Blog #4 Reply to the Gamespot review of Dead Space

Well, sadly Gamespot beat me to the review of "Dead Space". Especially since I'm taking my sweet time beating this game before I think of a good form of review. But in the mean time lets check out what gamespot really has to say about this game and whether they hold up to the current idea that Gamespot reviews are really reviewing the first few levels of the game then skipping to the end and reviewing that.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/deadspace/review.html

"The good:
Deeply engrossing story
Breathtaking visuals and nerve-wracking audio
Strategic dismemberment adds an entirely new, satisfying dimension to combat
Truly terrifying gameplay keeps you on the edge of your seat. "

While I can agree with the story at times, the "strategic dismemberment" really wasn't very strategic. The game itself eventually breaks down into "blow off their legs and smack off their arms to win." The only time you can't do this is when the monsters don't really have legs or arms, so instead you just aim for whatever object is flailing out of their bodies. Whats so strategic about that?
As for the gameplay, yes it does get very terrifying, but I have to add that there are times where it becomes a nusance when its in the middle of a puzzle your stuck on trying to solve.

"The Bad
Repetitive mission objectives
Close-quarters combat is troublesome. "

While I have to slightly agree on the repition of the objectives, I feel that was just a small matter. Yes, I do admit some of the missions were constantly "run here", "press that", "fix this", you as the player really start to care less about such them and instead stare into the darkness and twitch at every shadow while your "fix this" job goes on.

Close Quarters wasn't as troublesome as you'd think. If they were on the ground, you stomp them. If they were at least at your waist then a normal melee strike would have covered it. What trouble are they talking about? Could it be that they were talking about how you can't slap around all of the zombified enemies to death? well the main thing about them is that they're supposed to be faster and stronger than you. Which is why we have to use guns to kill them. So whats wrong with the melee system? This question is never even answered throughout the entire review.

"As Isaac, you are separated almost immediately from the rest of your team by the former crew of the Ishimura, which has been transformed into horrifying monsters called Necromorphs. Forced to fight for his survival, Isaac makes do with the tools at hand to defend himself with, which are for the most part repurposed mining instruments like plasma welding guns or buzz saws. These improvised weapons are put to graphic, gruesome work as bodily damage and even severe head trauma isn't enough to kill a Necromorph--only by severing their limbs can you put them down for good. This nuance, referred to as strategic dismemberment, vastly alters the way combat is approached in Dead Space from the typical 'aim for the head'-style gameplay seen in most action games and zombie apocalypse scenarios. "

As a reviewer, shouldn't you also question whether this makes sense to the player? At least when you shot someone in the head it makes sense because your shattering their nervous system and making it harder for whatever is infecting them to control them via their nerves. Although I have to say its interesting how Gamespot is able to point this out without saying whether this is good or bad just saying its there.
As for making do with the tools at hand, it seems as though Isaac has a "Military grade pulse rifle" (as the game puts it) at hand too becuase we're allowed to use those. I wonder why this little bit of information was left out of the review.
Funny though, becuase that exact description "makes do with the tools at hand to defend himself with" is in the player's manual as well. Strategic dismemberment isn't mentioned within gameplay at all. Its only mentioned within several interviews with the EA staff.
Could it be that Gamespot is only listening to the game companies instead of playing the game? I swear someone else has charged Gamespot with this.

Well, my review of Dead Space will be up by next wednesday. Hopefully I won't make some of these mistakes.