Videogame Review: Dead Space Remake by Motive Games

So many limbs to sever, so little time

Sent on a mission to help repair the USG Ishimura’s communications breakdown, Isaac Clarke and the crew of the USG Kellion arrive just in time to discover that the Ishimura's comms are the least of their worries. Infested with monsters called necromorphs, the crew has their work cut out for them if they have any hope of repairing their ship and getting out alive.

I’m not one for horror games anymore, not that I ever was, but I would partake in them more frequently when I was younger. For me, Dead Space Remake was more of a nostalgia trip to the mid to late 2000s, when single-player games had fun interconnected-level design and unreliable protagonists (Bioshock anyone?). This remake does what a proper remake should do: it stays faithful to the original but builds on it in small ways and fixes some of its issues. It makes it feel like you remember it to be, a tough balancing act in the games industry. To preserve a game’s story is one thing, but to preserve the spirit of the entire project is another, and on that, EA Motive has done a superb job.

One of the most striking things that hits right away is the visuals. The lighting and reflections, the detail in Isaac’s suit, and the upgraded animations all contribute to something that feels like a high-quality product. But even more importantly (as mentioned before), it feels like Dead Space as I remember it. It was a quality product that launched, subsequently aged, and now feels brand new again. For all its gruesome, visceral violence, Dead Space Remake is a beautiful game that nails its sci-fi/horror aesthetic with aplomb. Dead Space is one of those games you remember for its atmosphere: the thrum of the engines, the vibrant large open rooms, and the small, dark, tight corridors. No detail was spared in the remake to ensure that old players and new alike will remember their time aboard the Ishimura.

But not all is the same, and this is a good thing. One of the biggest and best changes is a more vocal Isaac Clarke. This may not be a positive for some, but on the whole, I think it was a great change that enhanced the experience. Isaac has more personality now and contributes his expertise as an engineer. Instead of being guided like a puppet, he now comes up with solutions and reasonings for his actions. It brings a lot to the character, and by extension, the game itself. In addition, the weapons have all been rebalanced, and the flamethrower is a worthy weapon now. The mechanics are more in line with Dead Space 2’s superior gunplay. They also upgraded the de-limbing system, which adds not only extra detail but more strategy to gameplay.

When I mention the de-limbing system, I refer to the primary mode of dispatching enemies in Dead Space; removing limbs. Headshots hold no power here. In the original, simply shooting at a limb two or three times would make it come off. Now, certain weapons are better for cutting through flesh, and some for cutting through bone. You can see the enemy’s flesh disappear with each shot, eventually getting down to the bone (now it’s time to switch to the ripper). This is an extremely detailed addition that deserves praise. It’s advantageous to synergize your weapons loadout, especially on the harder difficulties (or just run around with the flamethrower). The rest of the weapons have been balanced and adjusted so that the combat feels great and the movement is smooth. I do wish there were a few extra additions that are staples in the genre, like a quick turn-around option and an over-the-shoulder switch. Their absence didn't hurt the experience, but they certainly would have enhanced it.

Speaking of combat, the weapons themselves are such a blast to use. One of the things I loved about the Bioshock and Ratchet & Clank series is their use of imaginary weaponry that you can upgrade over time. Dead Space turned the plasma cutter and its teal laser guides into an iconic weapon, and with good reason; it may be the first weapon you get, but it’s damn good. Its precision makes you feel like a surgeon as you sever necromorph limbs. But the plasma cutter is just the beginning. The ripper, the line gun, the force gun, and the contact beam are all useful mining tools-become-weapons that are inventive and enjoyable to use. The flamethrower and pulse rifle are a bit more basic, but their alternate fire abilities add extra strategic layers to more complex encounters. In combination with stasis (freezes enemies briefly) and kinesis (telekinetic module), combat is a blast.

Once in a while, one of the game's flaws would flare up, and while it doesn't deal directly with the combat itself, it impacts it. In larger open areas, lurkers (little baby-looking enemies) climb the walls and start shooting at you. This isn’t a problem in itself, but when the area is open and other enemies are assaulting you, this simply becomes an irritation. It doesn't add to the tension of the encounter. Any spitting enemies poorly placed make certain encounters feel cheap and unenjoyable. Luckily, those don't happen too frequently, but when they do, it’s noticeable. A frustration that did come up frequently was the kinesis’s inability to prioritize. When using kinesis, you can take items from the environment, as well as the enemy’s sharpened bones, and launch them. Sometimes kinesis picked up every other body part besides the weapon-worthy items, causing much frustration. A system should have been put in place to prioritize useful items before picking up useless garbage, especially in frantic situations.

