Post Classifieds
Dead Space 3: A game with flaws, also excitement
By Thomas Kaufman
On March 6, 2013
Everyone's favorite necromorph-slaying engineer, Isaac Clarke, is back in the third installment of the
Dead Space trilogy. It sounds good already, but the game provides plenty of twists to keep players on
the edge of their seats.
After destroying the marker held captive by Earth Gov in Dead Space 2, Isaac seems to have finally
settled down into a life that doesn't involve dismembering necromorph limbs. All is well until a soldier
named Edward Norton forces his way into Isaac's apartment to tell him that his now ex-girlfriend Ellie is
in need of help.
Any Dead Space veteran knows that women are the leading force in Isaac's life and he will do anything
to help them. Unfortunately for Isaac, the urge to save Ellie throws him into a confusing love triangle
and onto an ice planet filled with blood thirsty necros, and it's up to us players to help him survive.
Now, you may notice right off the bat that things have changed. Human Unitologist soldiers are now on
the "to kill" list next to necromorphs, and Isaac begins the game with an assault rifle and the ability to
crouch behind cover.
As someone who played the first two games, I found it unnatural to use military-grade weapons and kill
humans. By doing this, Dead Space 3 strayed from being a true survival horror game to become more
action-oriented. It was a letdown, but by no means should that keep you from playing this game.
Putting aside the few negatives, Visceral added some new game elements to breathe fresh life into the
series finale.
For starters, weapon customization is outstanding. The prospect of combining a contact beam with a
line launcher sounds enticing, right? It's completely possible in Dead Space 3. By choosing different
frames to build upon, players can create any weapon they see fit for their dismembering pleasure.
Upgrading weapons now includes upgrade circuits instead of the traditional power nodes. There are
pros and cons to this new system, one con being that weapon only has 8 upgrade slots. However, it
definitely benefits the player more than burning nodes in empty spaces does (which was done in each of
the game's predecessors).
Also new to the series are suit kiosks. One of the benefits of saving up all your hard earned cash in the
first two games was the ability to upgrade Isaac's suit. These upgrades usually would also give Isaac a
boost in armor protection and additional inventory slots.
Unfortunately, Dead Space 3 strayed from that formula. Suits now have no added benefit to the overall
player. The only reason to change a suit now is if one looks cooler than another. The suit kiosk system
now requires players to upgrade their armor as they would Isaac's HP.
A key component to refueling health packs and ammunition has also changed. Dead Space 1 and 2
allowed players to stomp crates and corpses to find credits in which they could use to purchase items
at the store. I hope you can handle a lot of change because Visceral also did away with that old system,
implementing a new one that seems to be more up Isaac's alley.
As an engineer, Isaac is capable of building and fixing many devices to suit his needs. Instead of using
credits as a means of currency, resources are now taking over that job. Resources are parts that Isaac
uses to upgrade and craft just about anything and everything. Whether you want to upgrade your HP,
craft more ammo, or construct new weapons, resources provide you with the means to do so. Once you
get used to it, you'll find yourself loving the new system.
Overall, Dead Space 3 is best defined as a great game with a few flaws. The visuals are stunning (in HD),
the controls have been beautifully refined after three installments, optional missions provide added
story length and that horrible online multiplayer has been replaced with a must-play co-op story. The
overall story is lackluster compared to the first two, but still provides great cinematic moments, and
killing necromorphs is addictive. If I had to rate this out of 10, I'd give it eight stars.
Thomas Kaufman can be reached by email at kaufman.record@live.com.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
'Injustice' is a fighting delight
In the spring of 2011, the award-winning NetherRealm Game Studios established itself as a heavyweight in the fighting genre of the ...
NASO engages college community in cultural comeback
The Native American Student Organization explored oral history, cultural identity and other topics in a speaker series entitled ...
THE RECORD TURNS 100: Animal Kingdom - April 8, 1970
In celebration of 100 years of service to Buffalo State, The Record will re-print one former article in each of its 10 issues this ...
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
- Your Child’s Tomorrow Begins Today
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Reads to Kickoff Spring
- Curbing Colorectal Cancer in Minority Populations
- Taking Action to Take Down Tobacco
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE
