The Playoff! Dead Space 1 vs Dead Space 2!

I'm a massive fan of Dead Space! I genuinely miss the series and every now and again I get teased with hints of an elusive fourth title. It's been over four years since Dead Space 3 was released and with the horror genre regaining it's former popularity, surely it won't be long before we get to grasp that plasma cutter and dismember some more Necromorphs?

But I digress, I want to spar off Dead Space 1 with it's direct sequel Dead Space 2 and decide which is the superior game of the two? Will it be a case of getting stronger or just a reskinning of the original? Let's find out!

I'm going to choose three categories I feel are relevant to the two Dead Space games. I will be omitting plot as DS1 is actually quite light on having it's own unique plot and is more a sort of amalgamation of homages to other sci-fi and horror titles.

It's only from DS2 that the series begins to develop it's own story and brings the Unitology organisation into the forefront.
DS1 is tentative with it's story and gives little in the way of plot other than Isaac needs to get off the Ishimura. So without further ado I will start with perhaps one of the most essential ingredients of a horror game.

ROUND ONE - SCARES!

It cannot be a horror game and not be scary and atmospheric. Dead Space would seem to have the advantage from the off if we look at things from memory. Wandering the cold, desolate halls of the Ishimura for the first time is a nerve racking experience. When Dead Space 2 rolls along we're prepared, we know the score and we know what to expect. The enemy is no longer unknown.

But I'm going to be as objective as I can. DS1 is a slower paced game, it urges caution as you delve deeper into the ever degrading Ishimura.
Necromorphs can be heard clambering through the vents before bursting out and attacking and a lot of the time you'll hear them but you won't see them, until it's too late.
Many Necros play possum and appear dead until you step too close and they spring into attack. That's right, Dead Space was doing this long before The Evil Within.

DS2 on the other hand is a more action and story related affair. Unlike in DS1 Isaac isn't actually primarily concerned with surviving. When he learns there is a Marker on the Sprawl he commits to destroying it.
The Necromorphs become more obstacle and are presented to you in cinematic ways or spawn into well crafted combat environments.

When I play DS2 I don't feel tense throughout, sure there are moments. (Hate those charging Necros that peek around corners, eesh!) But playing through DS1 is a generally unnerving game. Necros often flank you in any given combat scenario and the sense of claustrophobia is palpable. Blood written scrawling on the walls begging for help and nothing is more creepy than when you exit the transit and there are pearly white body bags littered all over the place, surrounded by dimming candles and a chilling rendition of twinkle twinkle little star starts up. It's creepy as hell!

DS2 doesn't really do this, I mean the creepiest location in DS2 is the Unitology centre and that's due to those creepy Stalker Necros as mentioned before. The rest of the game has more in common with Resident Evil 4 in how it plays than DS1.

Ultimately, I always tell people; "Dead Space 2 is to Dead Space 1, as Aliens is to Alien."
The creepy creatures are still there but the atmosphere is less isolated survivor and more one man army blasting through the hordes.
It's not even a bad thing, it's just not scary so...

WINNER - DEAD SPACE 1!

Next on my list is weapons! Dead Space has quite an interesting array of weapons, unlike say Resident Evil or Silent Hill or any other horror game of the time. Isaac primarily utilises engineering equipment to destroy Necromorphs.
Unlike zombies and the whatnot, Necros vulnerability lies in their limbs. Severing them apart is how you ultimately destroy them. Blasting ones head off is little more than an irritant to the monstrous creature!

WEAPONS

Unlike the previous segment which, lets be honest. Is relative, this a direct blow to blow. Who has more and who has the best/most satisfying to use.

Dead Space 1 has seven weapons. Starting with the humble but deceptively overpowered Plasma Cutter all the way up to Necro eradicating contact beam.

Some highlights of the arsenal are the Ripper, which in it's primary firing mode levitates a rotating saw blade in the air for a set amount of time. It's a gory weapon as you walk the destructive blade into Necromorphs and watch their limbs blast off in visceral beauty!
It's secondary is a more cautionary attack which simple blasts a blade at full speed across the room and isn't nearly as satisfying!

