Dead Space Review

By Dan Whitehead Published 13 October, 2008

Mostly armless.

Version tested: Xbox 360

If you're in the future, and you work on a spaceship, and you get a call telling you to go and check out some remote colony because contact has mysteriously been lost, do yourself a favour and call in sick that day. Skive for your life. The only reason space colonies, and the drifting spacecraft spookily orbiting above them, stop communicating is because they've been overrun by bloodthirsty monsters. This is scientific fact.

Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what has happened to the USG Ishimura, a deep space mining vessel - or "planet cracker" - which has been tearing up chunks of some distant dead world in the quest for greater profits. When it all goes eerily silent, the crew of the USG Kellion are despatched to investigate and you, as petty engineer Isaac Clarke, are along for the ride. Isaac has a personal reason to hope all is well on the Ishimura. His girlfriend, Nicole, is on the ship and the last contact he had with her was a disturbing plea for help.

Needless to say, things don't start well. The Kellion shuttle crashes, and the investigators are attacked by fleshy shambling things as soon as they enter the Ishimura. Isaac is separated from the two other survivors - computer technician Kendra Daniels and gruff military man Sgt. Zach Hammond - and must make his way through the bowels of the ruined vessel to organise an escape plan.

It's a journey that is never less than visually stunning, thanks to some painstaking attention to detail in the graphics. Motes of dust drift lazily in the air, mist curls up from ominous shafts, flickers of light illuminate skittering shapes in the distance. Isaac's protective suit (which you can upgrade throughout the game) is a curiously old-fashioned mixture of textile and brass, with weave and rivets clearly visible as you prowl the darkness from over his shoulder. The textures don't always keep their detail at close range, but considering the frame rate is rock solid and there's absolutely no screen tearing that seems like a minor compromise. This level of technical polish holds true on both 360 and PS3 versions, you'll be pleased to hear.

'Dead Space' Screenshot 1

The foot stomp is useful for opening crates - and for squashing smaller foes.

Control is instantly intuitive, but then it should be, since the game has basically stolen the meat of the control scheme from Resident Evil 4. There's no jumping, climbing or crouching, with environmental interactions carried out by following button prompts in the appropriate place. You can move and open doors while aiming, while the d-pad offers quick access to your four weapon slots. Health packs can be stockpiled and used with a hot button. Isaac picks up a couple of augmented abilities along the way - Stasis, which slows down objects and enemies, and Kinesis, which allows him to grab or drag objects from afar. These are sensibly activated by the face buttons modified by the aiming button, as is reloading, so all your combat options are instantly accessible whenever you have your gun raised. There's never any fumbling around trying to do two things at once in the thick of the action.

To aid with the immersion in Dead Space's grim tale, all the info you need is conveyed on-screen without resorting to health bars or pause screens. Or rather these elements are used but in such a way that it feels part of the gameworld rather than a mood-breaking interruption. Isaac's health is monitored by a glowing blue gauge on the back of his suit, next to the dial which shows how much Stasis energy he has left. It's not always successful though, since when you're backed up against a wall by gibbering space mutants it can be impossible to see how close you are to death. Holograms are the key to everything else, with your inventory and incoming video messages relayed through floating semi-translucent screens which pop up next to Isaac. You can even rotate the camera around and through these screens, revealing a rather nifty 3D effect.

The back of Isaac's suit is also where his air supply is displayed when you enter decompressed areas, or rooms where the air is toxic. As with all of the abilities and weapons, you can increase the effectiveness of the suit's features by upgrading them with power nodes. These are found sporadically - usually as a reward for braving a tough section or defeating a nasty foe - and can be used at workbenches. Upgrades are applied using a circuit diagram, with each power node filling one space in the circuit and coloured spaces denoting the different areas open to improvement. Armour and air supply for the suit; capacity, damage and reload time for weapons; duration and range for Stasis and Kinesis. It's not a very elegant system, but with a lot less power nodes than slots it forces you to choose your favourite features and work out the most efficient way to boost them. You keep the same stats should you start a second playthrough after completion, so this is clearly a feature aimed at the repeat player.

Combat itself is immensely satisfying. Remember the satisfaction you felt in Resident Evil when you first exploded a zombie's head? Dead Space takes that concept to its logical extreme, with a play model that not only allows but actively encourages you to shoot your enemies to pieces, one bloody limb at a time. The alien monsters - or necromorphs as they're called - reanimate dead human tissue, ya see, and repurpose it into grisly new forms. This means that headshots or a volley of hits to the torso won't do the job.

You need to shoot legs off to slow them down, blast away their arms and pincers, sever their heads until there's nothing left but old meat. Combine this with the Stasis power, so you can methodically dissect monsters as they slowly lunge towards you, and you've got a gimmick that remains fun even after eleven hours of gameplay (the time on the clock at the end of my first run, by the way). Battles in zero gravity are even more amusing, as defeated enemies drift gruesomely upwards, spraying gore and body parts as they go.

'Dead Space' Screenshot 4

These brutes look terrifying, but prove pathetically easy to kill once you add Stasis into the equation.

Yet while the core combat element never stops entertaining, it never really evolves either. By the end of the fourth chapter (there are twelve in total) you'll have access to all the game's seven weapons, few of which change the gameplay in drastic ways. The Line Gun is a beefier version of the plasma cutter, sending a wide blade of energy scything through your attackers. The Force Gun repels creatures with a shockwave, and can splatter smaller enemies, while the Contact Beam charges up slowly and then fires out a powerful energy blast. Gore fans will gravitate towards the Ripper, which fires out a remote saw blade which you can direct from a distance. The flamethrower and pulse rifle work much as you'd expect.

Each comes with an alternate fire mode, some of which aren't really explained all that well, but since almost every enemy simply races towards you, drooling and snarling, the times when you really need to choose the best tool for the job are minimal at best. The very first weapon you get - the plasma cutter - is as effective at the end of the game as it was at the start, even without many upgrades. As such, the threat of the monsters never really has the power to terrify. Provided you're reasonably frugal with the ammo, you're always capable of dismembering anything that comes your way.

This doesn't speak very highly of the game's pace or balance, and it's this area that renders Dead Space less impressive than it first appears. You spend a huge chunk of the story running backwards and forwards across the Ishimura, fixing a series of core systems at the behest of Kendra and Hammond. Each time you fix one element, they pop up to tell you something else is malfunctioning or missing. It gets to the point where you half expect them to ask you to find some toner for the photocopier and fetch them a sandwich from the shop. Each maintenance job takes the form of a fairly basic puzzle, where the solution always relies on Stasis, Kinesis or a combination of the two, with the treks in between punctuated by scripted monster attacks. There are certainly moments that make you jump, but the game struggles to maintain the pervasive atmosphere of dread so acutely captured in the opening section.

It turns what should have been a nail-biting fight for survival into a wearying series of petty chores, forcing the gameplay into a predictable routine for the first two-thirds of its playing time. As far as horror goes, nothing kills the mood faster than predictability and when you have to include dialogue for your characters commenting on the seemingly fruitless repetition of what they're doing, that's usually a sign that the pace of a game needs closer attention.

It doesn't help that many of Dead Space's features feel overly familiar from other, broadly similar, titles, and the Resident Evil 4 controls are just one of the borrowed elements boldly on display. There are automated stores where you can turn schematics into new weapons, stock up on ammo and health, sell unwanted items for cash and store your inventory overflow in a virtual safe, not unlike the storage chests in Capcom's classic. The Kinesis power is Half-Life 2's gravity gun in all but name, while the slowdown effect of Stasis echoes the temporal monkey business of games like TimeShift.

Back-story is dished out via text, audio and video logs left lying around, a narrative method which can't help but recall Doom III and BioShock. The mangled monsters could have slithered out of Quake, and even the zero gravity sections owe some small debt to the magnetic puzzles in Prey. It's a grab bag of existing concepts, a Greatest Hits of horror/sci-fi videogaming, and while the end result is never entirely disappointing, it's a shame that none of the wonderfully realised environmental elements - vacuums and zero gravity in particular - are ever used to elevate the rote gameplay beyond surface details.

'Dead Space' Screenshot 6

The golden rule: if it looks bloody and meaty, you should probably shoot it to bits.

Having come up with a stunning game engine, it also seems that EA couldn't come up with something more original to populate it. The concept of exploring alien-infested spaceships is hardwired into gaming DNA, and Dead Space relies so heavily on established survival horror rhythms that experienced players will be able to anticipate most scares and revelations before they arrive. That it all builds to a climax that is both narratively ridiculous and predictably videogamey (clue: giant boss monster with obvious weak spots) merely strengthens the lingering whiff of missed potential.

