From/De: EA

EA Brings the Terror to Space in Dead Space 2

“Like so many gamers worldwide, we love the Dead Space franchise and are very excited to announce a new game in the series,” said Nick Earl, Senior VP and Group General Manager at EA. “Visceral Games is quickly becoming known for delivering high-quality, action-packed games. Dead Space 2 is on target to deliver a jaw-dropping experience gamers won’t soon forget.”

“We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapter in Isaac’s journey. The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of necromorphs that need killing!” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.”

Originally launched in 2008, Dead Space quickly became one of EA’s top rated wholly-owned intellectual properties. With close to 100 industry awards and an average critic score of 89*, Dead Space became a hit with horror and videogame fans worldwide. In 2009, EA launched Dead Space Extraction, a prequel to the original Dead Space that expanded the fiction and brought the franchise to a new audience base.

Dead Space 2 is being developed for the PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system and on PC. This product has not yet been rated by ESRB or PEGI. Follow us on twitter at: www.twitter.com/isaacclarke. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deadspace. For additional information and news, visit www.deadspacegame.com.

* According to Gamerankings.com and Metacritic.com

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA(TM), EA SPORTS(TM), EA Mobile(TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, Visceral Games, and Dead Space are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.

Andrew Laughlin – DigitalSpy.com

Electronic Arts has revealed that it plans to bring survival horror series Dead Space to the big screen.

According to Variety, Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso is to helm the science fiction movie, although a writer has yet to be attached.

Once the script is completed, EA intends to offer the property up for bidding from the major studios, potentially as early as this September.

The games developer will oversee the project with Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey from production vehicle Temple Hill, which is also currently working on the Gears Of War film with Epic Games.

This marks the fifth EA title to be transferred into development as a movie, alongside Mass Effect, The Sims, Army Of Two and Dante’s Inferno, with the latter two already being snapped up by Universal Pictures.

Released in October last year, the first Dead Space game saw players take on the role of Isaac Clarke, who must struggle for survival on a deep-space mining ship that is overrun with alien creatures called Necromorphs.

The publisher is currently developing prequel Dead Space: Extraction for the Wii, while a third installment in the franchise is also rumored to be on the way.

Was antwortet man auf die Frage, was einen am meisten an einem Videospiel fesselt? Die Grafik? Ist nicht immer ausschlaggebend. Die explizite Gewaltdarstellung? Mag für einige als Kaufgrund bestimmt hoch im Kurs stehen. Das weiterführende Serviceangebot der Entwickler in Form von sog. “Downloadable Content”, kurz DLC? Es gibt sicherlich Leute die darauf mittlerweile schwören. Oder ist es womöglich doch der ausschweifende Multiplayerpart mit seinen Zillionen an individuell einstellbaren Features und seinem in die Sucht treibenden Rangsystem? Dies ist sogar sehr wahrscheinlich. Und so weiter und so fort. Dieses Spielchen kann man noch eine ganze Weile so fortführen. Kurzum, jeder Spieler mag seinen ganz eigenen Beweggrund haben und manchmal überschneidet sich dieser eben mit dem eines anderen Spielers bzw. von anderen Spielern. Meine persönliche Killerapplikation jedoch , die mich – wenn gut umgesetzt – immer wieder ganz besonders an ein Spiel bindet, ist schlicht und ergreifend die Atmosphäre. Beziehungsweise die dargestellte Authentizität der Spielwelt, welche meiner Meinung nach maßgeblich die Qualität jener Atmosphäre beeinflusst oder besser gesagt, bestimmt.

Leider machten sich solche atmosphärischen Titel in letzter Zeit ziemlich rar. Nicht, dass keine guten Spiele erschienen sind, es fehlte meiner Meinung nach jeodch immer das gewisse Etwas – und zwar Jenes, welches mich dazu bringt, vollends in der Spielwelt zu versinken und ein Spiel nicht als mittelprächtige Zeitverschwendung, sondern in der Tat als interessante – wenn nicht sogar bereichernde – Erfahrung zu betrachten.
Vor geraumer Zeit jedoch stieß ich beim Durchforsten der Spielesammlung eines Freundes auf “Dead Space” für die Xbox 360. Ich hielt anfangs nicht so viel von dem Titel. Erstens, weil das Survival-Horror-Genre abgesehen von “Resident Evil 4 & 5″ nicht so meins ist (zu viel Suspense, zu wenig Action) und zweitens, weil es von Electronic Arts (EA) kam und die meisten der zuletzt erschienenen Titel dieser Firma halbherzig heruntergekurbelte Fortsetzungen gewesen sind. Aber “Dead Space” sollte meine Voreingenommenheit gegenüber der seelenlosen Branchenkrake EA – welche ihre Fangarme nämlich besonders gern nach kleinen bis mittelständischen Entwicklerstudios ausstreckt, welche sich kurz zuvor durch einen Erfolg in der Branche hervorgetan haben – Lügen strafen: Sie können doch noch ganz eigenständig großartige Spiele produzieren.