One of the most important things about the original Dead Space remains here, in a way I wish it applied to more games. The in-game UI is smart, simple, and direct, crafting a more intimate experience as a byproduct. Everything the player needs to know is on Isaac. Sure, there is a menu for item and lore management, but when it comes to combat, there is no HUD on the corners of the screen: it’s all on Isaac’s person. The amount of ammo in your clip shows on the weapon. The amount of health remaining runs down Isaac’s vertebrae and his stasis stock is visible on his shoulder blade. You don't need to look at anything other than the character and the enemies. Since you’re looking at the character’s back the entire game, why not make it your HUD? Brilliant.

While Dead Space isn’t an open world, it does have an explorable ship that can be traversed more and more throughout the adventure, almost like a Metroidvania. This gives the player reason to go back and look around at things they missed. Luckily, the remake added more encounters to keep things fresh, even when returning to a previously explored area. That said, it would have been nice to have a fast travel option to go exactly where you want. The tram isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it isn't exciting or expedient.

What is a horror game without sound? The sound design here is part of what makes the game and its atmosphere have so much character. The whispering in the walls, the sound of necromorphs scurrying in the ceiling, the screech of the automatic water supply systems, the electrical currents running through the thrumming ship, and the sound of flesh tearing off necromorph corpses when you use kinesis to turn their sharp limbs against them all contribute to creating an immersive, tense environment throughout the entire game. The voice acting is great, and each character gives a solid performance. The audio logs are great; there’s nothing like listening to what transpired on the Ishimura, the experiments and religious insanity that brought the gigantic planet cracker to its knees. The music appropriately adds to the sense of tension and horror as well, though at times the music lingers longer than it should (same with Isaac’s heavy breathing). These are obvious bugs that are momentary immersion killers. Walking down a long, empty hallway while combat music played kept me on my toes for no reason. Overall, however, this isn’t extremely detrimental, though it was noticeable quite a few times.

One of the other issues I had with the game was a random jittery frame rate, sometimes when nothing taxing occurred. Random door opening? Frame rate drop. Walking down a hallway? Random frame drop. Thankfully, this never happened during crucial moments. I also experienced other minor bugs or glitches, like items randomly disappearing (I still think about that power node that disappeared on my impossible mode run). Another of my gripes deals with the game’s story. I won’t spoil it for those who haven't played, but the story cheats a bit to deliver one of the game's biggest moments. It’s a bit obvious that something is off, and while I love the unreliable protagonist, the delivery mechanism feels a bit cheap. That said, the story is still enjoyable. Who can hate everything going wrong all the time?

Going through the narrow halls of the Ishimura brought me back to one of my favorite eras of gaming. Dead Space Remake is a faithful iteration that builds on and adds to the original. For those who played the original Dead Space and loved it, this remake is worth the price of admission as it not only fixes much, but also adds an alternate ending for new game plus, and a more intense impossible mode (where you only get one save that deletes itself upon death!). For those who haven't played it, I ask you this: Do you like sci-fi? Horror? Fun weaponry? Interesting lore and story? Get Dead Space and support the developer. Maybe we’ll all be lucky and get blessed with a remake of Dead Space 2.

The Math

Objective Assessment: 8.5/10.

Bonus: +1 for smooth gameplay, +1 for beautifully detailed visuals, +1 for memorable atmosphere.

Penalties: −2 for bugs/frame rate drops, −1 for lack of fast travel.

Nerd Coefficient: 8.5/10.

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Review [Video Game]: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor by Respawn Entertainment

Cal gets an upgrade.

Set a few years after Respawn’s first foray into Star Wars narrative adventures, Jedi: Survivor once again follows Cal Kestis as he explores the galaxy, but this time with new friends. With Greez, Merrin, and Cere each off with personal missions, Cal continues to disrupt the empire every chance he can. This is where the game begins, as Cal gets himself captured and escorted to the local senator for imprisonment. The upgrade in visual fidelity is readily apparent upon booting up the game. The lighting, the textures, and especially the animation have all been improved. Though I suppose that playing Jedi: Fallen Order recently makes it easier to see the difference. Leaving behind the PS4 and Xbox One, this is a next-gen game that takes advantage of the hardware. 