Isaac himself proves to be a fairly pointless lead character, too, unlikely to inspire much in the way of empathy or interest. With only two brief glimpses of his face bookending the story, and absolutely no dialogue, it's hard to invest in his search for his lost girlfriend, especially since the game neglects to develop this element in any meaningful way until its rather inept pay-off at the end. Gordon Freeman can get away with being a mute witness to apocalyptic events because we've viewing events through his eyes, and because he's not required to convey any emotional storytelling. Isaac, by comparison, acts like an emotionless automaton even when faced with the most horrific sights and the human factor - always a key in driving a horror story - suffers as a result.

None of these criticisms will detract from your enjoyment, provided all you want from a game is the opportunity to repeatedly turn evil monsters into red mush in gorgeous HD detail. Dead Space easily delivers on that promise, but fails to turn its polished production values into something truly memorable over the long haul.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (168) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mezzomorto #1 3 years ago

    Quite surprised at the score to be honest (haven't read the review yet) as I was just checking on metacritic and the average there is 9/10 at the mo

  • robg #2 3 years ago

    I wonder if there's a sci-fi reference buried subtly in the character's name?
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 12:13

  • sanctusmortis #3 3 years ago

    The gist I get:

    Lots of promises made, very little substance. Looks great, but it's just gibbing critters repeatedly, with no real meat to the game.

  • Widge #4 3 years ago

    I'm wondering that since the GTA4 10 if EG are really putting games to the sword to justify high marks nowadays? Not that this is a bad thing because a rating system gets a bit devalued once a score of 7 or 8 for a game is deemed "poor" or "a failure", whereas it should be seen as good.

  • Tomo #5 3 years ago

    Good enough score for me to buy it, but only once it's a bit cheaper. I can't really warrant buying anything a full price at the moment.

  • rotmm #6 3 years ago

    @Widge,

    Why since GTA4? EG have always been more stringent in their final scores than most other sites out there, where 7 is bad, 8 ok, 9 average and 10 pretty good.

  • coomber #7 3 years ago

    Same criticisms IGN had, but they gave it 8.2. I'm looking forward to this one.

  • Dizzy #8 3 years ago

    >I'm wondering that since the GTA4 10 if EG are really putting games to the sword to justify high marks nowadays?

    What? GTA4 got 10s all over the universe.... as did Halo 3 BTW and Oblivion and Braid and.... etc...

    Keep on whining...

  • Widge #9 3 years ago

    I dunno, maybe since that has been when my focus has been on it a bit more, but I'm sure games have had to work alot harder since then for their marks.

  • Widge #10 3 years ago

    At what point was there whining? I don't believe I said I had a problem with the score.

    Oh and I love GTA4 so I'm not entire sure where you were going with your stance?

    Sorry, rather than leave it like that... my general gist is that there is this perception under a 9 = bad and people get disappointed when things are marked like this. So something like this may get dismissed whereas it might be pretty alright if you want a new game.
    Edited by 2 at 13/10/08 @ 12:29

  • NickJC1 #11 3 years ago

    No offence but that's a terrible review, you compared it to about 20 different games in a failed attempt to take some of the gloss off this fine game. You have this to say about it

    Yet while the core combat element never stops entertaining, it never really evolves either.

    sounds like GTAIV and Halo 3, yet those games get 10/10, sounds to me like you wanted to score this game low to balance out the high scores you've been dishing out lately, or simply because it's a EA game. It's the same crap that won't allow Saints row 2 to score higher than GTAIV even though it's a better more fun game with a million more things to do.

    Video game politics sure do suck , which is why I can't take any reviews seriously anymore. You've all got hidden agenda's, wether it's rushing reviews out the door to quick to be 1st, or scoring games low to get a few cheap hits. I'm done with video games sites, theyve lost all credibility when it comes to reviews. The GTAIV reviews proved how rotten this industry is.

  • mikeck #12 3 years ago

    I will be getting this for sure, I've been looking forward to this for an age - however I may wait until after Fallout 3 and Far Cry 2 have been played through, as the release schedule for the end of this month is bloody ridiculous!

    Also WAR is taking over my life at present.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 12:30

  • DrunkenKillfish #13 3 years ago

    @robg

    I believe the sci-fi connection is Isaac Asimov & Arthur C Clarke

  • mattigan #14 3 years ago

    "I dunno, maybe since that has been when my focus has been on it a bit more, but I'm sure games have had to work alot harder since then for their marks. "

    It's what the high scoring AAA games do, I beleive the expression is 'raising the bar'.

  • anomagnus #15 3 years ago

    to be honest, Eurogamer is heading down the path of Edge, where they're deliberately running down titles just to appear respectable, as if by marking harder than anyone else, they're something special

    their reviews no longer hold much meaning for me, i check Eurogamer for news at the most, and even then they're often way behind everyone else

  • andywilkie35 #16 3 years ago

    Every game that has advertising on eurogamer gets 7/10. So does that mean that Saints Row 2 will also get that score? Course it does

  • Dizzy #17 3 years ago

    >Oh and I love GTA4 so I'm not entire sure where you were going with your stance?

    You seemed to suggest GTAIV was not a 10 and that now EG is compensating by rating games lower.

    Anyway.. ignore my remarks if that was not the case.

    I would have loved Dead Space to be a 9 or a 10 but I just have no more faith in EA. A 7 is probably ok but a missed opportunity since they seem to have a kick ass engine. The movies looked more like an FPS TBH... how can you have "horror" when you have to slaughter countless aliens every minute.

  • Beano #18 3 years ago

    Not as good as LBP then?

  • neilka #19 3 years ago

    Thanks for clearing that up, DrunkenKillfish.

  • Clive_Dunn #20 3 years ago

    "No offence but that's a terrible review, you compared it to about 20 different games in a failed attempt to take some of the gloss off this fine game."

    So you've played it then ? Twat.

  • kangarootoo #21 3 years ago

    Oh Jesus. Can we please stop splitting hairs over the cocking score. Its frankly the very least important part of the review (as always).

    So anyway, on the subject of the actual game. Its reassuring to hear the combat is fun, as that is the area I worried about. Sounds like the level design let it down a bit (under the umbrella of not very imaginitive plotting). Worth a rental I suppose?

  • bitesize #22 3 years ago

    NickJC1:I'm done with video games sites, theyve lost all credibility when it comes to reviews.

    hooray! do you promise to fuck off forever and never come back again then?


    anyways, lookin forward to this game immensely, sounds v good. fable2 out the same day tho, so it might have to wait til after the xmas rush...

  • jack_klugman #23 3 years ago

    Wo, I almost entirely missed this. For some reason this hardly stands out at all on the front page. Perhaps substitute the current image for one of the game's iconic protagonist?

  • TheLittlestHobo #24 3 years ago

    NickJC1, your comments on the LBP review thread and now here show that you are completly insane. I suggest you go and get some help.

  • DanWhitehead #25 3 years ago

    I'm wondering that since the GTA4 10 if EG are really putting games to the sword to justify high marks nowadays?

    For what it's worth, that's just how I review games. I play them through, and get a feeling for what sort of mark I'd probably give it. Then I put it to one side, sleep on it for a bit, go back to it and see if it really stands up to my initial impressions. Sometimes they go up, more often they go down a notch.

    What I can say with absolute conviction is that in over two years of writing for Eurogamer, I've never once had a conversation, argument or debate with any of the editorial staff over a mark I've given a game. I know this will be hard for some to believe, but Tom simply sends me a game, I play it, I think about it, I write my thoughts down, give it a score out of ten, send it to him and that's what goes up on the site. No pressure, no queries, no editorial tampering. Ever.

    I've been writing professionally about games since 1991, and this is the first time that's ever happened. For what it's worth.

  • NickJC1 #26 3 years ago

    So what if Dead space takes inspiration from the Alien films or RE4. GTA ripped off every fucking gangster film ever made, Boyz in the hood, Miami vice, Scarface, yet I never here reviewers bitch about it, they just cream themselves and giveGTAIV 10/10 even though it's one of the most boring sandbox games you will ever play.

    If you're going to bash something like Dead Space for lack of original ideas or gameplay that doesn't evolve as you play then use these things to judge every game you review. It seems there is one law for hyped blockbuster games, and another law for games that don't come with free spartan helmets or money hats.

  • StooMonster #27 3 years ago

    I still think we should get rid of numeric scores for subjective qualitative game entertainment products. 'Buy', 'buy if you like that kind of thing', 'rent', 'avoid' -- would work for me, and it sounds like Dead Space is a 'buy if you like that kind of thing' title.

    And I do like that kind of thing, so it's a PC purchase for me. Although I wish EA would use Steam for distribution.