Also zur Story: Wir befinden uns in der (nicht all zu fernen) Zukunft. Die Menschheit hat das , was sie anscheinend seit jeher am zweitbesten kann, auf das Weltall expandiert: Das Ausbeuten von Rohstoffen (ein wenig Zynismus muss schon sein). Und zwar im ganz großen Stil: Riesige Metallkolosse, die sog. Abbauschiffe, treiben durchs All und fördern ganze Planeten ab, bis die Rohstoffkammern gefüllt und die Himmelskörper nur noch als ausgehöhlte Schatten ihrer selbst zurückbleiben.
Wie es die Handlung nun möchte, hat das größte Abbauschiff seiner Klasse, die USG Ishimura, scheinbar ein Problem, da die Crew ein Notsignal ausgesendet hatte, wonach jedoch keine Kommunikation mit dem Schiff mehr möglich gewesen ist. Diese mysteriöse Situation ruft natürlich einen Untersuchungstrupp auf den Plan, unter dessen Mitgliedern sich auch der Protagonist des Spiels Isaac Clarke, seines Zeichens Ingenieur, befindet. Findige Science-Fiction-Kenner werden nun schon vielleicht bemerkt haben, dass es sich bei dem Namen Isaac Clarke um eine Namensverbindung der beiden weltberühmten Autoren Isaac Asimov (u.a. “I, Robot”) und Arthur C. Clarke (u.a. “2001: A Space Odyssey”) handelt. Nur so als kleine, interessante Info am Rande. Jedenfalls ist dieser in erster Linie damit beauftragt worden, das defekte Kommunikationssystem der Ishimura zu reparieren, jedoch ist er ebenfalls daran interessiert, herauszufinden, wie es um das Wohl seiner ehemaligen Freundin Nicole steht, welche bisher auf der Ishimura stationiert gewesen ist. Das Spiel beginnt nämlich auch mit einer beunruhigenden Hologramm-Botschaft dieser, während man im Hintergrund auf subtil beeindruckende Art und Weise den Anflug auf die geradezu lächerlich große USG Ishimura durch ein Panoramafenster hindurch bewundern darf. Nach einem äußerst holprigen Andockmanöver findet man sich schließlich auch an Bord der USG Ishimura wieder – einer scheinbar vollkommen verlassenen USG Ishimura. Jedoch währt dieser Zustand nicht lange, denn plötzlich wird der Suchtrupp von blutrünstigen Wesen angegriffen und fast komplett aufgerieben. Ich möchte nicht zu viel verraten, aber um noch eines vorweg zu nehmen: Es stellt sich ziemlich schnell heraus, dass es sich bei diesen Missgeburten doch tatsächlich um die grausam entstellten Crewmitglieder der Ishimura handelt. Ab da beginnt jedenfalls ein höllischer Kampf ums Überleben, der gespickt ist mit solch illustren Dingen wie Meuterei, Intrigen, einer Sekte, kranken Experimenten, einem außerirdischen Artefakt und mit einem fullminanten Showdown in der Höhle des Löwen endet. Kurzum, “Dead Space” ist eine wahrlich fabulös furchteinflößende Tour de Force!

