Who said PS3 and 360 owners get all the M-rated fun? The Wii-only prequel to EA's 2008 sci-fi/survival-horror epic, due September 29, is a shooter set on rails.
Now that the Nintendo E3 2009 press conference is behind us, let's take a look at some of the game announcements for the Wii. While we saw a few titles we were expecting, there were a couple that came as total surprises.
Right out of the gate, we got to see a brand-new 2D Mario Bros. game for the Wii. New Super Mario Bros. will allow for four-player co-op playing and will feature new game characters and power ups.
Wii Fit Plus, the successor to Wii Fit, will arrive in the fall and come bundled once again with a balance board. Of course, the software will also be available separately for those who already own it.
(Credit:
Gamespot)
While we already knew about the July 26 release of Wii Sports Resort, we did get to see archery and basketball demos take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral. Speaking of MotionPlus, Nintendo announced that the Ubisoft-developed Red Steel 2 will require the accessory to play.
While we also knew about the Wii exclusives Dead Space: Extraction, Resident Evil Dark Side Chronicles, and The Conduit, we were thrilled to see a new Metroid game unveiled. Metroid Other M seems to be a hybrid first-person meets third-person action title and will be released in 2010.
Finally, we were treated to a taste of a Super Mario Galaxy sequel. Super Mario Galaxy 2 features more 3D Mario action geared at gamers of all ages. This title is also set to release in 2010.
"Dead Space Guy" takes a break between monster fights.
Those who follow the video game business know that it will be a long time before we get another season like Fall 2007. This time last year, gamers were literally buried under best-selling A-list projects, including BioShock, Mass Effect, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Rock Band and Portal. By comparison, this year is shaping up to be solid, if unexceptional, with few break-out hits.
The lack of competition may be one reason why one of the most anticipated new games right now is not a sequel, spin-off, brand extension or movie tie-in. It's EA's scary sci-fi shooter, Dead Space. After playing through the 16-plus hour campaign, I can also say it's easily one of the best games of the year.
A slow buzz has been building on this one for a while, and has been intensified by a strong showing at this year's E3 video game trade show. But the reason the game scored so well with critics has little to do with the setting or plot. The game is, to be diplomatic, an homage to many threads of pop-culture influence, from Alien to Doom to Resident Evil to H.P. Lovecraft, and the claustrophobic space station interior-design aesthetic has been done to death in movies and games for decades.
Instead, what makes Dead Space stand out from the crowd is its level of polish. It's shocking that in a multibillion-dollar industry, where big games can gross as much as Hollywood movies, even high-profile titles can be filled with awkward jumps to prerecorded cutscenes, missed dialog cues, wonky controls, tons of tiny bugs and mistakes, and a general lack of attention to detail that would be unacceptable in a direct-to-cable low-budget flick (some recent offenders include Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Saints Row 2, and Alone in the Dark)
Instead, every inch of Dead Space feels like it's been checked and rechecked, from the lighting to the in-game menus to the voiceovers. The controls are easily the best implementation of the third-person over-the-shoulder view we've ever experienced. Poor controls pull you out of the game experience faster than anything else, and it's the ultimate compliment to say that Dead Space's controls just "feel right."
Of course, this violent M-rated action/adventure isn't for everyone (and about halfway through, it really starts padding the plot for running time--I'd rather have a solid six-hour game than a plodding 12-hour one), but we hope it will inspire other game makers to spend more time polishing and finalizing their products--at least on the level of a made-for-TV Sci-Fi Channel movie.
In space, no one can hear you frag -- or at least that's what we imagine EA is saying about its new sci-fi horror game, Dead Space. Mixing bits of Doom and Resident Evil, we've been eager to get our hands on this genre-bending action title, if only because the "survival horror" genre (essentially creepy haunted house games named after an awkward Japanese translation) has been pretty quiet lately.
The plot is fairly standard scary sci-fi fare -- an unlucky guy arrives on a space station to find it deserted (well, except for the monsters, naturally). Even though EA says the game is heavy on creepy psychological terror, every trailer or game footage video we've seen up to now has been heavy on the combat, with our hapless protagonist shooting various big ugly space monsters in generic-looking sci-fi environments.
Fortunately, after getting a more extensive hands-on session with the game, we're now much more on board with the fright-flick-in-space vibe. The claustrophobic feel comes through, and the controls feel especially natural and easy to get used to. While our demo was still heavy on the man-on-monster combat, the developers assure us the emphasis is largely in exploring the derelict space station and its creepy corridors, but that kind of low-key gameplay doesn't make for an eye-catching trade show display.
Look for Dead Space on the Xbox 360 and PS3 later this year.
On Sale Now: $18.99 - $19.99
View the latest prices for Dead Space (Xbox 360)
On Sale Now: $18.99 - $19.96
View the latest prices for Dead Space (PlayStation 3)
- prev
- 1
- next
