the best I’ve come across (though Heavenly Sword was a close second).

I won’t spoil the story but for those who don’t know, Nathan Drake gets pulled back into that murky world of treasure hunting for hire. I loved the story of this game – with a few twists I saw coming and a few I didn’t.

If you own a PS3 there is no reason not to own this game – if you only have an XBox 360 or Wii then get yourself a PS3 Slim and enjoy one of the most finely crafted games I’ve ever experienced.

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So it’s a double for Nathan Drake as he takes the top two spots with his exploration adventures.

With 5 new games in the top ten it’s great to see the wide variety of game styles on offer to PS3 owners these days.

Hopefully people out there will find this list helpful – feel free to drop me some comments below on the games or if you’d have put anything else in the list?

Wie bereits in unseren News angekündigt, ist Dead Space 2 in Planung. Für all diejenigen, an denen dieser Titel unbemerkt vorübergegangen ist, habe ich mich entschlossen ein Review zum ersten Teil zu verfassen: Bei Dead Space handelt es sich um einen SciFi Horror Shooter in Third- Person Perspektive. Veröffentlicht wurde es von EA Ende 2008 für Ps3, XBox360 und PC.

Handlung

Der Spieler übernimmt in Dead Space die Rolle des Kommunikationsingenieurs Isaac Clarke. Nach empfangen eines Notsignals des gigantischen Bergbauschiffes USG Ishimura, machen sich Isaac und die Crew des Reparaturschiffes USG Kellion auf, um nach dem Rechten zu sehen. Besonders Isaac ist um seine Freundin Nicole besorgt, sie auf der Ishimura als Medizinerin tätig ist.

Als die Kellion jedoch aus dem Hyperraum tritt, empfangen sie keine Antwort von der Ishimura, die bereits damit begonnen hat im Orbit des Planeten Aegis VII, Rohstoffe von einem  Asteroiden zu gewinnen. Da der Funkkontakt ausbleibt, entschliesst sich der Reparaturtrupp and seinem Ziel anzudocken. Der Leitstrahl der Ishimura zieht die Kellion jedoch nicht planmässig, sondern direkt auf deren Hülle zu. Nur mit Glück, gelingt eine Notlandung, direkt durch die Hangartüren der Ishimura. Das Reparturteam findet sich in einem verlassenen Hangar wieder, ohne die Möglichkeit dieses mit der schwer rampunierten Kellion wieder verlassen zu können. Es geht von nun an nur noch nach vorne. Warum reagiert niemand auf die Bruchlandung? Wo ist das Personal abgeblieben? Ist Nicole in Ordnung? Um diese Fragen zu klären macht sich Isaac auf, das gigantische Schiff zu erkunden. Bald müssen die Gestrandeten feststellen, dass ihre Probleme grösser sind als eine Bruchlandung und ein Kommunikationsproblem.

Steuerung /Atmosphäre

Man merkt Dead Space an, dass es nicht ausschliesslich für den PC Markt programmiert wurde. Vor allem die ungewöhnliche Third-Person Perspektive, über die Schulter des Helden, ist zunächst gewöhnungsbedürftig. Nachdem man aber die ersten Schockmomente überstanden hat, bemerkt man diese kaum noch. Erschrecken wird man sich jedoch weiterhin. Dead Space bleibt von Anfang bis Ende spannend. Auch wenn jedem klar ist, dass sich ein Spiel mit dem Namen Dead Space, nicht um eine simple Reparaturmission dreht.

Der Wahnsinn, den die Crew der Ishimura ereilt hat, ist jederzeit spürbar. Unterstüzt wird das Gefühl des Unbehagens durch die fantastische Art, in der die verschiedenen Bereiche der Ishimura in Szene gesetzt werden. Der Spieler fühlt sich gejagt und verloren zugleich. Vor allem die Episoden in Schwerelosigkeit und Vakuum sind hierbei Höhepunkte.

Bewaffnung/Gegner

Ein weiterer Pluspunkt von Dead Space ist die Bewaffnung, die der Spieler im Laufe des Spiels zusammentragen kann. Man findet nicht nur konventionelle Projektil- und Strahlenwaffen, sondern auch Arbeitsgeräte wie den Plasmacutter. Man muss nun einmal nehmen was man bekommt, wenn man auf einem Geisterraumschiff von Horden von Monstern gejagt wird. Alle Waffen, sowie der Schutzanzug des Helden, können an bestimmten Stellen des Spiels durch gefundene Energieknoten verbessert werden. Sämtliches Arsenal besitzt neben einem primären auch einen sekundären Feuermodus. Da man erst spät im Spielverlauf den besten Anzug erhält und bis dahin nicht alle Waffen komplett aufgerüstet hat, erhält der Spieler diese beim erneuten Durchspielen zu Beginn. Um nicht zuviel zu veraten, werde ich mich bei der Beschreibung der verschiedenen Gegnertypen zurückhalten. Es sei nur soviel verraten: Es warten die verschiedensten Gegner auf euch und dies massenhaft.

Fazit

Dead Space ist geradlinig. Das Spiel führt einen zielstrebig durch die verschiedenen Etagen der Ishimura. Dem Spieler werden hierbei keine grossen Entscheidungsfreiheiten gelassen. Diese sind jedoch auch nicht nötig. Ich war permanent gespannt, wie sich die Handlung entwickeln wird. Und diese ist im Fall von Dead Space gelungen. Auch wenn man sofort an Filme wie Event Horizon oder Spiele wie System Schock erinnert wird, bleibt sie interessant und gruselig. Durch diverse Audiotapes und Dialoge kommt man dem Schicksal der USG Ishimura und der Ursachen für dieses näher. Wer die Geschichte rund um die Ishimura noch vertiefen möchte, dem sei der Animationsfilm Dead Space: Downfall empfohlen, welcher die Ereignisse beschreibt, die sich vor dem Eintreffen der Kellion zugetragen haben. Ich kann Dead Space nur empfehlen. Der beste Horror-Shooter den ich bisher gespielt habe.

De todas as franquias do estilo survival horror como Resident Evil, Silent Hill e Alone in the Dark, a mais bem sucedida desta geração (pelo menos nos reviews) é sem sombra de dúvidas a criação espacial do mesmo estúdio que atualmente está desenvolvido Dante’s Inferno. Sim, estou falando de Dead Space.

O sucesso do primeiro jogo da nova franquia da Electronic Arts rendeu bons frutos: de acordo com uma das maiores agências mundias de notícias, a Reuters, Dead Space 2 chegará no final de 2010. A notícia foi revelada através de um artigo sobre jogos do estilo survival horror que pode ser acessada aqui. : http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE59T0F020091030?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=11604
A jornalista Belinda Goldsmith cita no artigo: “A Electronic Arts tem um par de jogos de horror para os jogadores. A distribuidora recentemente entregou ‘Dead Space: Extraction’ para Wii, uma sequência do primeiro jogo que saiu para Xbox 360, Playstation 3 e PC. ‘Dead Space 2′ está em desenvolvimento para o próximo ano.”

Agora vamos analisar o rumor: a Electronic Arts tem motivos para lançar um Dead Space 2? Sim, e muitos. A Reuters é uma fonte de notícias confiável? Sim, bastante. Poderia um dos 14.000 funcionários da Reuters estar errado e ter escrito besteira no artigo? Sim, é possível.

Dead Space 2 não é surpresa, mas ser lançado em 2010, aí sim talvez seja.