Aber um nun wieder den Bogen zur eingangs erwähnten Atmosphäre zu spannen: Da ich in diesem Zusammenhang nun so ausschweifend über “Dead Space” berichtet habe, liegt es wohl auf der Hand, dass ich jedem weismachen möchte, dass dieser Titel eine wirklich beispielhafte Performance auf diesem Gebiet abliefert. Zum einen ist da die homogene Spielewelt, die sich durch einen glaubwürdigen Hintergrund und ein sehr passendes Design hervortut: Die Menschheit besteht nicht aus einer neuen Generation von Globetrottern, die im geleasten Millenium Falcon per Lichtgeschwindikeit fröhlich von annektiertem Planet zu Planet jetten. Sie versucht einfach nur den immens gesteigerten Bedarf zu decken, um zu überleben. Und daher ist es nachvollziehbar, dass die althergebrachte Form der Rohstoffernte mithilfe der vorhandenen Technik über kurz oder lang auf den Weltraum ausgeweitet worden ist. Dem entsprechend macht auch das Design der Spielwelt einen äußerst authentischen Eindruck, angefangen bei der Kleidung, über die Waffen, bis hin zur Inneneinrichtung und dem Aussehen der USG Ishimura selbst: Pragmatismus steht im Vordergrund und man gewinnt den Eindruck, dass jeder Gegenstand mit seiner jeweiligen Zweckmäßigkeit im Hinterkopf geschaffen worden ist, ohne dabei auch nur im Ansatz in das überzogen esoterisch angehauchte Feng Shui-Design eines “Star Wars” abzudriften.
In Bezug auf die Atmosphäre ist natürlich auch zu erwähnen, dass ” Dead Space” es gekonnt schafft, ein bedrückendes Gefühl der Isolation zu kreieren: Der Spielablauf ist sehr stringent ausgefallen, auch der Spielrhythmus verhält sich – abgesehen vom Ende – ähnlich. Issac erkundet die einzelnen Bereiche der hühnenhaften Ishimura (das Schiff hat seine eigenes Monorailsystem, genug gesagt) allein. Nur zu bestimmten Anlässen trifft er seine übrigen Teammitglieder oder andere wenige Personen, ansonsten unterbrechen nur teils eingehende Funksprüche oder verstreute Audiologs die vorherrschende tödliche Stille in den Eingeweiden des Abbauschiffes. Meistens ist stockfinster, manchmal zuckt noch eine defekte Neonröhre, andernorts wird man in gleißendes Licht getaucht und von Lärm übermannt, vielerorts findet man entstellte Leichen und blutige Botschaften, die einstige Sterilität des Schiffes lässt sich unter dem ganzen Chaos und der Zerstörung nur noch erahnen. Dann öffnet sich plötzlich eine massive Schleuse und man tritt hinaus in die Schwerelosigkeit des Alls, alle Klänge werden verschluckt bis nur noch angestrengtes Atmen durch die Boxen schallt. Aber die Waffe ist immer im Anschlag (bei mir jedenfalls), denn auch im Vakuum des Weltraums könnte hinter jeder Ecke und in jedem Schacht ein ekelhaftes Monster lauern.
Besondere Erwähnung verdienen auch die bereits angesprochenen Audiologs der ehemaligen Crewmitglieder, von denen eine Vielzahl auf der USG Ishimura zu finden sind. Sie bereichern nämlich auf ihre ganz eigene Art und Weise die trostlose Atmosphäre, indem sie teils wirklich beklemmende Einzelschicksale wiedergeben: Da wäre beispielsweise ein einfacher Techniker, der sich auf die verzweifelte Suche nach seiner Freundin begibt und zu dem man unweigerlich eine Bindung aufbaut, da Isaac ja ebenfalls seine Freundin finden will. Während man nun also an verschiedenen Stellen im Spiel weitere Nachrichten von diesem findet, man folglich seinen Weg rekonstruiert, wird einem leider klar, dass der Techniker immer mehr der Angst und dem Pessimismus verfallen ist, sich die Spur im Sande verlaufen hat und dass er und seine Freundin mit an Sicherheit grenzender Wahrscheinlichkeit bereits tot sind oder noch viel schlimmer – sich ebenfalls in Monster verwandelt haben.
Ein anderes Mal wird Isaac Zeuge, wie sich ein weiteres Crewmitglied der USG Ishimura bei laufendem Aufnahmegerät selbt die Gliedmaßen abtrennt, damit es im Falle einer Verwandlung keinen Schaden mehr anrichten kann. Starker Tobak – aber definitiv stimmig! Und diese beiden Beispiele stellen gerade einmal die Spitze des Eisberges dar.
Zu guter Letzt bleibt noch ein wichtiger Aspekt, der ebenfalls seinen Teil zur ganz besonderen Atmosphäre von “Dead Space” beiträgt: Man wird schlicht und ergreifend zu keiner Zeit aus dem Spielfluß gerissen. Zum einen gibt es keine Sequenzen im herkömmlichen Sinne, vielmehr finden wichtige Ereignisse der Handlung gescriptet statt, sodass man in ihnen zu jeder Zeit die Kontrolle über Isaac – oder zumindest die Kamera – behält. Und zum anderen gibt es keine überladenen Bildschirmanzeigen (HUD): Die wichtigen Anzeigen, wie Lebensenergie etc., sind nämlich klugerweise in das Design der Kleidung bzw. der Waffen integriert worden, sodass man immer nur einen Blick auf Isaac werfen muss, um zu wissen, wie es um alles steht und da man diesen aufgrund der Schulterperspektive sowieso immer gut im Blick hat, ist man automatisch zu jeder Zeit bestens informiert. Inventar und Karte werden übrigens ebenfalls im laufenden Spiel als Hologramm eingeblendet. Jedoch kann man sich das Lesen der Karte getrost sparen, da “Dead Space” – ohne zu übertreiben – über die bis dato beste Orientierungshilfe, die es jemals in einem Videospiel zu finden gab, verfügt: Einfach den rechten Stick gedrückt, schon wird die korrekte Route holografisch und punktgenau im laufenden Spiel eingeblendet – auch wenn man mal kopfüber im Vakuum hängen sollte.

So, abschließend bleibt mir eigentlich nur noch eins zu tun, nämlich “Dead Space” das wohlverdiente Prädikat “außerordentlich spielenswert” aufzudrücken, denn bei diesem Titel handelt es sich mit Fug und Recht um eine der eingangs erwähnten bereichernden Erfahrungen im Videospielsektor. Ach ja, Grafik und Sound habe ich bei dieser Spielbesprechnung bewusst außen vor gelassen, da es mir ja in erster Linie um die Atmosphäre des Titels ging. Aber keine Sorge, liebe Grafikfetischisten da draußen (zu denen ich ja eigentlich selbst gehöre): Grafisch und klanglich spielt “Dead Space” nach wie vor in der Oberliga mit – und das, obwohl der Titel bereits fast ein Jahr auf dem Buckel hat.
Also, nichts wie ran an die Konsole oder den PC und selbst ausprobieren!

P.S.: Ich habe natürlich keine geringen außerordentlichen Mühen gescheut und den Launch Trailer zu “Dead Space” zu Tage gefördert, damit ihr euch schon einmal einen kleinen Eindruck von der großartigen Atmosphäre des Spiels machen könnt. Und ja, der Trailer ist doch tatsächlich mit Musik von Sigur Rós unterlegt. Und das passt sogar noch wirklich gut. Famos! Also, Hut ab und ab dafür!

Dead Space Isaac Clarke (Unitology suit)

Here is another exclusive that NECA will be offering at San Diego Comic Con 2009.

