Dead Space 3 First Impressions Review

Introduction

Dead Space 3 appears to offer the same basic gameplay as the previous games, but with some new twists to keep things fresh. As mentioned before, there are human NPCs who are hostile both to you and to Necromorphs. While NPC in-fighting is nothing new, we do like human opponents: it was a nice change of pace to have to switch up your strategies depending on who or what you were fighting. Necromorphs who reanimate humans can now also operate their weaponry, so just because something's shooting at you doesn't mean you should automatically aim for the head.

The biggest change this time around is the new co-op mode. The demo we played was on XBox 360, and inviting an XBox Live friend to the game was quick and easy. While the co-op mode seems similar to the single-player campaign, there were some changes, like puzzles that require input from both players. The biggest and most interesting change, however, is the how the story changes when Player 2's character, John Carver, gets involved. We ran through the same area in both single-player and co-op mode, and while both seem to have similar paths through the game content, the story is very different for both.

While the demo was pretty short, we think Dead Space 3 is shaping up to be a great sequel: it offers more of the same, but with enough changes to make it feel fresh.

For another perspective on Dead Space 3, check out the Game Hunters' synopsis.

Video Review

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Meet the tester

Mark Brezinski

Senior Writer

@markbrezinski

Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.

See all of Mark Brezinski's reviews