I'm also a big fan of this game's shotgun - The force gun! It fires out a kinetic blast that literally rips enemies apart and even if it doesn't outright kill an enemy, it'll at least knock them down for followup attacks. It's secondary attack launches a grenade that detonates a powerful kinetic blast with similarly great results!

There are a couple of turkeys in the mix here and one is the plasma rifle. You'll be punished for relying on shooter favourites here. The plasma rifle eats ammo and isn't as useful in dismembering limbs as other weapons.

The last lame duck is the flamethrower that seems to do next to no damage and doesn't even cause Necros to flinch! You're completely vulnerable whilst using it! Not very good for Necro slaying.

Dead Space 2 has a grand total of twelve weapons, if you include the secret handgun weapon. (which is a foam hand that destroys anything you point it at... told you DS2 isn't as scary).
Most weapons return from DS1 with balancing, but a couple of the new guns are very delectable when it comes to Necro hunting!

Of the new guns, I really like the javelin gun. It's quite strong and it's secondary function is an AOE attack of chain lightning that effects surrounding Necros. It's good for dealing extra damage against larger Necromorphs also. It does takes some skill and practise to optimise it for limb detachment though.

Something that requires less skill is the detonator, which fires proximity mines that do devastating damage. It's the perfect weapon for slow Necros or the Stalkers, specially on higher difficulty settings. As a bonus it's secondary function is it disarms all placed mines for retrieval!

There are still some turkeys unfortunately, the pulse rifle is buffed up and now enjoys a secondary function as a grenade launcher but unfortunately the flamethrower is still pretty meh. The new addition the rivet gun is pretty underpowered  however and is just surpassed by so much else available.

The plasma cutter is still beastly and more than capable of being your sole weapon through the main game. But then again, would that really be much fun?
Having extra weapons adds to the variety and therefore fun factor. Coupled with the weapon balancing of all the existing weapons returning from DS1 prove that DS2 has the superior arsenal with even more ways to rip Necros apart!

WINNER - DEAD SPACE 2!!!

We're on to the third category now and it's the real stars of the show; the Necromorphs!

The hideously mutated humans and animals of the Dead Space universe are collectively known as Necromorphs and they come in various forms with differing methods of killing.
Stalkers are your most standard Necro and attempt to flank Isaac at every opportunity, either by sneaking up behind him or bursting from nearby vents.

Other notable Necromorphs are the twisted Lurkers, infected toddlers really, that sprout three tendrils and fire barbs at you. Dead Space 2 introduced Pukers that well... puke at you! And did I mention their gastric insides have sunken down into their left leg! Last but not least, we have the Regenerator and it's DS2 equivalent the Uber Morph! Nothing is more terrifying than a Necro that regrows it's limbs!

One of my personal favourite Necromorphs is found in DS2 and it's the Tormentor!
This Necromorph is encountered several times in Dead Space 2 and it has one of the best intros of all the games bosses in my opinion!
Isaac falls into one of the Sprawls many maintenance tunnels and is immediately set upon by the Tormentor! It chases you up the tunnel as you blast open the maintenance doors and then bam! The Earth Gov attack craft appears and blows a hole through the colony! Isaac and the Tormentor get sucked out into the vacuum of space! It becomes almost silent, only the sounds from within Isaac's suit can be heard.
They crash into the craft, the Tormentor's powerful claws grasping for Isaac! It begins inadvertently pulling missiles off the craft and Isaac cunningly shoots one point blank in the Necros face destroying the creature and the Earth Gov forces in one blow.

What a buzz! What a thrill! DS2 is full of these heart pumping set pieces but that's not what we're here about. We have to decide who has the best roster of Necromorphs. It's undoubtedly going to be Dead Space 2. There's more bang for your back here, the Puker alone is a major boost for both disgust and horror. The chilling macabre children that chase Isaac on mass, I mean DS2 showed some truly grisly iterations of the Necromorph species. So thus...

WINNER - DEAD SPACE 2!!!