Features LED Lights on the mask and spine. Over 20 points of Articulation. Includes Unitology version of the Cutter weapon (not pictured). Figure features unique deco to re-create his Unitology Suit from the Dead Space video game.

Toy Anxiety Disclaimer: We are listing on our blog the various San Diego Comic-Con 2009 exclusives that are being reported by the manufacturers and other forums. This does not guarantee Toy Anxiety will have any of these figures in stock or be able to obtain these figures. Please check with Dan at our store for availability at customerservice@toyanxiety.com.

(Courtesy of Figures.com)

There are a great deal of amazing online games you can play with your mates *coughs* Killzone 2 *coughs* on your PS3.

While these are often really rewarding experiences it’s true that sometimes you just fancy going solo, staying ’signed out’ and hitting some single-player action. Or you haven’t got the internet (Andrew (@shandation) I’m looking at you).

So for those of you looking for something a bit more story based that you can enjoy on your own here is my list of the top 10 best single player games:

10) MIRROR’S EDGE

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

Obviously a lot of games have a first person viewpoint but most of these are ’shooters’ whereas Mirror’s Edge is more of a parkour style run and jump adventure.

The game takes place in a slightly futuristic setting, in a city that is totally controlled by the government. They keep tabs on the general population by using surveillance cameras and tracking all forms of electronic communication.

You take on the role on Faith, a “Runner”, who uses rooftops and other means to help deliver physical messages between revolutionary groups within the city. Following on from a set of dramatic events Faith finds herself being hunted by the authorities and has to try to stop the government silencing her.

The perspective 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.

9) RAINBOW SIX VEGAS

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.

You play as Logan Keller a member of the elite Rainbow Six team. Initially sent into a small Mexican border town to flush out a terrorist ringleader. Soon after your escapades south of the border you’re deployed to Las Vegas where a new terrorist threat is imminent.

This game is a lot more tactical than your average fps, for the majority of the game you’ll have two AI teammates with you who you can order to move into position and even get them to ’stack up’ (ie get ready to enter) at unopened doors.

And you’ll need all the help you can get. This isn’t an easy game and Ubisoft have gone for a more realistic tone. You’re probably looking at two shots before death and it’s possible for enemies to catch you with a headshot and kill you with one bullet.

Luckily your team mates are pretty intelligent and commanding them isn’t a problem.

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

8 ) KANE AND LYNCH

The first of two, in my opinion, vastly underrated PS3 games that make this list.

While not setting the world on fire and suffering from some control/camera issues Kane and Lynch was a brilliant gaming experience.

You take control of Adam ‘Kane’ Marcus, a criminal on his way to death row for crimes committed in Venezuela. 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…

My full review is available here: http://greghorrorshow.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/lynch-do-this-lynch-do-that-lynch-stop-murdering-the-hostages/

While this game is fairly linear some of the set pieces are really impressive, the bank job and the jailbreak spring to mind immediately as stand out levels.

You can pick this up for as little as £14.99 pre-owned and it’s certainly worth a play through.

7) HEAVENLY SWORD

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

I played this a while after it came out and wasn’t really effected by the previous hype so I really enjoyed it.

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.

Heavenly Sword tells the story of Nariko, a brutal female warrior whose clan protects the “Heavenly Sword”, a sword from the god’s that actually drains the life from whoever uses it. King Bohan, ruler of the land, wants to get the sword and use it for his own means.

The battles are frantic, often with hundreds of soldiers onscreen at once and the cut scenes have some of the best production values I’ve ever seen.

Heavenly Sword has a great story but is fairly short by game standards – you’re probably looking at around 5-6 hours to finish it however they will be a fun filled few hours!

6) ASSASSIN’S CREED

Assassin’s Creed is the story of bartender Desmond Miles who is kidnapped by a nameless company and awakens to find himself strapped into a machine (The Animus) that unlocks deeply buried memories from Desmond’s ancestors that are intertwined within Desmond’s DNA.

The memory they are interested in is of a man called Altair, an assassin around the year 1191 in the Holy Land.

Effectively you play through Desmond’s memories as Altair (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.

The only problem I had with this game was the initial scouting – you cannot progress into certain areas (your memory is blocked ) until you have scaled a huge building and surveyed the surrounding area. I found this a bit boring and repetitive however you must stick with the game past this part to get the best of it.

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

5) KILLZONE 2

Don’t need to say much about this game really, my review can be found here: http://greghorrorshow.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/killzone-2-review-ps3/

The multi-player is what everyone has concentrated on and rightly so, however the solo mode is definitely worth playing.

The cinematics are brilliant and some of the set pieces really do feel like you’re there.

While it might not have the best storyline ever written if you have a PS3, whether you plan on getting online or not, this is an essential purchase.

4) GTA IV

One the biggest selling games of this generation GTA IV features the fortunes (and lack thereof) 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.

The amount of things you can do in GTA IV is mind boggling but never feels overwhelming.

Once you get the hang of the aim and cover systems you will be blasting your way round the city in no time.

This is one of those games you really have to play to believe. The way the world carries on around you, the overheard conversations of other pedestrians, the fact you could play this game for hours experiencing new things without even touching the missions.

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.

3) METAL GEAR SOLID 4

Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Magnum Opus of the PS3.

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

Metal Gear Solid 4 is set seven years after the events of the 2nd game (Metal Gear Solid 3 having been a prequel) and sees Snake back in action – but this time as an old man. Because of his accelerated aging process (play the other three games to find out why ) we find ourselves playing as a hero who is, I suspect, about 60.

