Dead Space Extraction Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 6th November 2009

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We get extracted to dead space?

Dead Space Extraction Details:

	First Person Shooter
	Nintendo Wii
	Visceral Games
	EA Games

18+

Out Now

1-2

I'm a big Dead Space fan, so it came as something of a surprise to me when EA announced that the next game in the franchise would be appearing on the Wii. A platform, mature games have struggled to make a foothold on. So can the Dead Space franchise make the transition to this family orientated console or will the risk EA have taken be too great?

Serving as a prequel to the original game, Dead Space Extraction tells the story of a group of survivors from the Aegis VII mining colony as they struggle to escape and survive on board the deep space mining ship USG Isimura. As you would expect from a franchise making the leap to a vastly different platform, Dead Space Extraction features some significant differences to the original game. Firstly the game is set in the first person perspective, and plays like an old arcade shooter. As in you have no control over the direction or speed you move at and can only look around in a very limited area. For me as a fan of the original game, this was slightly disappointing as it completely removes the exploration element that worked so well in Dead Space, it also means you can’t move out of the way as the various Necromorphs march towards you, which can often result in you taking significant amounts of damage. Something that becomes a little more than annoying at times.

Another major difference with Extraction is that the game places you in the roles of several different characters so you get to play the story from different perspectives, however for me this does hinder the games immersion factor as the switches don’t happen on a per chapter basis like in other games that use this formula but rather after prolonged play when you’ve already made a connection to your character! Although having said that you do get to go back and play as the games main character, Nathan McNeill a P-Sec detective from the Aegis VII mining colony. I understand what the developers were trying to achieve by placing the player into various different roles but I can’t help feel all it serves to do is to detract from the games story. The game does reveal a lot of the back story leading up to the events of the original game with many of the games levels recreated for Extraction albeit in a fashion the Wii can cope with. You also find that your current character is responsible for creating the various obstacles that players have to overcome in the original game. Remember the barricade on the medical deck? In Extraction you help construct it.

Just like its predecessor Dead Space Extraction uses the jump and scare tactics so many survival horror games have used and for the most part it works well in the game. However, some sections of levels are more staged with enemies taking up set positions and always being there when ever you replay. Keeping in mind that you move automatically through the game, in general this approach doesn’t really work well.

As I’ve already touched on Dead Space Extraction does feature a lot of references to the original game. Many of the areas of the Isimura have been recreated for Extraction and despite the Wii not having the same power as the big console the developers have done a pretty good job. Especially with the games character models which are probably some of the best I’ve seen on the Wii, it’s just a little disappointing that a lot of the voice acting isn’t up to the same standards, as it often sounds forced and very unnatural.

Many of the weapons from the original game make an appearance in Extraction and it’s nice to be able to use both the kinetic and Stasis abilities from the first game. What’s even better about being able to use these abilities is the fact that in the first person perspective they feel a little easy to use. It’s not just weapons and levels that have made their way back into the game, but also many of the enemies from the original game have invaded Extraction too for you to dissect limb from limb.

Away from the games main story mode, Extraction offers very little. There is a challenge mode that requires you to survive wave after wave of Necromorphs but generally it offers nothing more then the same playing experience as the story mode and sadly doesn’t really hold your attention as well. Extraction however, does allow for co-operative multiplayer gaming allowing you to team up with friends to take on the games story mode, this of course adds replay value to what is a fairly long campaign to begin with.

EA may have taken a risk releasing the latest game in the Dead Space franchise but for the most part they’ve pulled it off. Its gripping story will drive you deeper into the Isimura as you reveal its tale and struggle to survive. If you liked Dead Space or simply enjoy playing first person shooters then Extraction is definitely worth a look.