  • Triggerhappytel #28 3 years ago

    I was expecting a little higher, but no doubt 7 is a pretty good score for their first attempt. It seems a shame that the game boils down to people telling you to fix this or that over the radio; I always find that solid objectives help make a game feel a bit more credible.

    Still, one to check out it seems, although perhaps early next year if/when the price drops, due to this horrendously competitive season.

  • mikll #29 3 years ago

    EG i think you need a review of yoursleves. Just glimpsing at the comments shows that alot of people think your scores are rather odd.

    me included!!

    During the review you seem to focus on negatives and how it takes from other games..but the list of other games is good and i for one am pleased to have a mix of them. And even after all the negatives you give 7/10 which should actually count as a pretty good game.

    Come on EG sort out your rating system and reviews. be a bit more positive aye?

  • Vanmunt #30 3 years ago

    Not as good as Lego Batman then Dan..... :)

  • Madafunkola #31 3 years ago

    @Dan
    "this is the first time that's ever happened. For what it's worth."
    First time what has happened? Have you got editorial beef from your score?

  • mikeck #32 3 years ago

    I'm not a fan of 'scoring' reviews either, I look at the final score sure, but for me it's the impression from the text that gives me a feel for the game rather than the score.

    7/10 isn't bad by any means, but the review actually delves into the reasoning behind this, and for me, whislt I'm slightly disappointed that the game doesn't appear to have been the masterpiece I was hoping it would be, that remains to be seen from my point of view when I go out an play it.

    Why whine about scores, just play the game and see for yourself if you agree with the review or not. I see reviews as a guide, and sometimes in the past I have been put off from playing a game, but all in all, it's how YOU feel about a game that matters, not anyone else surely?

  • mikeck #33 3 years ago

    @Dan
    "this is the first time that's ever happened. For what it's worth."
    First time what has happened? Have you got editorial beef from your score?

    I presume he meant, first time in his career before EG that there has been NO editorial pressure to change a review score?
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 13:06

  • ccfb #34 3 years ago

    DAN : 'I think about it, I write my thoughts down, give it a score out of ten, send it to him and that's what goes up on the site. '

    ...

    Go fuck yourself, San Diego!

  • mashk #35 3 years ago

    I'll wait for it to be reduced to 19.99 then.

  • kangarootoo #36 3 years ago

    What is wrong with you people? Stop talking about the score ffs.

    Right. Next person to talk about the score likes fiddling with cattle, whilst wearing stolen underwear.

    Starting now.

  • kangarootoo #37 3 years ago

    @DanWhitehead

    To even respond to that crap is not worth your time dude. Some people just like moaning about stuff.

  • kangarootoo #38 3 years ago

    Shit. Should I have made those last posts in reverse order?

    /gets underwear sack

  • muscleblade #39 3 years ago

    IGN gave it 8.7 (not 8.2 coomber) and gamepro gave it 5/5 and i really like the genre so i might buy it as soon as it becomes availaible.

    edit: 7/10 is fine btw. No moaning from me.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 13:30

  • Triggerhappytel #40 3 years ago

    And Playr gave it 9/10 - not that you can really trust them too much, IMO.

  • Krelle #41 3 years ago

    People dont see a 7/10 as shit. I think most people understand that such a score means GOOD GAME.

    But, the problem is that playing games takes alot of fucking time. (For some money is a problem aswell,)
    When you already have a billion 8+/10-games on your To-Play-List, or when you know the holiday season is just around the corner, 7/10 naturally feels like "shit", as its probably worse than most other games that you still havnt had the time to play.

    Games are not movies in this regard, and while we should be glad so many great games come out, its proves a problem at the same time.

  • HolyJebus #42 3 years ago

    Yeah Dan, I don't think any sane person thinks you mark the final score as anything other then a fair representation of the overall quality of the game. I'm sure you know as much as anyone the amount of idiots that post on this site (just check the LBP posts).

    Anywho as for scores, I'm pro scoring and only think they are useful to compare similar games in the same genre not to decide whether Halo is better then Sudoku.

  • DanWhitehead #43 3 years ago

    I presume he meant, first time in his career before EG that there has been NO editorial pressure to change a review score?

    Yes, sorry, just to clarify - that's what I meant.

  • spudsbuckley #44 3 years ago

    Non-quirky/non-leftfield game gets less than 9/10 on EG shocker!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Any time i see a 'regular' game reviewed on EG i usually add one or two to the review score to compensate for the Edge-style eliteism on this site.

  • Gurrah #45 3 years ago

    Why do we always get info on how a game plays on the consoles but never on the PC? With games released on three or more platforms at the time I think it's a very important piece of information, it's not the first time the PC has suffered from bad ports or cross-platform-development.

  • DanWhitehead #46 3 years ago

    So just to recap, Eurogamer only gives top marks to big budget mainstream blockbuster games because of the big sacks of money the publishers send, but Eurogamer also only gives top marks to quirky, leftfield arty-farty games because of omg elitism.

    Hmm. Paradox.

  • bad09 #47 3 years ago

    I'm a bit surprised at the review as I've been hearing lots of goods thing on DS.

    Still games that get 6 or 7 on EG I normally like quite a lot so not bothered about the review. As a big Survival horror fan I know this is my cup of tea so add on a point or two!
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 13:32

  • OldK1ngCole #48 3 years ago

    Been following this since it was announced, 7/10 is a good enough score for me to pick it up I think.

    Anyone know if theres gonna be a demo?

  • muscleblade #49 3 years ago

    Alone in the dark and Dead Space is within the same genre and received the same score on this site. Thats very odd imo. I prefer Metacritic when comparing scores to avoid really bad games having the same score as good ones.

  • Beano #50 3 years ago

    The game still sound great to me after reading the review.

    Unoriginal ?... well I didn't really expect it to be.
    Inpersonal main character?... worked for Halo ;)
    Backtracking?... ok, this IS a issue and something also pointed out by IGN, but apparently no a game breaker.

    So not a masterpiece as many hoped, but sound like a great game :)

  • GordonCaladan #51 3 years ago

    Paradox.

    Strategy.

  • Dogstar060763 #52 3 years ago

    This is a disappointing review. Everything I've seen on Dead Space to date seems to suggest at the minimum a score of 8, but EG's 7 seems 'off' and I suspect there is more at play here than meets the eye. Did EA cancel some much-needed advertising, EG? Is that it? Are you lot feeling a bit miffed?

    This review makes no sense in the context of what looks to most like an exceptional title (on any format).

    The only thing I'd say in the review's favour is that the dreaded 'Doom 3' reference was at last made. I believe that's the first time I've seen D3 mentioned in the same breath as Dead Space - EA's unofficial 'embargo' on writers mentioning id's SF horror game has been the elephant in the room ever since Dead Space first came to everyone's attention. But now I just think this reviewer made the reference to add spite to an already wilfully negative review.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 13:58

  • anomagnus #53 3 years ago

    i see some people say

    'its only a score ffs'

    the point being, that MANY people will simply look at the score and judge the game solely on that

    if the final score wasnt important, why does EG continue to use it? They use it, because they KNOW it has a powerful effect

    its human nature to break something down to its most simplest part, to better understand it.

    for better or worse, 7/10 is not considered a great score in this industry. Shit, there will be people who will be angry that LBP got 9 and not 10

    if EG want to use scores, then they should expect harsh criticism over their scoring policy.

    again, i refer to the utter TRAVESTY that was the too human review. There was a review that was clearly meant only to generate hits, and get a review out there as fast as possible

    eg, to me, is compromising review integrity for hits quantity

  • UncleLou #54 3 years ago

    "Alone in the dark and Dead Space is within the same genre and received the same score on this site. Thats very odd imo. I prefer Metacritic when comparing scores to avoid really bad games having the same score as good ones."

    Games can have the same score for very different reasons. A slightly uninspired, but very solid game can have the same score as a flawed game with tons of great ideas. Which is why you should always read the review, and not just look at the score. (And scores should stay, they complement a review).
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 13:46

  • symmetry #55 3 years ago

    "It's not always successful though, since when you're backed up against a wall by gibbering space mutants it can be impossible to see how close you are to death."

    I'd say you were pretty close...

  • bad09 #56 3 years ago

    @ anomagnus

    "again, i refer to the utter TRAVESTY that was the too human review. "

    I think dan's review was pretty fair to the utter TRAVESTY that was too human ;)

  • exidor #57 3 years ago

    @muscleblade "Alone in the dark and Dead Space is within the same genre and received the same score on this site. Thats very odd imo."

    Too right. A game that's a bit samey but otherwise fun to play scores the same as a broken piece of crap? I know you can't be 100% objective when reviewing games but come on.