Obviously this doesn’t really hamper him too much apart from the odd moan about his back giving him jip and where the previous games featured mainly stealth, Metal Gear 4 allows you to be a bit more gung ho.

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

One thing about the story is that the cut scenes can be long – and I mean long. Some of them clocked in well over half an hour and obviously that’s a fair while to just sit watching.

But this is one game that 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.

2) DEAD SPACE

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.

Full review of the game here: http://greghorrorshow.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/dead-space-review/

Needless to say this was one of the best games I played last year and it deserves to be above both GTA IV and Metal Gear 4 for its storytelling and atmospheric setting.

The 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.

1) UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE

Nathan Drake, the character you control, is an explorer and treasure hunter.

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

Initial impressions article here: http://greghorrorshow.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/uncharted-drakes-fortune-quality/

I still maintain this is possibly the best PS3 game I have played as an overall experience.

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.

There is no reason for anyone not to buy this as it’s now in the platinum range (£19.99) and can actually be bought online for as little as £14.99. Get it.. now!

So there you have it.

This list is obviously based on stuff I have played and enjoyed so there are bound to be a few great games missing (Bioshock, which I must get at some stage, Call Of Duty (although again I’ve heard that is stronger in multi-player?) and Resi Evil 5 but I’ve only played a couple of levels of that so far).

I have to give an honourable mention as well to Fallout 3 – I am nowhere near finishing this as the game is absolutely huge with tons to do and lots of different ways for your character to affect the story. If you’re looking for a game to get lost in for ages, as opposed to the usual 8-12 hours, I would give this a thumbs up.

The list above was formed with shorter bursts of gaming in mind and with a view to gamers who’d rather finish a few 10 hour games than start four or five 30+ hour games and never get to the end of them!

Feel free to add any games you’ve enjoyed in the comments that might have been left off the list.

EA Announces Dead Space Extraction Exclusive for the Wii

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed Dead Space™ Extraction, an all-new chapter from the studio that delivered the award-winning action-horror Dead Space game. Built from the ground up and developed exclusively for the Wii™, Dead Space Extraction is a prequel that reveals the events leading up to Isaac Clarke’s mission on the USG Ishimura in the original Dead Space game released in 2008. Dead Space Extraction will marry the innovative motion controls of the Wii Remote with a frenetic first person perspective to create a new action-packed horror experience.

Dead Space Extraction tells the story of a handful of space colonists desperately struggling to escape from a horrific infection on the Aegis VII mining colony deep in the furthest regions of space. The game introduces a new heroine to the fiction and as the crew fall victim to a mysterious contagion aboard the ship, it becomes clear that protecting her may be their only hope for survival. Dead Space Extraction introduces all new characters, weapons, enemies, puzzles and co-operative multiplayer gameplay.

“We could not be more excited to extend Dead Space into an experience exclusive to the Wii. Nintendo has a wonderful history in the horror genre and we are thrilled to build on that tradition with Dead Space Extraction,” said Glen Schofield, VP and General Manager of EA Redwood Shores studio. “As we were developing Dead Space, we realized that there was so much of the story going untold. Dead Space Extraction tells that story with all of the intensity, blood and gore that fans would expect.”

Dead Space Extraction is an EA Redwood Shores title and is scheduled to ship in Fall 2009. This product has not yet rated by ESRB or PEGI.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS Freestyle™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO and Dead Space are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

(Now THIS is a fucking cover, goddamnit.)

Produced and developed by EA Games. Cast and Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1267296/fullcredits#cast

One of “Doom 3″’s many flaws was that it never provided you with enough reason to finish it. The story could be summed up in three words: “Hell Invades Mars”. The dialogue was shitty and the scares were ridiculously predictable – every vent and hole in the floor gave them away about a minute before they happened. And now, with the latest “Silent Hill”, “Homecoming”, having sucked even at the series’ specialty, the story, the horror genre in gaming was well on its way to kingdom fuck.

Enter EA Games and its fabulous “Dead Space”.

I wouldn’t have expected a game like this from EA, since violent horror is not what they’re famous for. The team responsible for putting this game together should form a subcompany within EA, because they’re just too talented not to. I don’t remember the last time I loved a game with a completely silent protagonist (no, I did not love Half-Life 2 – I just liked it).

The future has arrived. Earth’s resources are gone, but there’s a whole universe’s worth of planets to explore and suck dry. Having mastered space travel, the human species created the procedure known as planet crack – where the planet in question is broken in order to form a ring of debris around it, which can be mined for resources (this concept is probably writer Warren Ellis’ doing – he was involved in early stages of production and this sounds like him). That’s when the greatest planetcracker ship of them all, the USG Ishimura, loses communications with other stations. Assuming it’s a mere comms problem, a crew is sent to do the necessary repairs. You are systems engineer Isaac Clarke – a silent man who not only is the one who knows how to fix comms but also wants to find someone very important to him in the ship, Nicole, who sent him a desperate message from the Ishimura. But when the Ishimura does not help with the docking procedure, Isaac’s ship crashlands on the hangar. Upon further investigation, the crew finds out, in the worst way possible, that it’s far from a mere comms problem: it’s an alien infection that drove mad and killed everyone in the Ishimura and brought them back as zombies known as Necromorphs. Isaac and two survivors, Sgt. Hammond and Kendra, try making it back to the ship, but it’s destroyed by the necromorphs, leaving them stranded in a huge, broken and infected planetcracker.