So Dead Space 2 looks the clear winner but I'm giving Dead Space 1 a chance with the wildcard category:

WILDCARD - IS IT REALLY SURVIVAL HORROR?

Here's a strange one and you may be thinking "huh"? But both games are listed as Survival Horror, which is a broad term to say the least. One of the biggest criticisms for either game is that in standard difficulty they're both pretty easy. Ammo is quite plentiful, both games challenge you to finish them using the one gun and it's quite easy!

Health pickups are also prevalent in both games and by the end I had shed loads of surplus items stored up.
It's evident we're not going to find survival in either game's default difficulty so it must lay in the harder modes. Both offer a hard mode but it's actually not that big a difference! Damage received is higher sure, but it doesn't take much more ammo to obliterate your foes and some guns are so overpowered you can laugh in the face of Necros.

However, DS2 sports a fourth mode: Hardcore. It's a perma-death mode, one fatality and it's back to the start and also affords you only three saves! It's pretty tough, in the easier modes death is virtually weightless with so many checkpoints saving you from repeating long sections.
Hardcore mode is the closest the Dead Space series gets to survival horror, truly upping the stakes. And so without further ado...

WINNER ALL ROUND - DEAD SPACE 2!!!

Sequel syndrome is a miss here, Dead Space 2 truly expands on the original and takes the series further. More and better weapons, more Necros, tighter gameplay controls and better combat scenarios all add up for one amazing rollercoaster ride that is damn near perfection. At least in my opinion any way.

Both games are worth your time and if you've never played them I urge you do. They're not as intense as other horror games like say, Resident Evil 7 or some of the Silent Hill games but definitely a joy. If you like Alien and The Thing then this is the game for you!

I hope you've enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it and remember, if you like what you read then please follow me on Google+

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Gears of War 4: a new studio takes the reigns!

I'm fond of the Gears of War franchise, the original was released very early into the life of the Xbox 360. Epic Games had high hopes of creating a franchise to rival Halo and was a console exclusive for the Xbox 360. 
Epic also chose to have Gears of War show off the Unreal 3 engine which at the time produced some amazing visuals that we hadn't seen before.

Since then the series has refined itself visually and mechanically. Gears of War 2 introduced some huge improvements with a more cinematic story and a greater variety of weapons, locations and superior pacing. It was a blast to well, blast with Marcus, Dom, Baird and Cole.

Gears 3 was a tonal shift, opting to portray a darker and even more bleak world than before with humanity on the edge of extinction, due to the Lambent creatures multiplying. 

While it was a well paced and enjoyable game it lacked the punch of previous titles, losing some if it's identify with it's serious tones of extinction. 

So we had Gears of War Judgement finally by Epic, that I personally see as the peak of the series. Baird being the comedy element of previous titles was put front and centre as the main character. 

He's on trial and is in the process of disclosing his actions to superiors whilst the city is under bombardment from the Locust.

It introduced a really fun mechanic where the game gave the player to choose which "truth" Baird will tell regarding individual skirmishes. So we could choose to fight a horde of Locusts with just shotguns rather than tell them we had all our usual weapons. 

It worked very well and was an intuitive method of making a prequel.

Epic Games then sold the IP to Microsoft, that assembled a developer called The Coalition with, I'm assuming, the aim of creating more entries into the series.

It reminds me of the Halo franchise; sold to Microsoft when the developer has finally tired of the making that one game series and wants to branch out. Much like Halo, I feel that Gears of War has gotten off to a shaky start.
Like Halo, Gears 4 begins ahead into the future. Not as far as Halo 4 mind, it's just 25 years and we play as Marcus Fenix's son; JD.

JD joined the COG like his dad but at some point left to join the outsiders; people who decided to live without the protection of the COG (which stands for Coalition Of Governments).
As outsiders they raid fabricated COG settlements for resources and all seems well until JD and his friends are attacked at full force by COG robotic soldiers, commanded by Minister Jinn, who claims JD and the outsiders abducted her people from the settlements.