  • Chufty #58 3 years ago

    It would be nice if there was a bit of information about the PC version.

  • HolyJebus #59 3 years ago

    I'm pretty sure if EG could rereview AITD it would get a lower score. Everyone makes mistakes. No biggie.

  • bitesize #60 3 years ago

    i'm beginning to despair of gamers...

    spudbuckley:Non-quirky/non-leftfield game gets less than 9/10 on EG shocker!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Any time i see a 'regular' game reviewed on EG i usually add one or two to the review score to compensate for the Edge-style eliteism on this site.

    so EG mark down the big 'non-quirky' titles due to 'elitism' do they? so i guess you think the latest games in the halo + gta series (probably the 2 biggest titles in gaming) were scored unfairly then? did they deserve a 12 each?


    dogstar060763: This is a disappointing review. Everything I've seen on Dead Space to date seems to suggest at the minimum a score of 8, but EG's 7 seems 'off' and I suspect there is more at play here than meets the eye. Did EA cancel some-needed advertising, EG? Is that it? Are you lot feeling a bit miffed?

    so you've seen a few videos, and decided the game's worth 'at the minimum' an 8. EG reviewer (who has played the game extensively) scores the game a 7, and because of that you've decided they marked the game down cos of lost advertising?!

    fuck's sake, do you people not realise that different people might have different opinions from you without it all being down to corruption??

    Edited by 2 at 13/10/08 @ 13:54

  • asphaltcowboy #61 3 years ago

    Really looking forward to this! Good review!

  • onyxbox #62 3 years ago

    not as good as Jericho then

    ;-)

  • Widge #63 3 years ago

    @Dan

    Just in case I get misinterpreted. No beef at all from me. You seem like you found the game pretty good, pretty good = 7 quite rightly. Its just that some are interpreting things like 7 as terrible, whereas you really should have to work it for the high marks.

    I'm not moaning about reviews more at those interpreting reviews. You know "omg! this is a good game and it only gets a 7" etc...

  • Les #64 3 years ago

    "Oh Jesus. Can we please stop splitting hairs over the cocking score. Its frankly the very least important part of the review (as always)."

    +1

    But we all know the answer (despite the '?' missing is a big fat 'no'). While it is the least important part, it's the only part idiots can comprehend.

    As for the game, I think they should have fixed the camera... :p

  • Widge #65 3 years ago

    in fact the above is played out by Dogstar060763's comments! Dead Space = pretty good game yet the bottom line score is being translated like its some sort of failure... which I don't think is right.

  • Les #66 3 years ago

    DanWhitehead: "So just to recap, Eurogamer only gives top marks to big budget mainstream blockbuster games because of the big sacks of money the publishers send"

    I knew it! This would make a great quote for a news aggregation site... :p

  • Les #67 3 years ago

    "whereas you really should have to work it for the high marks."

    If you ever played Oblivion or BioShock, you know that's not true. Some people just have terrible taste... ;)

  • muscleblade #68 3 years ago

    I have no problem with the score itself. I do have a problem with the fact that it got the same score as Jericho and Aitd. Two games in the same genre. Dead Space most definantly looks to be a better game than those two considering the review text and other reviews.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 14:11

  • kinky_mong #69 3 years ago

    I think 7/10 is perfectly justified from the points the review made.

    I only started taking notice of this about 2 months ago so missed alot of the hype, and it was on my "Wait until December/ January to see if the price drops" list due mostly to the fact that it's got a lot of competition on its release date. This review only confirms the suspicions I had that this would be Resi 4 meets Metroid Prime but not quite as good as either.

  • muscleblade #70 3 years ago

    IGN Gave Aitd 3.5 and Dead Space 8.7. On here they both get a 7. I know reviews are nothing but personal opinions but this just seems way off.

  • Darknight #71 3 years ago

    /Kindly reminds everybody that there is a link to EGs scoring policy at the end of every review...

    Read it people!

  • DanWhitehead #72 3 years ago

    I have no problem with the score itself. I do have a problem with the fact that it got the same score as Jericho and Aitd. Two games in the same genre. Dead Space most definantly looks to be a better game than those two considering the review text and other reviews.

    But a review isn't just about placing a game in a slot on some imaginary linear scale of goodness. Do you really think that Empire considers every film that gets 3 stars to be identical in quality to every other 3 star movie? Of course not. The score is a guideline, a summation of the review text, not some mathematically airtight value that places the game in some fixed position in relation to every other game in existence.

    I, personally, wouldn't have given Alone in the Dark or Jericho a 7/10. I wouldn't have given Halo 3 a 10/10 either. But I can understand why they got those marks, because I read the reviews and the writers justified their opinion. But that doesn't mean that I should be obliged give a game a score I don't think it deserves, just to put it in the "proper" place on some imaginary ladder of quality, because then you just end up with escalating scores that are increasingly meaningless. Games can get the same score for different reasons, be better in some regards, worse in others.

    From the Eurogamer scoring system ([link url=http://ww w.eurogamer.net/scoring_policy.php)
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/scoring_policy....[/link]

    "A seven in Eurogamer speak is something we greatly recommend you have a good look at before you buy, because you can bet many highly regarded games over the years have been awarded a seven. If you're a fan of the genre in question then there's a very good chance you'll get a lot out of it, and often you'll hear a game's vocal following doing their best to boost its chances. Conversely, many detractors will seek to kick it down even further. A seven suggests you're into the idea of the game you should still try and check it out - you might like it more than you think, or be able to forgive its less than brilliant visuals. Or maybe it looks good, but the camera issues were just unforgiving, or maybe the AI wasn't up to much.

    Over the years, in gaming parlance, seven has become almost the real 'average' score, but this is nonsense that we wish was flushed out of the scoring system with many publications terrified of giving certain games - particularly those of a great significance backed by big ad campaigns - less than this mark. Often giving less than seven is deemed to be the point of no return, with this considered to be the psychological barrier at which point people decide to buy at or not. But we're resistant to the idea and believe seven equates to being a very good score, and one that should be given more credit. In Eurogamer's eyes, it's still a great game, but one that is likely to sport a few areas where the game is blatantly let down - to the detriment of its overall quality and enjoyment."

  • Darren #73 3 years ago

    I'm still really excited about playing this game despite EG's it's-a-good-rather-than-great-game review. The various gameplay videos I've seen look really good and somewhat reminiscent of Doom 3 only in third-person and with zero-gravity bits. Certainly looks a lot of fun to me so I'm sticking with my pre-order. And that it mirrors Resident Evil 4's control scheme is a plus point since that game never appeared on the PS3 or 360. Roll on... when it this game out again? LOL

    Oh and it's nice to see EG give credit for the game's solid framerate and lack of screen tearing... IMO too many reviewers overlook these issues like with the *cough*Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise*cough* review, a game which has some of the worst tearing I've seen in a 360 game since the unpatched Saints Row!!!

  • Bulbatron #74 3 years ago

    Somebody mentioned Alone in the Dark!

    (turns into hulk and smashes up house)

    Still....so....aaaangry!

    :-()

  • yupyup #75 3 years ago

    Maybe EG should disguise the score in some sort of sum to stop every review comments section being filled with absolute morons.

    Dead Space = 3+4/5*2

  • ParanoidZombie #76 3 years ago

    Have you tried a harder difficulty setting? Since the game seems to be less than challenging, maybe that would solve that issue...

    On the other hand, it looks like all survival horror games share the same flaw: they simply are too repetitive. Silent hill, project zero, condemned, even RE, and dead space according to the review: very repetitive games, all of them. I still think that call of cthulhu dark corners of the earth is the best survival horror ever, simply because it manages to avoid that issue - and it's VERY scary, too.

  • kangarootoo #77 3 years ago

    @anomagnus

    "i see some people say
    'its only a score ffs'
    the point being, that MANY people will simply look at the score and judge the game solely on that "

    Those many people are f*cking idiots.

    So, glad we could clear that one up so easily.


    "if EG want to use scores, then they should expect lunatic criticism over their scoring policy by idiots"

    FIXED


    I can't believe Dan still feels the need to try and stem the flow of stupidity. Anyone who would take two entirely different games, and compare them directly based only on their score, is clearly beyond help.

    A modicum of intelligence and a light sprinking of common sense is all anyone needs to see how ridiculous this score based argument is, yet it keeps surfacing time after time.

    We could argue about review policy, and we could argue about the scores that other sites give games, but what we should do is read the words and form our own opinions. That is it. Its that simple.

    I personally would be delighted if EG were to drop scores completely, it might mean more discussion threads had discussion in them instead of the same thinly disguised IQ test submissions. But I realise this will never happen as their readership would drop due to the almost religious following that a pointless digit has garnered.