The game cleverly makes the most out of this premise. The necromorphs are fascinating enemies with a disturbing life cycle. Their methods to infect human hosts are tremendously cruel: causing severe dementia on them, so they will eventually kill themselves – which is when the alien virus can act and use the corpses to breed new lifeforms. There are several kinds of necromorphs, all of them with their strenghts and weaknesses. There’s even babies, necromorphed into tentacled, wall-crawling little beasts. And none of them can be killed with a headshot. This is where “Dead Space”’s true genius comes in: in order to kill the necromorphs, you have to dismember them. You can kill them by shooting their torso, yes – but you’ll waste an entire clip of ammo. Aim for the limbs, and they’ll be slowed down until death. And fortunately, the right analog stick has been perfectly calibrated by EA – aiming with it is surprisingly easy and intuitive.

But how does a system engineer hold his own against hordes of necromorphs? Isaac is no soldier – he’s a techie. But he needs to find Nicole above all else, so he uses mining equipment – plasma cutters, force energy, line guns – as weapons. Designed to cut asteroids, mining equipment proves to be an efficient weapon against the necromorphs, and Isaac knows how to handle it. Most of your objectives revolve around fixing things, since Isaac is an engineer – but this is always done differently, with new enemies or in a varied context in order to keep the game fresh – and a GPS system ensures you never get lost. Just press R3 and a line will be displayed showing you where to go next. Isaac’s health points and other information are NOT displayed in a HUD – the developers incorporated all that information in-game: the health is in Isaac’s back, his inventory is projected holographically in front of him, as are the video messages from Hammond or Kendra (the game never pauses, therefore never breaking the tension). There’s also two futuristic concepts Isaac uses to his favor – Stasis, the limited ability to slow things down (which helps solving environmental puzzles and fighting fast enemies) and Kinesis, that manipulates objects like the gravity gun in “Half-Life 2″.

So the question is: how does a mute protagonist ever become important to the player?

This is where “Half-Life” fucked up. Silent protagonists have the personality of a bucket of shit. It’s infuriating to see people monologuing with them as if they’re somehow telepathically answering. But surprisingly, it works well in “Dead Space” because as silent as Isaac is – he feels human. We hear his nervous breathing, his moans of pain when hurt. From the excellent third person perspective, we see him move and shoot. You can trade items in Ishimura’s store, and buy yourself new armor and new weapons with credits from fallen enemies (which were previously human and therefore had money with them). And there’s a workbench which you can use to upgrade your weapons, your oxygen supply (there are gameplay sequences out in space – and they are fantastic) and overall health. And the secondary characters are interesting enough to make up for his muteness. Sgt. Hammond is captivating in his courage and dedication to saving you and Kendra. Kendra also is in her fear of the necromorphs and her desperation to find someone to blame – in this case, Hammond.

In fact, “Dead Space”’s story is very well-written and coherent – proving once again games are a new artform. The plot twists are surprising and the one in the ending is incredibly touching and powerful. The game touches on religious subtexts like fanatism (“Unitology” sounds like a reference to “Scientology”) and creates a threatening villain out of it, Dr. Mercer. The developers have a huge notion of cinema, creating a hostile, disturbing environment within the Ishimura and some sequences that can only be described as “fucking awesome”. With several ventilation ducts on the walls, you never know from which a necromorph can come out of – and often, not a single one does, or if it does it falls from the ceiling right in your face: the game plays with your expectations and usually succeeds to surprise you. There’s some flaws, like Necromorphs playing dead (you can easily make them out among real human corpses and shoot them before they rise), but the developing team has a great sense of timing and knows when to put you into combat and when not to.

In fact, “Dead Space” is more disturbing than it is scary. The game makes you feel uneasy in its cruelty – like shooting a necromorphed baby in zero gravity and watching it float, blood spurting out of his severed limbs, while its innocent face is intact and staring blankly ahead. Or seeing a shadow up ahead in the end of a corridor, and finding out its a human who went mad and is hitting his head repeatedly against the wall while giggling – until you come too close, when he finally hits the wall too hard and breaks his head open, falling dead on the floor. There are several moments like this – one of the saddest ones is when a character dies gruesomely right in front of you, when you are unable to do anything to help.

And even if the horror doesn’t work with you, “Dead Space” still works wonderfully as an action game: the boss fights are insane, with enormous beasts that you fight in several different manners. Always avoiding repetition, the game has many moments that awe you silly – like a sequence involving Isaac, a turret and another ship that has received a distress call from the Ishimura.

Visually, “Dead Space” is magnificent – it has one of the most inspired art directions I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in games. The necromorphs are brilliantly designed in their several races, and watching a corpse turning into a necromorph in a real-time, unscripted event is incredible. The USG Ishimura itself is beautiful from the outside and terrifying from the inside: the previously well-lit corridors and mess halls are now dark and claustrophobic due to the severe damage the ship suffered – but you can still see nostalgic traces of how life used to be before the infection (audio and text logs scattered throughout the level also help with this).

