Dead Space 3 Confirmed For February, Gameplay Demo Shows Off Co-op [E3 2012]
During EA’s press conference at E3 an announcement came that confirmed all of our Dead Space hunches. Dead Space 3 will be arriving in February, it will have co-op play, and it will take place on an icy planet. On the stage we got to take a look at a special co-op demo that shows Isaac teaming up with Carver in the fight for survival. New features are abound, but will they make the game more fun or take away from the core game that fans want to see?
In the gameplay demo we see Isaac and Carver working together to navigate through an area. They must both use their wits and strengths to activate machinery and defeat enemies to make it through alive. The idea of co-op is one that’s on the fence, and it has some players unimpressed. The game will not feature necessary co-op areas. And when you’re playing single-player, there won’t be an AI character walking around with you. You’ll just be alone, though certain areas of each level will be a bit more difficult than others.
Another feature that’s been added to the game that we see in the demo is the ability to roll/dodge. Isaac can now roll to avoid taking damage and avoid enemy attacks. The use of cover has been introduced as well, allowing Isaac to duck behind barriers and walls to gain a tactical edge on enemies. Both of these features make the game look and feel much more like a Gears of War title, and less like a Dead Space title.
Seeing the transition from the first Dead Space on through the series, some things have taken a drastic change. The first game followed the survival horror fashion nicely, while adding in some action and RPG –like elements into the gameplay. The second title took that even further by making the player feel alone in the middle of space, all while new enemies and weapons were tossed in to make the gameplay much more interesting and intuitive. With the release of Dead Space 3 coming next year, it looks at this point to be more of an action title, less of a survival horror title, and many players are backing away because they feel it won’t deliver the same experience that the rest of the series has. The game will include human enemies as well, forcing the player into shootouts like you see in the Gears series.
I have to say I understand where they are coming from. Though the co-op demo looked like a lot of fun, I’m anxious to see more from the single-player aspect of the game. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Dead space fan and the gameplay does appear interesting, but I am iffy on how things will roll out. Will it be more focused on action sequences? Or will the game still be able to deliver the same ambiance of fright that the previous two did so well? I’m excited for the game, but I hope that Visceral finds a way to tie these things together to provide fans with a proper sequel. Take a look at the gameplay for yourselves and decipher what you think the game will present when it launches.