    I swear its like a version of Planet of Apes, but where the apes are just normal... ONLY STUPIDER! ;)

  • Martin #78 3 years ago

    neilka: Thanks for clearing that up, DrunkenKillfish.

    LOL!

  • ParanoidZombie #79 3 years ago

    @kangarootoo: you could basically copy/paste your post into every comments threads you could find.... Why bother? People who complain about the score - before they even played the game, of course - won't read your answer, or won't understand it, or will reply with an insult... it's a waste of time. And what i just wrote is kinda pointless too, BTW. Could we please talk about the game, now, please?
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 14:58

  • DanWhitehead #80 3 years ago

    "Have you tried a harder difficulty setting? Since the game seems to be less than challenging, maybe that would solve that issue... "

    My full playthrough was on Normal, I also started new games on both 360 and PS3 on the tougher difficulty levels. Like most horror games, it gives you less ammo to tackle more resilient monsters, but that doesn't really solve the problem. It's not that the game isn't challenging, more that it's so predictable in the ways it uses the same survival horror elements as every other game in the genre that it's all too easy to get through a lot of it on autopilot.

    On the other hand, it looks like all survival horror games share the same flaw: they simply are too repetitive. Silent hill, project zero, condemned, even RE, and dead space according to the review: very repetitive games, all of them.

    Repetition is kind of inherent in any action adventure game, really, since they all rely on a mixture of shooting, following linear paths and solving rudimentary puzzles. The thing that left me underwhelmed with Dead Space is that there's no sense of escalation throughout the eleven or twelve hours you'll be playing it for. The story treads water for 80% of the game, while you face broadly the same enemies from beginning to end. It never feels like your predicament is getting worse, or that you're in an increasing amount of danger. If you plotted the highs and lows of the game, you'd get a pretty straight horizontal line, straight down the middle.

  • sneetch #81 3 years ago

    @DanWhitehead
    "The score is a guideline, a summation of the review text, not some mathematically airtight value that places the game in some fixed position in relation to every other game in existence."

    Mind if we use that quote next time someone goes for apoplectic rage because you gave a game one point less or more than they think it should have got? Actually, given the righteous fervour shown that should really be "one point less or more than they know it should have got"?

    Peoples opinions on various games will always differ; one man's meat is another man's poisonous, gas-spewing, monstrous mutation, as they say.

  • kangarootoo #82 3 years ago

    @ParanoidZombie

    Oh I know. I have my own issues I guess. I shout loadly about how some people are too stupid to hear sense. And its madness, 'cos they just don't want to be saved :)

    So I'll stop it.

  • Widge #83 3 years ago

    "Over the years, in gaming parlance, seven has become almost the real 'average' score, but this is nonsense"

    this is where I was driving at!

  • HolyJebus #84 3 years ago

    Anyone who needs it explained why the LBP review is above the Dead Space one should not be allowed near the internet. It's dangerous.

  • shotgun44 #85 3 years ago

    This is the first i've heard of this game, somehow! Sounds pretty good though, gonna pick it up when it's cheaper!

  • Triggerhappytel #86 3 years ago

    @ HairyCrack - welcome to my Ignore list. It's an exclusive little club featuring people like Apologie, NickJC1 and now yourself. You're in appropriate company, moron.

  • ParanoidZombie #87 3 years ago

    @Dan: oh, I see, a bit like Jericho or the Suffering, then. Peaks too early. Thanks for your answer, BTW :)
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 15:26

  • mikeck #88 3 years ago

    "@ HairyCrack - welcome to my Ignore list. It's an exclusive little club featuring people like Apologie, NickJC1 and now yourself. You're in appropriate company, moron. "

    I personally leave all the idiots off ignore - serves to both give me a chuckle, and remind me that not everybody can be coherent and rational on the internet :D

  • septimus #89 3 years ago

    Surprised, thought it would get more. Still getting it though.

  • anomagnus #90 3 years ago

    @bad09

    how many hours have you put into too human bad?

    i'm over 150 hours now since release, i think i know this game better than dan, and i suspect better than you

    the fact is, too human made you work. but the pay off was somethings special

  • ronuds #91 3 years ago

    Saw some vids on G4 for this and it all looked a bit disorientating. Is that a word? lol
    Anyway, I couldn't tell which way was up and which was down and which was front ways and which was back ways. I'd end up throwing a controller through the wall for sure.

  • wiggy1 #92 3 years ago

    pathetic review tbh 7/10 what a joke, u gave lbp 9/10 now that is a joke, u gave alone in the dark 7/10 when its so obviously horrible i & i cnt c dead space being any where near that bad
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 15:58

  • penhalion #93 3 years ago

    Definitely getting this. I like the look of it and the gameplay. I just played through Fracture (trading it in asap) and the end boss cheats by having his little minions kill you from behind while you try to fight him. I hate cheap shite like that. Sounds like dead space isn't a cheap trick kind of game.

  • Triggerhappytel #94 3 years ago

    mikeck - "I personally leave all the idiots off ignore - serves to both give me a chuckle, and remind me that not everybody can be coherent and rational on the internet :D"

    Yeah, it does give a few laughs sometimes, doesn't it? However, I'd rather just bypass their bullshit and spend my limited time on the internet reading sensible and coherant posts.

  • mikeck #95 3 years ago

    @ triggerhappytel

    I see your point, raise a few smiles or have a coherent stream of comments without interruption? Yeah, that's a no-brainer :)

  • mikeck #96 3 years ago

    @ anomagus

    "@bad09

    how many hours have you put into too human bad?

    i'm over 150 hours now since release, i think i know this game better than dan, and i suspect better than you

    the fact is, too human made you work. but the pay off was somethings special"

    Just to jump into your conversation here :) I've played it through once completely, and have tinkered with it ever since - even talked my buddy who disliked the demo into buying it so we could play together. I love the grind of this game, and really like the combat - for me it was something new and worked. I can certainly appreciate why others would not like the combat, but once I got used to it, it felt really fluid.

    The only thing stopping me play this at present is WAR, and then there is the deluge of games coming in the next few weeks...so whilst I'm certainly going to keep this game to come back to at some point, it'll be off the playlist for a while - but not because it's not good, as I think it's really good fun.

  • FenderMaster #97 3 years ago

    7/10 is probably a fair score, its just that after GTA IV and Halo 3 (two solid 8/10 games) recieving 10/10, it seems a bit unjust

    EG really just needs to admit that it scored those 2 way too high

  • Super_Zee #98 3 years ago

    7 is a little harsh, it's a personal 8 for me (on the half that I've played anyway). The story isn't the most comelling, it's true, but the design and combat are great. Very exciting.

  • dirigiblebill #99 3 years ago

    Nice work Dan. How does it compare to The Suffering, if you don't mind my asking? An imperfect game if ever there was one, that, but somehow I couldn't put it down...

  • bad09 #100 3 years ago

    @ anomagnus

    Fair enough mate it was a very tongue in cheek reply hence the ;)

    Horses for courses, but me personally, you couldn't pay me to play Too Human for more than one hour and thought the review (and score) was rather generous.

    Actually that's not true I would play for an hour for cash, no longer tho :)

    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 17:13

  • Mudo #101 3 years ago

    I was looking forward to this but not so much anymore.
    It sounds a bit of a slog with a poor story to boot. Which is a shame.

  • Super_Zee #102 3 years ago

    7 is a little harsh, it's a personal 8 for me (on the half that I've played anyway). The story isn't the most comelling, it's true, but the design and combat are great. Very exciting.

  • Hicksy #103 3 years ago

    Sounds like this year's The Darkness to me :o)

    /orders

  • Ergates_Antius #104 3 years ago

    "Also why is the Little Big Planet review above the Dead Space review?

    Well, because EG reviews are purely marketing and promotional tools for publishers."

    Clearly it's part of a plot by the New World Order secret government to hide from us the proof that they faked the moon landings which they did so we wouldn't find out about their secret moon base where they keep all the aliens (and Elvis), you know, the ones that shot JFK as part of a satanic ritual to create the occult crystals the CIA mindreaders use to steal your ideas and plant false thoughts in your brain. RUN, RUN FOR THE HILLS, THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU...