Isaac himself is a work of art. With realistic animation and an unique look, controlling him is a pleasure. Even in zero gravity sequences, it’s easy to move him around and jump from a surface to the next. The game has some interactive cutscenes like a tentacle appearing out of nowhere and pulling you toward a hole, and you need to shoot the tentacle dead before you get there (this happens more than once). All of this is rendered with beautiful lighting effects – and it’s simply phenomenal to fight alien lifeforms in the command bridge, with asteroids floating beyond the window and casting shadows on the floor, with the planet in the background. In the PS3, I didn’t experience framerate problems even once – gameplay bugs were also pretty much absent, showing how much careful optimisation and polishing this game went through before being released.

The sound design lives up to the visuals, with exceptional voice acting and sound effects – like the scream of a necromorph that stays glued to the wall while spurting out eggs. When you are in the vacuum, Isaac’s breathing becomes loud while all the outside effects almost vanish – which creates a powerful atmosphere. The music is a bit generic and bends over to some horror movie cliches, but does its job well.

Disturbing, fun and surprisingly long for a linear game, “Dead Space” is a masterpiece of modern gaming. Even if I wasn’t a space junkie, I’d still have loved it for the compelling story and masterful gameplay. It’s a truly unique experience that also manages to make references to several science fiction films like “Alien” without losing its own identity. Why do you think the protagonist is named “Isaac Clarke”?

Guildford, UK – November 10, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that the critically acclaimed Dead Space™ will be releasing premium upgrade packs* to provide the game hero, Isaac Clarke, an everyday systems engineer, with the ultimate Necromorph-dismembering equipment in his fight for survival aboard the space-traveling USG Ishimura. Players can experience the glory of strategic dismemberment November 13 on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace worldwide and the PLAYSTATION®Store** in Europe. These premium upgrade packs will be available on the PLAYSTATION Store worldwide November 20.

Winner of over 23 critic awards and boasting a score of 89 on Metacritic.com, Dead Space delivers the ultimate in psychological thrills and gruesome action. It is a bold and often-bloody sci-fi survival horror game set 500 years in the future. The innovative combat in the game calls for intense gore and character dismemberment that can be experienced even further with these premium upgrade packs.

The complete list of upgrade packs include:
• Astronaut Pack: Download the Astronaut Suit and Weapon Skin Pack, featuring an amazing Astronaut Suit and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper!
• 240 MS points

• Big Gun Pack: Download the Steam Punk Force Gun, the ultimate in Necromorph-killing destruction.
• 80 MS points

• Heavy Damage Pack: Download the Heavy Damage Weapon pack featuring a cool new look and massive firepower for the Plasma Cutter, Contact Beam, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper.
• 240 MS points

• Hot Rod Pack: Download the Hot Rod Weapon Skin Pack, featuring awesome flame graphics for the Flamethrower and Pulse Rifle.
• 80 MS points

• Military Pack: Download the Military Weapon Pack for a new look and enhanced power for all 7 Dead Space weapons.
• 320 MS points

• Pedestrian Pack: Download the Pedestrian Weapon Skin Pack, featuring a fresh new look for the Contact Beam, Plasma Cutter, and Ripper.
• 120 MS points

• Scorpion Pack: Download the Scorpion Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun, all decorated in an awesome red Scorpion Skin.
• 320 MS points

• Scorpion Weapon Pack: Download the Scorpion Weapon Pack featuring a faster death-dealing Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun in awesome red skins.
• 180 MS points

• Speed Kills Pack: Download the Speed Kills Weapon Pack! Includes faster-firing Force Gun, Line Gun, and Plasma Cutter.
• 180 MS points

• Tank Pack: Download the Tank Pack featuring an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Flamethrower, Force Gun, and Line Gun, all covered in Unitology script.
• 320 MS points

PLAYSTATION®3 Exclusive Packs:

• Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack: Download the exclusive Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Includes weapon skins in jet-black PLAYSTATION 3 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle.

• Obsidian Pack: Download the exclusive Obsidian Suit and Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the PLAYSTATION®3! Includes an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle, all in jet-black PLAYSTATION®3 colors.

Xbox 360®-Exclusive Packs:

• Elite Weapon Skin Pack: Download the exclusive Elite Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system! Includes weapon skins in Xbox 360 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle.
• 120 MS points

• Elite Pack: Download the exclusive Elite Suit and Weapon Skin Pack now, available only for the Xbox 360! Includes an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle in Xbox 360 colors.
• 240 MS points

Developed at EA Redwood Shores, Dead Space is rated M for Mature with descriptors of Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language by the ESRB and 18+ for PEGI. Dead Space is now available for MSRP £49.99 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and MSRP £34.99 for the PC. For more information about the game, go to the website at http://www.deadspacegame.com or http://info.ea.com.

Dead Space Review

It’s amazing what you can do with some darkness,

outer-space, & crazy amounts of morphed humans

By GrathiusXR

©2008 Arthur Kotsopoulos:

Dead Space: A review about Outer Space and Aliens, perhaps 2 of the most overused concepts in video game history. They are concepts that are almost always poorly executed, always cliched, and always over the top in every way. Yet somehow EA Redwood have managed to take these 2 concepts, mix them together and craft a truly unbelievable experience.

