The opening - shooting those mercs - was bad though. The other two games have such strong introductions, so it was a little disappointing.
I agree with this assessment. I also found the first chapter of Dead Space 3 to be more than a bit off-putting. After playing through it, I didn't bother picking the game up again for a week. It wasn't because I strongly disliked it, I was just very apathetic about it. Nothing in the first chapter particularly grabbed me. The abundance of cover-shooting mechanics turned me off. It didn't feel like Dead Space, and shooting humans inherently spoils the science fiction setting. There are tons of modern shooters where I can go to shoot people. I buy Dead Space games so that I can shoot cosmic monstrosities in sci-fi themed environments.
For the past two days, I have gotten back into playing Dead Space 3. For anyone who had a similar experience to mine, you can rest easy. After the first chapter, things quickly start accelerating in what I consider to be the correct direction. The sequences on the derelict ships above the planet were much more of what I look for in Dead Space. I loved the multitude of chances they give you to navigate and explore in zero gravity. I also loved that they threw in some optional missions/ships that you can tackle if you feel like it.
It had a rocky start compared to its predecessors, but I'm thinking that overall I'm going to approve of Dead Space 3.
Just got 50% thru this game. So far I find it be quite a heart pounding moment from one area to the next. The level design inspires to really not be so formal and just make some art with lots of detail.
This is disappointing to me. Too many people bitched about the game before it was even out, and continued to do so without even playing it. The same thing happened with DMC. I've played it,and imo the game is just as much a Dead Space game as the prior two, and the microtransactions are about as unobtrusive and optional as they can be. I don't know anyone that has played it that has had a problem with the microtransaction system.
yea im like halfway through and dont remember ever being bugged to buy anything or even really remember seeing anything where i could, so i would say its pretty unintrusive. people just like to complain about everything. if something is completley OPTIONAL then dont buy/use it if you dont want to. super cool game, its a shame the series doesnt sell better.
As a fan of the series, I didn't buy DS3 because I didn't like, from what I have seen, the direction they took the series. With that said, I still hoped the game would do well, and I am really sorry to hear about this. Hope everyone lands on their feet quickly.
I've completed playing through Dead Space 3. Anyone familiar with my gaming habits will know that finishing a game is the exception for me, not the rule. But I've been a fan of this series for years, and I always seem to finish these games.
The micro-transaction emphasis is annoying, but it does not prevent you from playing through the single-player campaign. I was able to get through just fine without ever feeling like I was pressured into spending money to advance.
At the same time, a lot of the criticisms leveled at the game were valid. The level design was a big step down from the previous entries in the series. Dead Space 1 made very clever use of level recycling, and its puzzle elements were quite clever. Dead Space 2 was considerably more linear, but this approach allowed them to really push the art, set-pieces, and atmosphere.
Dead Space 3 was much more of a slog. The boss fights in particular disappointed. The "optional" missions had potential, but ultimately just devolved into the exact same formula, grinding through rooms until eventually reaching a big chest full of loot. The enemies also felt heavily recycled. The few enemies that weren't directly lifted from its predecessors felt unnecessary and unsatisfying.
While not a bad game by any means, Dead Space 3 definitely didn't live up to the promise of its progenitors. It is easily the weakest of the Dead Space series.
i dunno.. i felt discouraged when they stood by and said that the game was never within the horror realm of games... to me the first one was that. Horror elements with close quarter combat... not just a shooter. Specially with the dismemberment of aliens, and getting close to save ammo by stomping on enemies instead of wasting ammo. Its just design elements that caused tension for me... that and the presentation was more slow paced, centered not on isaac as a super hero... but just a survivor...
On 2 they made him this wise ass "pro" at dealing with the monsters... not even Ripley was that cocky just because... she was passionate.. but her character was always like that. anyways... the whole thing was that in 2 there was more emphasis on more combat and high end scenes of explosions... some creepy areas and beautiful art made it worth the couple of play through of the game. with that said.. i have played a dozen times dead space 1.... a couple of play through of dead space 2.... and the demo of 3 twice making me decide to not get that game... after watching other videos and stuff... 60 dlls for that game didn't seem like a good purchase. But that is just my opinion.
DMC was awesome. I like to think i come to games with an open mind, and it takes quite a lot to make me be against the game without even playing it. That is all...
from what i read, more people that have played through the game feel in the game.
i dunno.. i felt discouraged when they stood by and said that the game was never within the horror realm of games... to me the first one was that. Horror elements with close quarter combat... not just a shooter. Specially with the dismemberment of aliens, and getting close to save ammo by stomping on enemies instead of wasting ammo. Its just design elements that caused tension for me... that and the presentation was more slow paced, centered not on isaac as a super hero... but just a survivor...
On 2 they made him this wise ass "pro" at dealing with the monsters... not even Ripley was that cocky just because... she was passionate.. but her character was always like that. anyways... the whole thing was that in 2 there was more emphasis on more combat and high end scenes of explosions... some creepy areas and beautiful art made it worth the couple of play through of the game. with that said.. i have played a dozen times dead space 1.... a couple of play through of dead space 2.... and the demo of 3 twice making me decide to not get that game... after watching other videos and stuff... 60 dlls for that game didn't seem like a good purchase. But that is just my opinion.
DMC was awesome. I like to think i come to games with an open mind, and it takes quite a lot to make me be against the game without even playing it. That is all...
from what i read, more people that have played through the game feel in the game.
Yeah, I completely agree with you. I loved Dead Space 1, and I was so amazed with the level of intensity and engagement I felt in that game. I almost never play games multiple times, and I played that through 2x. I liked Dead Space 2, but it was a very different game for me. I really didn't like Isaac's character, and I missed the more personal experience I had in the first one. I watched a bunch of stuff for DS3, and it just didn't look like it had any of what really drew me to DS1.
The whole DS3 situation is really sad to me. It seems to me like they had to keep trying to broaden its appeal to try and justify the expense of the game, but at the same time they risked alienating the core audience for the game. Now, a bunch of people find themselves out of a job, and even though I didn't want to play it, from everything I saw it looks like a really beautiful game visually.
Things I love:
The Ship Crashing Sequence. AMAZING
How Carver was hallucinating and fighting his inner demons while Isaac was unnefected. Led to interesting headset conversations
The Drill Boss Fight. SUPER INTENSE AND AWESOME!
Great Length of a game. Took me 15 hours to beat on co-op
Things I hated
The story
Ellie
The Characters
The British Guy.
The ending. Why couldn't I shoot the british guy before he put in the Codex. Why did Isaac spend 1000 hours standing in front of the codex and not pulling it out
Cover Based Shooting
Universal Ammo
Copy Pasted Level Design
Reused Environments
Overall... I will say I enjoyed my time with the game. I did play Co-Op only and maybe with a friend it helped the experience. But I feel that Dead Space 1 is one of the best games this generation.. I don't blame Visceral for their design choices, I am sure EA had a lot to do with it, but it's just a bummer that the series came out swinging in such a bad ass way, and then left in such a whimper. I will say, the worst design choice was giving Isaac a voice. He was better as a silent protagonist.
Just beat Dead Space 3.
Things I hated
The story
Ellie
The Characters
The British Guy.
The ending. Why couldn't I shoot the british guy before he put in the Codex. Why did Isaac spend 1000 hours standing in front of the codex and not pulling it out
Cover Based Shooting
Universal Ammo
Copy Pasted Level Design
Reused Environments
LOL. I haven't touched 3 yet, but these were pretty much my complains from 2 haha.