    (but make sure you leave all your paper money behind as they can use the embedde microchips to track your movements)

  • loopholezero #105 3 years ago

    @bad09: i wouldn't play a lot of top-scoring games either(not that too human had a top score). that doesn't mean they deserve a lower score,though. not everybody likes every genre.
    action rpg fans would prolly enjoy too human, just like survival horror fans will enjoy dead space.

    fuck the score, read the review. if it's any good, you'll know whether you have the same taste in games as the reviewer and whether you'd like the game or not.

    people get stuck on the stupidest of things sometimes; not aimed at you, bad09, but at the rest of the thread that got spammed with bullshit ;)

  • bad09 #106 3 years ago

    @ loopholezero

    Yeah fair point, everyone is different. Hell, I'm one of the few people (it seems) who actually thinks GTA4 lived up to the hype :)

  • Feanor #107 3 years ago

    "pathetic review tbh 7/10 what a joke, u gave lbp 9/10 now that is a joke, u gave alone in the dark 7/10 when its so obviously horrible i & i cnt c dead space being any where near that bad"

    Tragicomedy.

  • bad09 #108 3 years ago

    "Just use another site for your info when considering to buy it or not. "

    Or just use your own consumer decision making, as reviews truly mean nothing when it comes to personal taste. I remember a little movie panned by reviewers, went by the name of Star Wars, wonder what happened to that....

    Just read reviews for a rough idea and some laughs, YOU know if you'll like it or not so you decide if it's good or not people.

  • Xerx3s #109 3 years ago

    Like I said: Nothing bad but nothing original such as the system shock ip's that EA is sitting on.

  • Trafford #110 3 years ago

    7/10.Better than The Thing then.

  • dryden555 #111 3 years ago

    I dont buy the reviewer's argument about the too impersonal main character. That's also true of a bazillion well-reviewed FPS style games.
    Edited by 2 at 13/10/08 @ 20:30

  • Pablo2k5 #112 3 years ago

    mikll13 said ... "EG sort out your rating system and reviews. be a bit more positive aye?"

    Why give a game a better score than it deserves?

    This is why I always read EG. Honest scores.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/08 @ 20:45

  • sirtacos #113 3 years ago

    Solid review. Reads like a 7.

  • dacicus #114 3 years ago

    I'm gonna put only one argument for not buying the game: Internet Connection Required. You all know what that means: the same nightmare that was Bioshock in its first days, Mass Effect, FIFA, Spore or Crysis Warhead (I do own Bioshock and Mass Effect, I skipped the others and I will not buy or pirate any game that will have online activation and limited installs). Dead Space was a game that I was looking forward(survival horrors are pretty rare in our days). Unfortunately, the protection is a turnoff. had enough with two games, I'm not renting games for a while. And I'm upgrading my PC a lot. So that means OS reinstall, formatting my HDD, changing various hardware pieces, in a few words: all the little things that are taking out your activations pretty fast. I feel sad, because I'm treated as a thief when I buy the product, and most of the people who will buy Dead Space they will look for workarounds after dealing with EA's support. The official forums are full of complaints for any game that has SecuRom Online or even plain SecuRom. So most likely, the same will happen with this one.

  • mukki #115 3 years ago

    well pre-ordered this
    and will still buy it...

    looks like quite a bit of splatter fun...
    ok so its full of scifi movie and game references... still looks great and should prove entertaining...

    next stop Gears and Res Evil :)

    any word on differences between the ps3 and 360 version? other than the of so clever different coloring of the main character.
    I like the 360 colors better.... and still waiting for a game released on both platforms that runs and looks better on the ps3...
    BTW love both ;)


  • charming_fox #116 3 years ago

    Can you strafe in this game?
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/08 @ 00:15

  • Gearskin #117 3 years ago

    Altman be praised.

  • subtlesnake #118 3 years ago

    "7/10 is probably a fair score, its just that after GTA IV and Halo 3 (two solid 8/10 games) recieving 10/10, it seems a bit unjust"

    Halo certainly wouldn't have received a 10 were Eurogamer just rating the single player campaign alone, and the same may well be true with GTA. Again, it depends whether you see the review score as a measure of the inherent 'value' present within a gaming product, or instead as a measure of its success as an actual piece of art (or entertainment).

    But as long as the reviewer communicates the way in which he's assessing the game I don't see the problem. Halo 3 certainly wasn't praised as a reinvention of the FPS experience, but rather as an evolution of the Halo formula that added many new multiplayer possibilities, and consequently gave hundreds of hours of potential entertainment to the Halo fan.

  • dcangel #119 3 years ago

    7/10 tends to suggest this is a good game if you like the horror genre, which fortunately I do. The promise of lots of tedious backtracking, however, doesn't appeal so much. Shame, I was quite looking forward to this. Hopefully there'll be a demo.

  • DrunkenKillfish #120 3 years ago

    neilka: Thanks for clearing that up, DrunkenKillfish.

    LOL!

    /Turns sarcasm radar on

  • CrazedAlien #121 3 years ago

    Good review and nicely balanced. I have been looking forward to this game and I think it's a shame that they couldn't have put as much love into the story and scenarios as they clearly have into everything else. Most of the reviews have highlighted the impressive visuals, sound and overall atmosphere but I haven't seen much mention of a compelling story.

    I haven't played the game yet but from what I've read I can see how it might have been a missed opportunity in some cases.

  • Bonus #122 3 years ago

    This is the lowest score the game has gotten so far and is currently sitting at an average of 89 on metacritic which suggests it's actually fairly good.

  • CrazedAlien #123 3 years ago

    It probably is fairly good. Better than fairly good. I'm still considering getting it myself but I wouldn't disregard the few issues that have been mentioned repeatedly regardless of score. I agree a 7 might seem a little low but I do tend to put more faith in Eurogamer than a lot of other review outlets. I think it's a case of the score speaking louder than the text as it often does unfortunately.

    By the way, the 1up review seems to be pretty similar in sentiment.

  • gmjapan #124 3 years ago

    Ever since i saw the trailer I thought "Doom3 over the shoulder" and its the 1st time i see a review mention it.

    For comments like Dogstar060763s "looks to most like an exceptional title" well then it just looks that way but isnt judging by the review. For me its here that the review works best; looking past the shiny nature and into the lame errand boy material and easy encounters. It seems to have plenty going for it but none of it outstanding. Thats what i want to know. i dont need to see another run-of-the-mill game getting 10/10 and lavish praise - it tells me nothing (about the game).

    Guess what...? EA in uninspired rip-off shocker!

    Good review.
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/08 @ 10:20

  • michaelius #125 3 years ago

    Score is about right with what I have seen in trailers.

  • Darren #126 3 years ago

    I've just read GameSpot's 9.0 review of Dead Space and it's obviously far more enthusiastic about the game than EG were. They make it sound like Resident Evil 4 in space which is no bad thing in my book. In fact, reading that review has got me really excited about the game (*sigh* AGAIN!) but whether it's a good or great game obviously remains to be seen. Either way I'm immensely looking forward to trying it next week.

    And wasn't (isn't?) there supposed to be a demo coming out before the game? What happened to that?

  • dryden555 #127 3 years ago

    gamespot's review was too vague about the details of the gameplay. Not a great review from them I thought.

  • Darren #128 3 years ago

    Well I thought they went into more detail about the gameplay than EG did, specifically the approach to killing creatures and the different equipment and environments. That is I felt got a more accurate impression of how the game plays and it certainly seemed to back up their Resident Evil 4 comparison. Between the two reviews though, I've gathered enough info to know that this is the kind of game I'll enjoy which is all I could ask for. It's up to me now how good I deem the game to be! :)

  • Dizzy #129 3 years ago

    "7/10 is probably a fair score, its just that after GTA IV and Halo 3 (two solid 8/10 games) recieving 10/10, it seems a bit unjust"

    You f*cking emo losers are starting to annoy me now with all this Halo 3 this and that GTAIV that. Go to metacritic if you wanne be emo about it. Oh? What? Did those two games also get high meta rankings??? Go cry with your f*cking mother!

    Phew.. I feel better now. Back to our regular programming.

  • IronCladChicken #130 3 years ago

    Maybe, as well as a score, they should add a 'better than' and 'worse than' comparing the game to two other titles in the same genre it most closely matches - That way EG couild create a definitive ordered list of how each game compares to others in the same genre, identifynig the subler differences between scores (i.e. dead space wopuld be higher than alone in the dark (4?)) and providing a crapload of flamebait the angry, angry kids on this site (they get angrier on the runup to christmas due to being overtired)?

  • IronCladChicken #131 3 years ago

    Oh - & the dead space score reminds me a lot of last years BioShock score - Didn;t that game get 10/10 from everyone on release,. then a couple of months later people realised it was just a standard FPS with a nice visual style?

  • Darren #132 3 years ago

    If Dead Space is only half as good as BioShock in terms of gameplay, visuals and atmosphere then it will be awesome IMO. :)

  • NickJC1 #133 3 years ago

    The score is to low, that's a fact. But this is Eurogamer where MGS4 is a 8/10 and Saints row 2 is a 9/10

    And with members saying shit like this

    "Score is about right with what I have seen in trailers"

    I think I'll say no more and let you Eurogamers get on with it.