Respawn built off of the prequel in many important ways but also took inspiration from other AAA heavy hitters like God of War to make Star Wars Jedi: Survivor shine. Where Fallen Order was a big action-adventure game with good level variety, Survivor has a hub-world that anchors the player’s adventure and makes the world feel more lived-in. It’s a big contrast to Fallen Order which simply felt like the player was going from level to level. In Survivor, it feels like Cal has a home, something that makes the game all the better and is a huge service to the player.

Pyloon’s Saloon, introduced earlier in the game, is the gathering place for much of Cal’s journey. One of the main buildings in the settlement of Rambler’s Reach on the planet of Koboh—and run by a familiar four-armed friend—Pyloon’s starts off with almost no patrons. Throughout the game, however, the player is introduced to many different prospectors (some from other planets) who can be recruited to check out Rambler’s Reach. This was perhaps my favorite inclusion and a happy departure from the prequel. Many of the characters' small side arcs were engaging and kept me coming back to Pyloon’s to learn more about them. Droll Moran, aloof Caij, eccentric Zee, and the lovable yet scheming Turgle keep the place feeling lived in. Finding Skoova Stev out in the world as he regaled me with his tales amongst deep space pirates was always a treat. A minor spoiler here (though not story related), but as the place begins to empty, I felt a small sense of loss. The once bustling Pyloon’s feels like a shadow of its former self at the height of its occupancy. In this, I knew Respawn did something right, something I’d love to see emulated more often in games.

Another great improvement in Survivor is the gameplay. Not only is combat upgraded and expanded but so too is the traversal. Getting around Koboh and Jedha is made quicker with mounts, and zipping around with an upgraded ascension cable and air dash is a real treat. Some of the platforming Force Tears were a blast, and I wish there was a bit more challenge in the main game surrounding Cal’s traversal abilities. I’m quite glad that they removed the rather lengthy “slide” sequences from Fallen Order. Those could be rather frustrating, and I didn’t have that experience here. Thankfully Cal doesn't have to relearn all his old abilities.

Though the combat in the prequel was solid, Survivor adds to and expands upon its predecessor. In the original, players have two light-saber stances; single and double-sided. In Survivor, the player is granted five stances. I won’t list them off to avoid spoilers, but I found myself using a few of these new stances throughout the majority of the game. When reviewing an infographic from Respawn, I realized the stance I primarily used was one of the least popular. I realized that each of these stances was quite well-balanced and allowed for a good amount of player variety. The stance I used was reminiscent of Bloodborne, and I always had it equipped in case I needed it.

Combined with additional Force abilities, the combat shines in most situations. Fights against other lightsaber wielders are exhilarating and, like Fallen Order, the most exciting fights in the game. Living out your Jedi fantasy feels much more realized here, especially since Cal is more experienced in both lightsaber combat and the Force. There are some situations in which the player is pelted with blaster bolts while a ton of enemies ambush them. In these moments, the combat feels more like a chore than a challenge, but these aren't too frequent thankfully. When the combat shines, it is quite gratifying.

When it comes to the reason for it all, the story, the game has some good highs and head-scratching lows. The basic plot follows Cal as he attempts to discover a planet away from the prying eyes of the galactic empire. From a protagonist's standpoint, everything works, even if it is rather standard. My issue comes from enemy motivations. One of the main villains’ goals aligns with the hero’s. Why, then, is there such animosity? Sure, they have reasons for all of this, but it doesn't seem strong enough. Yet another of the villains seems to be created for the sake of surprising the player. I want to avoid spoilers here for those who haven't played, so I won't get into too much detail, but enemy motivation in this game left me confused and disappointed. One of the best boss fight sequences was a flashback. This wouldn't have bothered me so much if there was some kind of payoff. After dying multiple times, I had assumed that there would be some kind of victory for the player, but instead, I received no payoff, just a strong argument for why ludonarrative dissonance can ruin what should be an emotional story beat.

Some disappointing villain segments aside, the set piece action was exciting, and the game delivered a solid farewell. Most of the exploration takes place on Koboh, though Jedha gives it a run for its money. The other explorable planets are like smaller versions of levels from Fallen Order. Fortunately, Koboh is so large and full of variety, it alleviates any need of having to create multiple planets. Traveling around the two major planets and discovering collectibles (of which there are many) was more fun than I had anticipated.

After finishing Survivor, I realized I was quite pleased with the advancement of Respawn’s new franchise. They seemed to take a lot of feedback to heart and apply meaningful changes to their formula. Character interactions seem more natural and, villains aside, the writing is better overall. Every aspect of Fallen Order is better here in Survivor. Despite a few minor bugs (fixed by turning the console on and off), the game plays very well. With Survivor, Respawn has shown that they respect the franchise and player empowerment, but also that they are capable of taking feedback and improving on something already good. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is one of the best uses of the license in recent years, and if Respawn’s upward trajectory continues, their next game could be one for gaming’s history books.