From the opening cutscene in where you first set eyes on the huge mining vessel the Planet Cracker: USG Ishimura, on-which just about all of the game takes place, you know that you are going to be in for one heck of a disturbing and gut wrenching ride. You play as Isaac Clarke, an engineer that works for a giant mining company with various mining ships stationed throughout the galaxy.

After receiving a distress call from the USG Ishimura you, along with Kendra Daniels, Zach Hammond, and 2 others of the C.E.C, set out on the assumption that the ship is having certain mechanical failures, but oh how wrong you all were.

From the moment that you attempt to dock the ship things take a turn for the worst, the ships pilot makes a crucial decision in trying to land, which pays out and everyone makes it out safe. In a sense this intro sort of feels similar to the intro to Doom 3. Except instead of things going smooth and right, everything goes horribly wrong and disastrous for all concerned.

Click on any image for larger full rez view:

5 minutes into the first level, you are all of a sudden separated from the rest of the team in a thrilling and intense chase as you try to escape from what you shall be encountering throughout the whole game, Necromorphs. These creatures are infected crew of the ship and their origins at first are unknown.

These creatures are agile, thin and furious. You find out right after the chase how to battle these creatures and it isn’t’ the typical shoot them X amount of times and thank you very much – you’re dead – Oh no, not so easy. “Dismemberment”, it is the only way to defeat them and the games main topic of choice. Dead Space is all about dismemberment, you can shoot them so many times in the body and they just won’t die.

Shoot both their legs off however and they start crawling towards you, shoot both their arms off instead and they will barge directly at you. The Necromorphs AI is that of the highest regard in a sense of they will work with what they have. Ammo is scarce throughout the levels so thought and strategy plays a great deal when encountering the Necromorphs, and in the later stages you encounter different variations which means you need to reconfigure your game plan.

Check out the initial entry and investigation: But keep a towel handy

Now these creatures didn’t just happen to pop their ugly faces out of nowhere. There is a very mysterious reason as to how they happened to be. EA take a page from the iD/Doom 3, 2K/Bioshock book and fleshed out the story through audio/video/text logs that are scattered throughout each level. Finding these logs is pretty easy and will extend your knowledge on what exactly is happening on the ship.

Along with these logs are ammo, health and recharge packs which are always understandably helpful, as there are times where you shall be very low on ammo and will have to either run away or melee your way to defeat the enemy.

This game rewards exploration. While the whole ship isn’t open to explore in the one level there are multiple paths that you can take to obtain ammo and such. So the game rewards you for exploring the ship, which is great.

Along with exploring there is a store that you encounter near the beginning of each level where you can buy ammo, different weapons, health packs and also air cans for when you participate in the zero gravity (Zero G) levels. Which are a nice touch to differentiate the gameplay. Schematics are scattered throughout each level as well, which unlock new things to buy at the store such as higher suit levels that grant greater armour, inventory slots, and different types of ammo.

Benches are scattered through each level that grant you the ability to use you power nodes found while exploring to upgrade aspects of your weapon, suit and 2 powers: stasis and kinsesis. Upgrade your health, weapon damage, reload time, duration of your stasis. Trust me, you will need to in the later stages as everything gets harder and a “lot” more frantic.

While all these are good and well, my main strife with the game is the fact that on a few missions you are required to backtrack to places you have already been to. This for me makes me feel that the Ishimura isn’t as big as it is made out to be. Luckily it’s the only thing wrong with the game as everything else with the game is perfect.

The audio is of the highest quality. Play the game using 5.1 and you can hear your characters heartbeat, you can hear the scratching in the vents you can hear everything. The graphics in this game are probably the best that i have seen in a long time, who said the Xbox 360 reached it’s peak ages ago?  The detail put into each character, enemy, and the environment is just amazing. Everything has been crafted to perfection.

No matter how hard you try to look you will not find anything wrong with this game. Even the HUD has been ingeniously crafted into the game. Your health meter is a tube that runs down your back, ammo is shown on the actual gun, pressing the Y button or the Back button brings up a holographic menu which has a map, inventory, current mission objectives and all the logs you have found.

It shows that EA Redwood have taken time and effort to make sure that this game is the best horror survival game out on the market, everything about it is just perfect. If easily offers over 10 hours of game time, and the fact that you are able to carry over all your previous game upgrades to a new game allows you to play again and will deepen your understanding of the story.

Dead Space isn’t for the light hearted, the level of gore involved is satisfying and will excite those hardcore fans, the storyline is fleshed out and isn’t cliched and there are new surprises in each level as you progress that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A game that truly must be experienced and a game that just may be the sleeper hit and GOTY for 2008.

More Dead Space Videos to check out:

“9.5/10

©2008 Arthur Kotsopoulos:

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Dead Space é a nova aposta da EA para esta geração. No melhor estilo “survivor horror” você estará na pele de Isaac Clarke, engenheiro em uma missão de reparos no sistema de comunicação de uma nave de mineração. No entanto, ele descobre que a tripulação foi afetada por uma infestação alienígena.

Tudo que foi divulgado do jogo até agora me agradou muito, principalmente a parte de não possuir informações na tela (sem barra de life e/ou munição). Apesar de morrer de medo de jogos de terror/suspense (um dia eu ainda termino Comdemned) me esforçarei ao máximo pra terminar este jogo.

Dead Space está previsto para ser lançado em 31 de Outubro (Halloween lá nos EUA). Fiquem então com a box art desse jogo que promete…