  • tobsen #134 3 years ago

    Guys, please let's all get over the 10/10 for Halo 3 once and for all. Like pretty much every other gaming website, EG was simply seduced and bludgeoned into submission by MS through what was probably the biggest PR pushes for a game ever. That's just how this industry works, and unfortunately EG is no exception. Though the lame attempts to distance themselves from the original review afterwards were, well, REALLY LAME.

  • muscleblade #135 3 years ago

    If Dead Space is half as good as resident Evil 4 its a "must buy" imo. According to teamxbox its even better. I rather buy this than FallOut 3.

  • Tallon4 #136 3 years ago

    EDGE says 8/10

    source: [link url=http://www.gamefront.de< br /> ]http://www.gamefront.de< br /> [/link]

    German site but ....awesome and accurate

  • captain-future #137 3 years ago

    @Dan: I like the reviews at Eurogamer because I like to read reviews which don't share my own opinion. I'm also very happy to read that at EG you won't try to change the score by editorial intervention - and I'm very glad to here that's the way you roll here.

    So good review (opinion) but I respectfully disagree with the score.

  • dryden555 #138 3 years ago

    Eurogamer, you goofed big time here. I'm playing this right now and its easily a 9. On hard diff, it is an intense and strategic yet also happily action-based game. Then you gave the very flawed Bioshock a 10, when it is clearly an 8 game. These are similar games -- story-driven, single player in a shooter genre -- and it is an odd mystery why Dead Space didnt garner a better review from you. Disappointing EG.
    Edited by 1 at 24/10/08 @ 14:13

  • DuTraveller #139 3 years ago

    i think the best way to know if its worth it is making a demo to experiment the game..

  • neems #140 3 years ago

    Damnit, there's a link to the xbox 360 review of Dead Space from the pc page. I want to know how the pc version plays ie have the mouse controls been nerfed?

  • spookyzombie #141 3 years ago

    I agree with others here in regards to the low scoring of Dead Space. Played this for a couple of hours last night and it's fantastic. EG have scored this too low, unlike most other game sites/magazines.

  • CyberDevilDog #142 3 years ago

    I have now played close to 5 hours of the game (about the halfway point according to the review) and can't say enough about the atmosphere, sense of immersion (the attention to detail is striking at times) or the overall experience. Also, the graphics are just stunning, the environments are spectacular and if you have a 5.1 setup then you’re in for a treat. Consequently, I went back to reread the review to try and understand why it didn’t score at least an 8. Frankly, most of the complaints just didn’t plague me or negatively impact my game experience in any meaningful way.

    I guess I should confess that although I’ve been playing video games for about 20 years I have never played the Resident Evil series or the Doom series. Most of my time until the Xbox came around was spent on the Nintendo platform (never played on the PC, not sure why). When I switched to the Xbox platform I played mostly shooters like Halo, Ghost Recon, Call of Duty, Gears of War or similar. It wasn’t until the last year and half that I returned to play games outside of that genre or non-multiplayer games for that matter. So, the complaints that were contrasted against Resident Evil or Doom simply did not affect me.

    With that qualifier, I suppose I was free to enjoy the game without much baggage (in this genre) good or bad. In that regard, the game is a great second addition to my 360 game-library in the horror survival genre alongside Bioshock (I know, not exactly a genre match). I say second only because I have played other games in this genre but haven’t run into other keepers. So, for example, I bought and completed Condemned 2 (EG scored an 8), which I definitely enjoyed (especially its story) but ultimately I traded it in about a month ago. I felt the combat mechanics were not fully fleshed out (not as gratifying as Dead Space) and while the sense of immersion was quite often a hit, it was however enough times a miss (so far Dead Space is all hit). Also, I tried Silent Hill Home Coming, which I rented from GAMEFLY but returned it after 2 hours of game play (don’t get me started).

    I even tried the dreaded Alone in the Dark (at least according to reviews on other sites), which I did not find nearly as bad (so far it’s entertaining 1 hr in) something EG seems to have concluded by scoring it a 7. However, not sure how EG could have scored it so highly (6 at best) with so many unpolished bits that often steal away the immersion, like broken game mechanics (as verified by the developer with an upcoming patch, which I’ll wait for). Therefore, I found it odd to complain the game mechanics in Dead Space played like a greatest hits of sorts, especially when they are executed so well. Ultimately, this is my greatest aggravation with the Dead Space score (or the review for that matter) is that compared to games in its own genre it seems to be held to a higher standard (maybe it elicits that emotion) that doesn’t seem to exist on the 360.
    Edited by 1 at 24/10/08 @ 15:58

  • neems #143 3 years ago

    Cyber Devil Dog, I highly recommend the first Condemned game - by all accounts it is far more atmospheric than the sequel (I haven't played Condemned 2, to be fair). You can probably pick it up cheap now as well - I recommended it to a mate, he played it for about 10 minutes and said 'f**k that, too scary'. It's basically FEAR with sledgehammers and far more tension.

    I'm still waiting for my Dead Space to arrive.

  • ChadSexington #144 3 years ago

    I got the US version of Dead Space last week and have completed it twice. It's great. The Eurogamer review marks it down for being unoriginal, but surely if you mark games on originality none would score very highly? Two recent 10/10s (Bioshock and Fable II) being cases in point.
    Edited by 1 at 24/10/08 @ 15:26

  • CyberDevilDog #145 3 years ago

    neems, thanks will give Condemned 1 a rent from GAMEFLY. Hope you enjoy Dead Space as much as I am.

  • dcangel #146 3 years ago

    Well, I've been playing this most of the weekend so far, and am about 6 hours in. So far, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. The atmosphere is so thick you could probably beat it with a severed arm.

    It's true that in gameplay terms Dead Space doesn't really attempt to deviate much from the over-the-shoulder template set out by Resident Evil 4. However, the addition of sidestepping is a definite plus in my book, and while the controls are similar to Resi 4, they're generally more polished and less stubborn. The graphics are technically excellent in almost every way, the art design takes a single unified theme and executes it brilliantly, the music and sound design is (literally) breathtaking, and the gameplay is fun and tense, while being generally well-balanced and well-paced with enough variety to keep it interesting.

    The "Normal" difficulty is about what I'd expect - it's a bit easier that Resi 4 was on Normal difficulty, and I personally think that's about right, maybe a little too low for some people - you can always play it on Hard if you want more of a challenge. The only real black mark for me is that there is a little too much back-and-forth in some missions.

    I think if you don't care for the gameplay mechanics of survival horror, Dead Space probably won't do much to change your mind. However I think it's the most polished and fun example of the genre that I've played, and I'm having a blast with it.

    If I was in the mood to be combative, I'd say that I had much more fun with DS than with some other rather higher-rated games I could mention (coughbioshockcough). But I'm not, so I won't. ;)

    edit: Oh, and Isaac's deaths are fantastic. I can't recall any other game offhand where the main character can be dismembered, eviscerated, puréed and generally minced to a bloody pulp in so many amusing ways. That's a +1 automatically right off the bat.
    Edited by 1 at 26/10/08 @ 10:17

  • KingStevie #147 3 years ago

    I'm a huge survival horror fan played them all from resi to to condemned anything a bit adult or scary and this review is BAD i'm not surprised though the reviewers on here are weird sometimes

    This is the scariest most polished horror game i have ever played it deserves all the 9's it got from the majority of the other sites and its metacritic score

    I was torn which game to get far cry 2 or this , im chuffed i got this

  • onlineassasin #148 3 years ago

    and im gutted i got farcry tradin it for this today

  • The_Game_Guy #149 3 years ago

    This gets a 7 and Saint's Row 2 gets a 9.
    Hmm...

  • Kbone28 #150 3 years ago

    Ok, i bought this game cos i thought it looked good. Now im half way through i can tell you this game is incredible.
    I am struggling for reasons why the reviewer gave this such a mediocre score. My only guess is that he played it in the office, speedily rushing through until completion, without taking in all this game has to offer.

    The graphics are amazing, simply put better than anything ive seen on the 360. I have a 8800 card too and it rivals that in some cases. Audio, gameplay, presentation, level design, story - everything,..everything is polished.

    Get this game, if you dont youll miss out on one of the best games this year i promise.
    It is that good, and i am a hard person to please believe me. I dont buy pap titles....iam a review hoar, in this case i took a chance...Im so glad i did. DEADSPACE is an incredible game, 10/10.
    Edited by 1 at 28/10/08 @ 16:13

  • dryden555 #151 3 years ago

    Dan Whitehead, what is up with your reviews?