--

The Math

Objective Assessment: 8/10

Bonus: +1 for BD-1, the cutest droid ever. +1 for being an improvement on nearly everything the first game did.

Penalties: -1 for confusing enemy motivations. -1 for minor technical hiccups throughout the game.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Microreview [video game]: Mass Effect: Andromeda by Bioware

A Distant Star

Regardless of how well or poorly you personally received the ending of the original Mass Effect trilogy, following those games with a non-reboot, non-sequel game in the same universe is going to be a tall order for anyone. Mass Effect: Andromeda (as reported by Kotaku) had a difficult development, and it shows. But the biggest factor for whether or not you'll get some enjoyment out of this game can be boiled down to a single question: what did you think of Dragon Age: Inquisition?

In the non-reboot, non-sequel Mass Effect: Andromeda, you're a pilgrim, a passenger onboard the human ark sent to colonize the distant Andromeda galaxy. The trip takes 600 years of cryo-sleep, and everything goes wrong when you finally wake up. A coral-like space growth called The Scourge inhibits space travel and wrecks ships. The Nexus, a space station sent ahead of the arks, is barely functional and none of the other species' arks have arrived. Worst of all, none of the "golden worlds" surveyed in advance of the voyage are suitable for colonization. Something horrible happened over the 600 year trip. 

The Mass Effect and Dragon Age series are linked by more than just having a common developer. They were largely developed in parallel, and borrowed gameplay mechanics from each other on numerous occasions. When Dragon Age 2 came out and it felt like Dragon Age shoehorned into Mass Effect, with a greater focus on a smaller scoped story and action over tactical combat, it was a disappointment to me but the problems I had with that game were mechanical. Enemies warped in from thin air (with no particular in-game reason), and it overly reused game environments. 

Mass Effect: Andromeda feels like Mass Effect shoehorned into Dragon Age: Inquisition. This time around, I'm not that mad about it. I loved Dragon Age: Inquisition despite the game having too many collect-a-thon quests, and too many fetch quests that added nothing to the game. This one suffers from the same problems, but the gameplay loop itself is enjoyable. The combat in the Mass Effect series has continued to build upon itself and become more fluid over the stop-and-pop Gears of War-esque combat of the original Mass Effect. Planetary exploration is done with the Nomad, a six-wheeled vehicle that's far more fun to drive than the Mako. Here's a piece of advice that carries over from Dragon Age: Inquisition: if something isn't a core quest, or a companion quest, and it doesn't interest you from the start, don't bother doing it. There are tons of quests that are meaningless. Do what seems like fun, unless you're a completionist and a masochist.

What hurts Andromeda is that it doesn't take the conceit of being a different galaxy 600 years into the future far enough. It adds a couple of new Andromedan species of sentient aliens, but their designs aren't exactly inspired, and it brings with it the core species from the original series, and none of the cool edge species. Of course, there are going to be Salarians, Turians, and Asari, but we've gone to a different galaxy. There should be more than two sentient species here when the Milky Way had handfuls of aliens. It even leans too hard on an ancient, technologically advanced species that influences the present. 

Playing this game months after release has turned out to be the best way to experience it. Early reviews noted a plague of technical issues within the game. I saw none of that. The chief complaint was that faces were poorly or weirdly animated. I never noticed anything particularly out of place. 

Over the course of 53 hours, I enjoyed my time with Mass Effect: Andromeda. While I'm not inclined to buy DLC, I would look forward to a second game in this series. Mass Effect: Andromeda has more in common with the first game of the original trilogy than the other two, and that was my personal favorite of the three. It's a more optimistic game, even if it suffers from borrowing too heavily from the original trilogy and Dragon Age: Inquisition. It's hard for me to say whether or not a newcomer to this series of games would enjoy Andromeda more without playing the original trilogy, but it's at least a competent game.

The Math

Baseline Assessment: 6/10

Bonuses: +1 Eschews grimdark and dread for optimism and a brighter future

Penalties: -1 Feels too much like a Mass Effect side story

Nerd Coefficient: 6/10 (still enjoyable, but the flaws are hard to ignore)

***

POSTED BY: brian, sci-fi/fantasy/video game dork and contributor since 2014

Reference: Bioware. Mass Effect: Andromeda [EA, 2017]