Yea. I really enjoyed the story of the first one, too! I feel like they made Isaac a super unlike-able character in a very like-able world. Like Harry Potter.
hahaha... to me... Issac just turned into a wise ass... he had nothing interesting to say when he talked... He tried to tell jokes... to just look ridiculous... not very amusing to me at all. It seems like the co op character this time around was more interesting that Isaac himself. The whole situation with hallucinations that affect just one player seemed very interesting. Still.. not enough to spend 60 dlls on the game.
I was looking fwd to the psychological aspect in 2 where they would explore him being tormented by the shock of being in those situations in DS1. But they didn't go in that direction. Even when they said they would. They had those "hallucinations"... but they did not transcend or affect game play... i was hoping for something more like Eternal Darkness with its sanity meter.
Anyways... 2 was a pretty game at least, and looking at the lighting on PC was very educational. But 3 didn't seem to have any of that... the enemies looked like they were covered all in dirt, and didn't have any silhouette to them.. making them look generic. I got the art book of all 3 dead spaces... that was worth Dead Space 3 for me.
Well, the primary problem with Dead Space 2 was that they gave Isaac a voice. He does not speak in the first Dead Space. As a silent protagonist, it was easier for the audience to place themselves in Isaac's experience. This is one of the most important reasons for having silent protagonists in games. And for a game that focused so heavily on atmosphere and tension, it was a really good choice.
Dead Space 2 gave Isaac a voice, and then made his helmet come off every fifteen minutes to remind the audience that he was supposed to be a character. This was a mistake. Dead Space 2 would have been significantly improved simply by excising the main characters voice and allowing the player to once again immerse themselves in the experience. It distanced the player from the experience. The characters were no longer talking to you, they were talking to the character that you were watching.
The choice of giving Isaac a voice was predicated by the desire to tell a narrative. But the narrative structure of Dead Space 1 was perfect for the experience being crafted. The series didn't need a more elaborate narrative.
i dont really like the autosave feature, but as long as one is a little careful not to shutdown before the werid ball on the upper left appears one can have some acceptable gaming experience
Replies
I agree with this assessment. I also found the first chapter of Dead Space 3 to be more than a bit off-putting. After playing through it, I didn't bother picking the game up again for a week. It wasn't because I strongly disliked it, I was just very apathetic about it. Nothing in the first chapter particularly grabbed me. The abundance of cover-shooting mechanics turned me off. It didn't feel like Dead Space, and shooting humans inherently spoils the science fiction setting. There are tons of modern shooters where I can go to shoot people. I buy Dead Space games so that I can shoot cosmic monstrosities in sci-fi themed environments.
For the past two days, I have gotten back into playing Dead Space 3. For anyone who had a similar experience to mine, you can rest easy. After the first chapter, things quickly start accelerating in what I consider to be the correct direction. The sequences on the derelict ships above the planet were much more of what I look for in Dead Space. I loved the multitude of chances they give you to navigate and explore in zero gravity. I also loved that they threw in some optional missions/ships that you can tackle if you feel like it.
It had a rocky start compared to its predecessors, but I'm thinking that overall I'm going to approve of Dead Space 3.
Thats too bad... have not played 3 just because its not the type of game i had in mind... but thought about picking it up on sale to look at the art.
I guess making a game more "accessible" is not always the right way to go.
I am sure Visceral will have a chance to make an awesome game next, and one that is not restricted by EA's microtransaction expectations.
The micro-transaction emphasis is annoying, but it does not prevent you from playing through the single-player campaign. I was able to get through just fine without ever feeling like I was pressured into spending money to advance.
At the same time, a lot of the criticisms leveled at the game were valid. The level design was a big step down from the previous entries in the series. Dead Space 1 made very clever use of level recycling, and its puzzle elements were quite clever. Dead Space 2 was considerably more linear, but this approach allowed them to really push the art, set-pieces, and atmosphere.
Dead Space 3 was much more of a slog. The boss fights in particular disappointed. The "optional" missions had potential, but ultimately just devolved into the exact same formula, grinding through rooms until eventually reaching a big chest full of loot. The enemies also felt heavily recycled. The few enemies that weren't directly lifted from its predecessors felt unnecessary and unsatisfying.
