Steffen_Shook October 7, 2009 Wii 376 views Comments Print This Post  Email This Post

First things first, Wii owners that don’t have the system to be used as the consummate family video game device should own this game. Dead Space Extraction does not re-invent the wheel or re-define action gaming on the Wii necessarily, but a great example of how action games on the Wii don’t need to be Halo or Modern Warfare 2. For the most part, Extraction uses the motion controls well and has a very cinematic and exciting presentation (not unlike the original Dead Space). Outside of a couple very minor control issues, Dead Space is one of the few solid shooters on the Wii absolutely worth playing.

Sewer logo

The original Dead Space was a breath of fresh air for the horror genre. There were so many things to like such as the primal energy of the Necromorphs, the intensity of the action, and the excellent pacing that lasted through the end of the game. The enemies seemed as though they could very well be real and were frightening enough to provoke some of the most fearful moments ever seen in gaming. The game also oozed atmosphere and ambience, replete with perfectly placed, cinematic noises from the USG Ishimura that kept the experience alive.

Dead Space Extraction Close up

Extraction largely keeps the original’s atmosphere intact despite being an ‘on-rails’ shooter (which I will get to in a minute), and believably recreates feel of the first game. As I said before, the original has excellent atmosphere, which can be partially attributed to the lighting and the believability of the environments. Dead Space Extraction keeps this intact, despite the Wii’s limitations. Many of the interiors found in the game have a ‘used’ look, and by this I mean the environments look as though they serve a purpose. Works lights light a workplace appropriately, a rail system to transport heavy materials does more than start, stop, and run over anything in the way. The USG Ishimura doesn’t look like it was built to fit a video game, it looks like it was built for an industrial purpose; and this is part of Dead Space and Dead Space Extraction’s success. The industrial feel of the ships seem to have minimal room allotted for creature comforts and lets each moment open itself up for the inhumanness and violent nature of the Necromorphs. Additionally, the logical and functional design of the ship sets up opportunities for puzzles well.

Upon hearing of the on-rails design of the game, many voiced skepticism on Visceral’s choice. The on-rails shooter format seems to be making some sort of comeback or resurgence, but is generally considered to be an outdated design. On top of that, those that played the original Dead Space know that part of the anxiety of the game’s action arose from enemies attacking from any possible angle. So realistically, unnecessary doubts were not cast on the outcome of this game. However, not only does Visceral make the on-rails design work, they also make it work to pad the trademark Dead Space horror feel. It’s a scary sensation to think that enemies are possibly outside of your field of view (and that you can’t look to see), but Visceral gave the player’s character enough wherewithal to make gamers feel as the he or she (gamers will occupy the role of multiple characters btw) is interested in staying alive. This probably sounds like a collection of words from me trying to over-explain this cinematic mechanic, but bear with me. You never really feel like your character only looks forward when moving, but instead looks around like you would in those situations. To add to this, you’ll see your character’s arms when climbing a ladder or pick up a helmet to put it on. This camera system lets you feel like you have a real presence in the game world. About the only time the camera feels intrusive or constricting is whenever you’re trying to grab an item box, break it, and then grab what’s inside. I often felt as though I didn’t have enough time to do that. It’s very likely Visceral designed it this way to keep you from grabbing every single box in the game, but it seemed a bit unfair sometimes. On the whole however, you never really feel as though you seriously lack enough health or ammo to get to the next area.

"There's someone behind me isn't there?"

As for problems, the game doesn’t have many. About the only complaints that can be registered regard the controls, but they are minor if anything. In the options menu, gamers have the choice of using the Wii Zapper. After going through the Zapper calibration process for about 20 minutes, I could not get a reasonable result. The crosshair was usually off when aiming at the outer edges of the screen, and I couldn’t even aim at the bottom to leave the options menu. This would possibly be enough to bomb the game if the Wii Remote and Nunchuk didn’t control well, but they do work well. You’ll never really feel as though the buttons are illogically placed in the heat of gameplay. In fact, you might wonder why other Wii action games don’t make it this easy. Back in Extraction is the secondary fire for each weapon and Visceral serves this by having you turn the Remote sideways. Another welcome feature was the reload system, where players could time the reload ala Gears of War for a faster result. This was nice gameplay mechanic that served the frenetic feel of the game well.

Dead Space Extraction Logo

You probably have to not be interested in Wii action games or horror games to pass Dead Space Extraction up, because it’s one of the best M-Rated games that the Wii has to offer. After playing it, I look forward even more to whatever is next in the Dead Space universe and anything Visceral Games makes.

9/10