JD eventually enlists the help of his dad; Marcus when the outsiders he'd grouped up with are kidnapped in the night by strange creatures.
With the aid of his Dad, JD and crew repel Jinn's chasing forces and head to a mass burial site, where the COG had disposed of all the crystallised Locusts from Gears 3.
Turns out the ultimate weapon that was supposed to kill off the Locusts had only actually sent them into a state of transformation; similar to a cacoon.
Now the Locust re-emerge as The Swarm, who are kidnapping humans so that they can transform them in to more Swarm to bolster the ranks.

It's a shame that The Coalition couldn't really think up a way to expand the threat to humanity other than more Locusts and in a way that feels really half baked.
But that's a sentiment to the whole game really, I'm currently at the end of Act 3 (of 5 acts), and this game suffers from some poor pacing and poor scenario designs.
All the improvements to the Gears game by Epic have been put to the wayside and it's like The Coalition have gone back to square one.

Graphics are beautiful, the colour palette has been expanded further but it's suffered majorly in gameplay. I don't like to be overly negative but it's so sad to see a growing franchise take a step back and here is my issue with the gameplay scenarios.
Repetition with minimal variation. We all know shooting games can get repetitive, especially these days. Most shooting games are more concerned with how they look than how they play, thanks to a misguided understanding of what made games like Call of Duty so successful.

Call of Duty is effectively a repetitive game, but the way the developers design each combat scenario, feels unique and the series has some of the finest pacing around. Players are never doing the exact same thing for too long in the exact same place, which is essential when your gameplay boils down to a shooting range.
COD gets the presentation and the pace right to keep the player engaged. It's one of the reasons their campaigns can be enjoyed over several playthroughs.

Gears 4 does little to change pacing or what you're doing. Even when they introduce new enemy types they do so little to mix things up. It really does feel like a corridor shooter.
Environments don't feel organic and the game intersperses the obvious shooting areas with obvious transfer corridors, that funnel the player to a slightly different looking location and offer a chance for game to offer some exposition.

For a game that has multiple enemy types they're just not utilised well. The Deebee robots are very easy and straight forward to fight, serving more as bullet sponges than anything else.
There are small ball droids and they behave like Tickers from previous games and can be dealt with in the same way and lastly there are aerial drones with shields, that end up as just another type of bullet sponge.

It's a further disappointment when The Swarm appear, they act like the Locust we've seen before but the variety between them has been diminished. Differing enemy types feel shallow and don't require any distinct shift in tactics to deal with other than: shall I rush with a Shotgun or hang back with Lancer.

Speaking of the weapons there are a few new ones, but the interesting ones such as the Saw Blade don't appear too often. Otherwise you'll likely end up using the Lancer and Gnasher as both deal with any and all threats just fine.
The combat scenarios you face don't really change either so you don't really feel a need to experiment outside your comfort zone to achieve success in any encounter.

At one point the game gives you a "fabricator", a box that can assemble any weapon you want on the fly and later it's used to create defenses, but it doesn't last long and it just doesn't reach it's full potential. Even in the stage where you use it to create defenses it doesn't especially shine as such defenses cost far too much, are far too flimsy. I was barely able to afford more than two turrets and some barbed wire through all I think 5 waves.

Gears 4 really struggles to change the pace of it's game and in the odd sections it's done, they're far too short lived. You will blast through hundreds of robots over and over in level layouts that don't encourage experimentation or even exploration.
It really does upset me when a new developer focuses on the elements of a game franchise wrong and sacrifices other more interesting elements.
I remember Gears 2 specifically, it moved at an incredible pace and just mixed up those enemy types so much more. Locust behaved in more interesting ways and each Locust type felt unique in how you interacted with it  and conversely how they interacted with each other. I'm just not getting this in Gears 4.

I've still got a ways to go before the end, but I sure hope it picks up. And if it doesn't then I hope The Coalition find their feet with the next Gears game and really show me what they can do.
You have the visuals down, the enjoyable banter is back, but the gunplay is weak. I'm rooting for you, and I look forward to what will come next.