GamesRelay

Name: Dead Space: Extraction

Dead Space was a huge hit when it was released last year, letting players experience the horrific gritty nature of a space war between humans and the hive mind. Thanks to this success, the developers; Visceral Games have gone and created another game, but it isn't Dead Space 2, it's an on-rails shooter for the Nintendo Wii titled Dead Space: Extraction which takes place before the events on the USG Ishimura and in the same period as the animated film Dead Space: Downfall. One great thing to note about this prequel is that it isn't just a rip-off of its older cousin; Extraction has been built from the ground up with all new enemies and weapons to blow them up with. Sounds good? That's because it is.

Extraction's plot doesn't use the same characters from the previous game; instead, the story revolves around a group of space colonists who, as miners, dig up an alien artifact known as a marker. When the colonists remove the marker, all hell breaks out and sets loose the Necromorphs which are re-animated mutated human corpses, as you can imagine, not something you would want to come across down a dark alley. You take the role of four of these colonists throughout the game as they fight to escape the apparent horrors and head to the familiar USG Ishimura from the first game, you'll be roaming some of the same corridors as you did before but it doesn't make the game any less appealing. You will certainly notice some familiar places, but the game still feels new and exciting over the roughly seven hours it takes to complete the game, even though it feels a little short.

The Necromorphs come across as your traditional zombies, and you would be forgiven for thinking so, but where you would take a zombie down with a headshot - Necromorphs need to be dismembered, and that's where the fun begins. You'll come across all manner of tools at your disposal to accomplish such cruel acts of violence, most of the weapons are the same from the original Dead Space including the all powerful Plasma Cutter, but new weapons are included such as the Arc Welder and Rivet Gun. The enemies are fairly easy to shoot as they lumber around, but trying to take an arm or a leg off can be quite difficult since you also need to watch your ammo. The Rivet Gun being your default unlimited ammo weapon is pretty weak in comparison to some of the others and sometimes it's easier to just shoot the enemies in the body, especially when they're coming towards you with the intent of eating you alive. However, shooting the Necromorphs anywhere other than trying to sever the limbs will increase the amount of ammo used to take one down quite considerably, so its paramount that one becomes a crack shot otherwise you'll be faced with a tough game ahead with nothing but your Rivet Gun for company.

While playing through Dead Space all guns blazing is satisfying, it isn't the only way you can. Your characters also have abilities such as the stasis ability which when activated will temporarily freeze enemies and any obstacles you might encounter. While it is purely optional when being used against enemies and can make life a little easier when shooting, it is required to get past certain points in the game which see you slowing down various objects to get past them. Also making a return is the Kinesis ability which allows you to pick up items and obstacles, this is a great ability for picking up far to reach weapons and ammunition and can also be used for throwing objects at the enemies instead of using traditional guns.

Throughout your time spent playing Extraction you'll also come across various audio and video logs that give you more information on the backstory, some of these are however just copied over from the original game which given the games setting is understandable since they are both on the USG Ishimura, but at the same time is slightly disappointing. Power nodes also play an integral part to your abilities, unlike the original however, the power nodes in Extraction automatically upgrade your equipment instead of letting you go down different routes such as damage over speed. At the end of each level your performance is scored on a leaderboard and you're awarded various extras such as upgrades, voice-acted comics and challenge levels. Challenge levels are set in the same environments as the main story but are focused more on surviving hordes of Necromorphs than fleshing out a story.

Controlling your characters and their weapons of mass dismemberment is a breeze. Since the game is an on-rails shooter, you only need to worry about your aim and your abilities, unfortunately the reticule you use to aim with can sometimes be hidden by an enemy which makes trying to shoot specific limbs a bit more challenging, but it's nothing major since it usually only disappears once you have your intended target point in sight. The Wii remote is also used to brush off any hungry monsters looking for a snack, this will see you waggling the remote in a mad rush to save your health or to light a glowstick in a dark area, it's all very intuitive and easy to play with. Thankfully it doesn't get overly used either so you can rest assured that while you're trying to dismember your enemies, your wrists won't end up being dismembered themselves.

Multiplayer support has now been added as well, letting players experience both the singleplayer and the challenge levels with a friend. Featuring drop-in co-op play lets friends come in at just the right time without having to restart the game or level just to accommodate them; this can come in handy particularly when you're struggling. While it sounds great and is an excellent feature to have, it does unfortunately come with its own set of problems such as each player having their own ammunition supplies, so what was a case of helping each other through, often becomes a case of who can get the ammunition first, unless of course you share.

When Dead Space came out last year it was certainly ranking high in the best looking games of 2008 and Extraction is thankfully no different. While it doesn't have the same graphics as its predecessor, Extraction is judged by its own merits because it's on the Wii. The environments are greatly detailed immersing you in the dark corridors of the USG Ishimura mining ship; the characters are also very well animated with some great cutscenes which convey the story. Necromorphs die bloody deaths as you severe their various limbs and you will find plenty of them on screen all with that hungry look in their eye as they come toward you without any noticeable impact on the frame-rate. The camera is a slight bugbear in places, such issues arrise when trying to attack particular enemies and the camera just won't be in the right place for your attack, particular instances involve trying to slay brutes which can only be killed from behind, while they shouldn't be too difficult, the camera makes them all the more harder by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Further to the graphics, the audio is superb with a great voice cast that conveys the story across without being bothersome or annoying but can sometimes make you question there authenticity. The music is simple yet engrossing, capturing the feel of the moment while adding to the suspense of your impending doom.

Dead Space: Extraction offers players a great on-rails horror shooter, it does have a couple of negative points but nothing that would overly ruin the experience. Furthermore, fans of the previous game and movie will find plenty of backstory to keep them enthralled throughout the Dead Space universe. With added co-op for you and a friend to experience the gruesome first person action together, Extraction ties up into a nice little package which is a game no one should miss on the Nintendo Wii.