While not a bad game by any means, Dead Space 3 definitely didn't live up to the promise of its progenitors. It is easily the weakest of the Dead Space series.
On 2 they made him this wise ass "pro" at dealing with the monsters... not even Ripley was that cocky just because... she was passionate.. but her character was always like that. anyways... the whole thing was that in 2 there was more emphasis on more combat and high end scenes of explosions... some creepy areas and beautiful art made it worth the couple of play through of the game. with that said.. i have played a dozen times dead space 1.... a couple of play through of dead space 2.... and the demo of 3 twice making me decide to not get that game... after watching other videos and stuff... 60 dlls for that game didn't seem like a good purchase. But that is just my opinion.
DMC was awesome. I like to think i come to games with an open mind, and it takes quite a lot to make me be against the game without even playing it. That is all...
from what i read, more people that have played through the game feel
Yeah, I completely agree with you. I loved Dead Space 1, and I was so amazed with the level of intensity and engagement I felt in that game. I almost never play games multiple times, and I played that through 2x. I liked Dead Space 2, but it was a very different game for me. I really didn't like Isaac's character, and I missed the more personal experience I had in the first one. I watched a bunch of stuff for DS3, and it just didn't look like it had any of what really drew me to DS1.
The whole DS3 situation is really sad to me. It seems to me like they had to keep trying to broaden its appeal to try and justify the expense of the game, but at the same time they risked alienating the core audience for the game. Now, a bunch of people find themselves out of a job, and even though I didn't want to play it, from everything I saw it looks like a really beautiful game visually.
Things I love:
The Ship Crashing Sequence. AMAZING
How Carver was hallucinating and fighting his inner demons while Isaac was unnefected. Led to interesting headset conversations
The Drill Boss Fight. SUPER INTENSE AND AWESOME!
Great Length of a game. Took me 15 hours to beat on co-op
Things I hated
The story
Ellie
The Characters
The British Guy.
The ending. Why couldn't I shoot the british guy before he put in the Codex. Why did Isaac spend 1000 hours standing in front of the codex and not pulling it out
Cover Based Shooting
Universal Ammo
Copy Pasted Level Design
Reused Environments
Overall... I will say I enjoyed my time with the game. I did play Co-Op only and maybe with a friend it helped the experience. But I feel that Dead Space 1 is one of the best games this generation.. I don't blame Visceral for their design choices, I am sure EA had a lot to do with it, but it's just a bummer that the series came out swinging in such a bad ass way, and then left in such a whimper. I will say, the worst design choice was giving Isaac a voice. He was better as a silent protagonist.
LOL. I haven't touched 3 yet, but these were pretty much my complains from 2 haha.
I was looking fwd to the psychological aspect in 2 where they would explore him being tormented by the shock of being in those situations in DS1. But they didn't go in that direction. Even when they said they would. They had those "hallucinations"... but they did not transcend or affect game play... i was hoping for something more like Eternal Darkness with its sanity meter.
Anyways... 2 was a pretty game at least, and looking at the lighting on PC was very educational. But 3 didn't seem to have any of that... the enemies looked like they were covered all in dirt, and didn't have any silhouette to them.. making them look generic. I got the art book of all 3 dead spaces... that was worth Dead Space 3 for me.
Dead Space 2 gave Isaac a voice, and then made his helmet come off every fifteen minutes to remind the audience that he was supposed to be a character. This was a mistake. Dead Space 2 would have been significantly improved simply by excising the main characters voice and allowing the player to once again immerse themselves in the experience. It distanced the player from the experience. The characters were no longer talking to you, they were talking to the character that you were watching.
The choice of giving Isaac a voice was predicated by the desire to tell a narrative. But the narrative structure of Dead Space 1 was perfect for the experience being crafted. The series didn't need a more elaborate narrative.