  • MrTulip #152 3 years ago

    dead space so far plays like a somewhat ham-handed hybrid between system shock 2, doom 3 and alone in the dark (the original, i haven't played the new thing yet). the comparison to system shock is obvious but it also has the doom 3 scripted enemies who break out of ventilation shafts etc when you cross a certain trigger area of the map or after you've achieved something more or less important. imho the introduction of the abominations that haunt the abandoned ship is way too soon and there's almost no build-up of tension and menace. even doom 3, a rather lackluster -but still quite good- game, did better in this regard. the audio logs are a compulsory exercise of the genre and not particular remarkable in this particular game. it was heralded as innovative title, mainly for the fact that you can shoot monsters into pieces, but that gets old quick and what remains is an okay survival horror game, so full of clichés that you don't know if it's a homage or a parody. sadly, it takes itself dead serious and exercises one standard after another.

    it's still a fun experience, especially if you don't know any of the spiritual predecessors, and certainly one of the better games of the year but the controls of the pc version single-handedly bring it down a whole point on the scale. srsly, wtf? on the other hand it's bug free and runs on the highest setting even on my lower middle class graphic card.

    why did it receive such high scores on other sites? i applaud dan whitehead for ignoring the hype and delivering a fair and balanced review. again it turns out that it doesn't depend on a particular site or magazine but on individual reviewers when looking for advice on choosing the next game. everyone has an opinion and it's understood that reviews are just opinions in the end, but a good reviewer -who does this for a living btw- should be able to consistently bring some objectivity to the table. if it's a good and clever read to boot, all the better.

    edit: just a typo
    Edited by 1 at 29/10/08 @ 01:28

  • TONYgr #153 3 years ago

    well i m playing it on hard for my first playthrough(it is very easy on normal having ended the first chapter without dying even one time so i started it on hard) and im on chapter 6.its easilly the right dificullty for the first playthrough.i agree with dan for the score.but im really a big fan of resi4 so im having a blast with this game.i hope resi 5 copy the control scheme from this game.i mean strafing and moving while shooting beasts really works.this game proved it to me.basically if you are a big resi fan like me you are gonna like this game.thats all!

  • dryden555 #154 3 years ago

    Mr Tulip, I dont see the "objectivity" in the review that you see, sorry. Since when is Dead Space the "hyped game" versus the blockbusters Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 and Fable 2? Your logic there doesnt make any sense to me so please explain. Also I'm not sure your comparison to Doom3 holds water. That was a tired and terribly repetitive game that was indeed over-hyped. The enemy AI is Dead Space is interesting and unpredictable, which is more than I can say about Doom 3. So Tulip, I gotta ask, how long did you play Dead Space exactly and truthfully? 2 hours max? Yea, i thought so.

    Now if EG had given Fable a 7, and said the one-button too easy combat ruins the game, now THAT would have been interesting and insightful review.

  • Tackli #155 3 years ago

    Let's just put it simple; If a guy like me had written the Dead Space review it would've recieved a solid 9/10 based on the unmatched production value, it's great game-mechanics, solid gameplay, and in my opinion, entertaining story (no, I didn't say complex story...). Now, unfortunately for EA this time, they got the less enthusiastic reviewer at EG (no, I didn't say wrong reviewer). I love EG and usually use you guys as a reference for all my games, but I would've liked to see a second opinion of some sort by other journalists here at EG, as this in many cases will demonstrate that there's obvious subjective differences among your reviewers as well. This might give a more realistic general impression of the game.
    This is by all means not a flaming post directed at Dan, as I think he does a great job, and I do not doubt the fact that this is a 7/10 for him personally. Only for a long time gamer as well as a sci-fi and horror fan like me, this is very close to perfection.

    Score: 9/10

  • Bahadur #156 3 years ago

    This is why I love Eurogamer. It understands the true gamer ethos and reviews accordingly. Perect score, perfect reasoning. Bravo. Everytime I see you give a 7 and Gamespot give a 9 I know you are rocking on to the right beat.

  • dryden555 #157 3 years ago

    Bahadur, if you actually played the game you would know how completely off EG's review is in this instance. For me, Dan Whitehead's reviews are not useful. He clearly likes games different than those I like, which is fine, but I think he missed this review by miles, which is _not_ good if his goal is to be a professional reviewer....

  • linxpardinus #158 3 years ago

    I think that is a very good game . I was impressed and I think that has happened so afraid Dan Whitehead with this game as a traumatized and that is why he has a 7.
    Wonderful game.
    Score: 9.5/10
    Edited by 2 at 23/11/08 @ 21:00

  • Grassy-Knoll #159 3 years ago

    This game is excellent, it takes the best from Resident Evil 4 & Bioshock and mixes it with the atmosphere of Aliens, definitely my best gaming surprise this year!

  • vegard #160 3 years ago

    this game is great with some good death-metal.

  • itsfuzzy #161 3 years ago

    I have just completed this game and am now on my second playthrough. This game is easily as enjoyable, entertaining and as brilliant as Fable2, Fallout 3 or GOW2. 7/10 is just BS. Maybe the mud has stuck on EA and no matter what they do they wont get credit for it.

  • dominalien #162 3 years ago

    From the review: "...remains fun even after eleven hours of gameplay (the time on the clock at the end of my first run, by the way)".

    I actually find this very impressive. If anything, it supports what I read somewhere that reviewers are forced to rush through games as fast as they can to make it with the reviews on time.

    My first playthrough was just under 22 hours, on normal. Playing a second time on Impossible I managed to get a little over 18 hours. Not rushing it by any means, but not dilly-dallying either. These are "on the clock" times, not real playtime. Impossible forced me to do a lot of... repetition. ;-)

    The "go there, fix that" story progression does seem artificial and is annoying, but nevertheless the game is a solid 8 for me. I'm now playing for the 3rd time to get the remaining trophies (2nd round on normal, it's so easy!) and I'm still not bored.

  • YoungPayters #163 3 years ago

    i absolutely loved this game. There is only one way to play this game, pitch dark, sound up to the max, and dont use the run button. This is obviously not how the reviewer played this game. The best scares I've had with a game since project zero
    Edited by 1 at 12/04/09 @ 16:51

  • zuul #164 3 years ago

    Hah, this only got 7/10? It was my favourite game of 2008. Such high production values and polish, and actually brings some new interesting ideas of its own (vacuum/space section sounds muting, projected interface etc). Great fun!

  • coolbritannia #165 2 years ago

    What a crap review. This game is easily a 9/10. The most visceral experience on the 360, no doubt.

  • Kaminari #166 1 year ago

    7/10 means 70%. And anyone familiar with metascores perfectly knows that 70% is a mediocre ranking at best. This was and still is one of the worst EG reviews by Dan Whitehead.

  • geeza2020 #167 1 year ago

    I have to agree with the later comments on here, what the hell was Dan Whitehead thinking when reviewing this? The majority of the stuff he has problems with (repetition, flimsy story) are not held against other BIG games such as COD and Halo so why the sudden need for it here?

    Personally, I found the actual overarching story took a back seat when I was playing, the game just oozes atmosphere the whole way through, and even though, yes, I know this dark corridor is going to have monsters down it, its a horror game, what was Dan expecting, half way through they just replace all the necromorphs with pinata's exploding into flowers just to keep it fresh?

    I'm playing it now in 2011, and the graphics and sound are still some of the best I have heard on current gen consoles, the sound especially. The rattling of old pipes, and occasional scuttling or pattering of running claws/feet help to make it one of the most intense audio experiences I've had, up there with the sound effects mid battle in BFBC2.

    Yes, its not the most original game I have ever played, but it does what it does EXTREMELY well, thus making at least an 8, but for me, it would have to be a 9/10 game.

  • jack24 #168 1 year ago

    This score still makes me chuckle.

  • ruddiger7 #169 1 year ago

    Awful review, the game was fantastic.

  • Jay-ITFC #170 1 year ago

    Finished the game yesterday in preperation for the sequel. Quality game 9/10. Dan got it wrong on this one...

  • Gecks #171 1 year ago

    playing through this in preparation for the sequel (which is already out, but i'm slow) and i have to agree with dan here - the game is good, but it's not great. i actually find the oft-lauded high production values quite overbearing; the ship clanks and crashes so often that it loses it's effect after the opening few chapters. i think they would have been better with a less-is-more approach like system shock 2, or even bioshock, rather than a relentless ghost train that just leaves me feeling a little drained, rather than thrilled.

    the gameplay is spot on (albeit a bit generic) but in these sort of games that plays second fiddle to the atmosphere, and dead space doesn't quite pull it off for me. but it is still good.. 7/10 is (should be) a good score!