Dead Space 3: Neill (9.0)

Dead Space 3

by, Neill/ MythicalShadows

     Dead Space 3 was definitely at the top of my to get list of 2013.  I was most excited for the Co-op campaign the most.  I have played a little of the first two games in the series and I could not get into them.  I found myself wanting more out of the combat scenes and I never got it.  However one of my favorite parts of the series was the multiplayer in the second game in the series. 
     If you have never tried to play the series before I will tell you a little bit about it.  The dead space series is a special type of shooter that intends to scare the living day lights out of you.  In the first two games they succeeded in providing a great environment and gruesome creatures that accomplish the goal of providing a horror film like feel.  However, this review is about the third game in the series.
     Dead Space 3 is the first game in the series to have 2 player co-op campaign.  The first time I played through the campaign was with a fellow author Kuhn.  During the game we had a great time playing.  Unfortunately I had trouble finding the horror feeling that I liked in the little that I played in the first two games.  It simply was not scary knowing that a better player was watching my back.   The Co-op that everyone wanted so dearly changed the horror shooter that we loved into an action shooter.  With all of that said it was still a very fun and enjoyable game.  There were other aspects of the game that are worthy of stating in the review, before I make my rating decision.
    I'm not sure if it was me but the game focused heavily on a customizable weapon system that I found confusing and kind of unnecessary.  I tried making multiple types of weapons using all kinds of different stocks and firing mechanisms but I only found one combination that was worthy of using the entire game.  I never made another gun after that and I felt that I was under utilizing this system.

    Even though the weapons system was under utilized by me, I trust that others will find it a fun difference from the normal dead space games.  The other downfall that I found in the game is the repetitiveness of the missions.  It doesn't take long for you to notice that you will be going back and forth through the same hallways and the same rooms.  Grant it they will make you enter through a different door everytime to make it feel as if it is a new experience but its not.  It can get boring to someone who notices it but if you don't I still recommend this game. 

   So in conclusion I found that this game has its faults, but they do nothing to hurt this game overall.  It still makes its way to the must buy list.  I think that the only thing that could have boosted this game is a multiplayer similar to the second game.  There is not many games that kept me interested in the story and provided a decent gameplay that I could not put down for Rock band or Call of Duty.  I have based my rating off of everything that I covered in the article.  If you pick it up in stores you won't be sorry.

      Dead Space 3 - 9.0

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ZombiU - Mark Reeves (9.0)

ZombiU Review 

by Mark Reeves

Platform: Nintendo Wii U

Release date: November 18, 2012

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier

Publisher: Ubisoft

                                         

27 years ago a newly formed company called Ubisoft released a simple arcade game, the name of this game was Zombi. Released for the Commodore 64 and the IBM PC, Zombi dropped players in a mall where they had to survive the zombie apocalypse.

26 years later Ubisoft finally delivers a successor to its first published title. As one of the Wii U’s premiere launch titles, ZombiU has a lot to live up to. With the survival horror genre struggling in recent years with more action oriented entries by Resident Evil and Silent Hill,  many gamers questioned if Ubisoft, who is not well known in the survival horror genre, could actually deliver where these established franchises could not. Well I am happy to report that Ubisoft Montpellier has delivered an experience that feels as if they have been doing this for years.          

ZombiU starts off in a post-apocalyptic London, think 28 Days Later. In the beginning cinematic your character is simply running around London, attempting to survive. Then a voice comes over a loud speaker telling you to run into the subway system. Just before your about to be ripped apart limb from limb by zombies, you rush into the subway. From here the cinematic is over, and you have to run for your life! After you enter the safe room you will become acquainted with the voice that saved your life. He calls himself “The Prepper” and he has prepared for this disaster well ahead of time. Your job then is to go into the streets of London and find a way to stop the zombie plague.

The first weapon your character starts out with is a cricket bat. For the first few hours of the game this will be your primary weapon. While it would have been nice to get a few extra melee weapons, you will soon learn that the only thing between you and a quick death is how effectively you use your cricket bat. The cricket bat is a very slow and weak weapon. Zombie’s usually go down after 3-4 hits plus a finishing move. This might not sound so bad, but if there is more than one zombie, you have to be aware of what the other zombie is doing before you decide to take a swing. Other reviewers might see this slow combat as a burden to the overall game, but I feel Ubisoft has managed to take the melee combat, something that would usually be an afterthought, and make it a strategic and tense part of the game.                                                             

Another integral part of the game is  of course, the Wii U gamepad. When wondering around London you will find various items like medpacks, ammo, and guns. These will all need to be stored in your backpack, which you can access only from the gamepad. The gamepad makes it easy to quickly manage your inventory and equip items. Other uses for the gamepad include the ability to scan rooms for clues and items, and it can also be used to scope your sniper rifle.                                                      

 When it comes to atmosphere, which every good zombie game needs, ZombiU excels on many levels. The graphics, while not the greatest in the world, do this game justice by providing very little light. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you are in a dark building with zombies and your flashlight goes out, you will see nothing but darkness and the red on the screen as your eaten alive. On top of the great lighting effects, zombies look very grotesque up close, and the city of London is very detailed.  The sound of ZombiU also adds to the suspense. Unknown shrieks and growls from the next room or floor are truly terrifying, and will have to on edge the whole game.                                                                                                                                    

Of course I cannot end this review without talking about the difficulty of ZombiU. If you are familiar with games like Demon Souls and Dark Souls you will be fine. However if you are not familiar with these titles, you will die, a lot. Your character is very weak, only a few hits, or one zombie bite will kill him or her. After you die you will respawn in the main safehouse as a new character. What is unique about ZombiU is, after you die you can go out, find your zombified corpse and hopefully retrieve your items that you had previously acquired.                             

ZombiU is no doubt a breath of fresh air for the survival horror genre. With its challenging gameplay and perfect atmosphere, it could be argued that it has done a better job with survival horror then the latest installments of Resident Evil and Silent Hill.  If you own a Wii U this game is a must buy. 

ZombiU- 9.0/10         

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