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Tag: Dead Space

  • PlayStation All-Stars Zeus, Isaac Trailers Released

    While most of the fighting game news for the past few weeks has involved epic battles between D.C. Comics superheroes in the Injustice: Gods Among Us tournament, Sony would like to remind gamers that their whimsical Smash Bros. clone is only a few months old.

    Sony this week released new videos showcasing the new characters coming to PlayStation All-Stars BAttle Royale. Dead Space protagonist Isaac Clarke will be joining the brawler with his RIG suit and plasma cutter, while Zeus as depicted in the God of War series will be bringing the thunder of Olympus.

    In addition to the new fighters, Sony will be adding a new MediEvil stage that also blends elements of The Unfinished Swan. In the middle of a fight the level background may be wiped and then slowly revealed with ink splotches. Both the fighters and the new stage will be available starting March 19.

    Isaac’s video shows the engineer using his many tools, including the plasma cutter, ripper blades, and kinesis and stasis modules. His level 3 super blows other fighters out an airlock, where Isaac uses them for target practice.

    Zeus will use hard punches, lightning strikes, and teleports while fighting. His level 3 super transports fighters to Mount Olympus, where he submits them to a God of War-style boss fight.

  • Dead Space 3 DLC Announced, Background Mini Series Begins

    Dead Space 3 was released in the U.S. today, and already extra content for the title is being announced.

    EA and Visceral Games today announced the “Awakened” DLC add-on will be available sometime in March. The announcement states that the content will allow players to “experience the franchise’s darkest chapters as the Necromorph battles become even more gruesome and terrifying than ever before. The add-on will cost $10 via the PlayStation Network or Origin, and 800 Microsoft Points via Xbox LIVE.

    “With Dead Space 3 our goal was to evolve the franchise bringing in innovative new features like drop-in/drop-out co-op, weapon crafting, and an engaging atmosphere while still retaining the incredible suspense, horror, action and sound that the series is known for,” said Steve Papoutsis, general manager of Visceral and executive producer of Dead Space 3. “Gamers are going to be thrown in and out of space, taken to a violent new ice planet and allowed to explore several different abandoned spaceships and caves. But we’re not stopping there. In Dead Space 3 Awakened, gamers will experience some of the most disturbing content they have ever seen in a Dead Space game – they are going to love it.”

    In addition to new content for fans already deep into Dead Space lore, EA today began a YouTube mini series designed to acclimate gamers new to the Dead Space franchise. Dead Space: A Journey Through Terror will highlight all the important plot points from the first two Dead Space games, and are filled with spoilers. The first episode, titled “Isaac Clarke’s Journey,” details the protagonist’s former battles with the necromorphs.

  • Mass Effect N7 Armor Will be in Dead Space 3

    EA today announced an odd crossover feature that will be in Dead Space 3. Gamers who have played Mass Effect 3 will be able to outfit Isaac Clarke and John Carver in armor inspired by N7 designs in the Mass Effect universe.

    To don the armor, gamers will have to have played Mass Effect 3 and have a Mass Effect 3 save file on the same system they are playing Dead Space 3 on. That’s basically it. EA didn’t say whether the armor is better or worse than the starting armor for Dead Space 3 or whether the N7 style will be upgraded along with armor during the game.

    Between the superfluous Kinect voice capabilities and this latest announcement, it seems as if the Dead Space franchise is getting a bit silly. If the story and gameplay in Dead Space 3 isn’t up to fans’ expectations, the game may end up being EA’s Mass Effect 3-like disappointment for 2013. Hopefully gamers won’t be asked to pay for day-one DLC that pertains directly to the series’ story.

    Here’s the trailer for the new armor, which does at least look pretty cool:

  • Get Your Dead Space 3 Collector’s Edition Straight From The Developers

    Dead Space 2 had a pretty awesome collector’s edition. I still play around with the light up plasma cutter from time to time, and the packaging is still one of the better boxsets I own. It was a little sad to see the third game in the action-horror series not getting the same treatment, but all that changed over the weekend.

    EA and Visceral Games announced that Dead Space 3 would be getting a true collector’s edition for the real fans out there with the Dead Space 3 Dev-Team Edition. Unlike other collector’s editions, this one is a truly limited set with only 5,000 being made. You can pre-order it now for $100, or get the game and the Dev-Team Edition for $160. It’s only available through Visceral Games and won’t be found in stores.

    So, what will this self-proclaimed Dev-Team Edition get you? Players will receive an 8-inch Black Market statue, an aluminum data pad, a med pack water bottle, a recreation of a character’s notebook, posters, postcards and art book.

    The Dev-Team Edition will launch at the same time as the game. You will be able to pick up both on January 28. Dead Space 3 will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

  • Dead Space 3 Ad Pushes Kinect Features

    More than a few Dead Space fans are uneasy about the inclusion of co-op gameplay in Dead Space 3. Though Visceral Games seems to have come up with an interesting conceit for the feature (one of the characters will hallucinate and see different things throughout the game) it still feels like the type of feature the publisher, EA might force on the developer. The Resident Evil series began sliding toward bad reviews at the same time co-op was introduced, so it’s a valid concern for fans that the lonely, tension-filled Isaac-versus-all-the-necromorphs gameplay of Dead Space might be changed with the inclusion of a sidekick.

    The immersion might be broken even more if players decide to use their Kinect with the game, and it appears the developers know it. EA today released another video that touts the Kinect commands for Dead Space 3. Using the microphone on the Kinect allows players to trade gear, heal a partner, reload a weapon, or do several other things that normally require the push of a button.

    The video tries hard to make it seem as if voice commands will make the gameplay easier, and it actually might be easier in the specific case of trading inventory with a co-op partner. However, it’s hard to see why saying “use stasis” or “reload weapon” would be easier than tapping a controller button. The Kinect commands for Skyrim that allowed for real-life dragon shouts might have been fun for a few minutes, but screaming anything other than startled surprise at the TV during a Dead Space play session seems very silly.

  • Dead Space Recap Video Summarizes the Series’ Considerable Backstory

    The Dead Space games, like some other survival horror titles (not to mention science fiction franchises), has a rather convoluted backstory. In fact, without paying close attention and grabbing various log entries within Dead Space and Dead Space 2, even many players may not be clear on what exactly necromorphs are and why they appear.

    EA, as they have done with many other titles, appears to have slightly reworked Dead Space 3 to make it more accessible to the general gaming public. Specifically, the new co-op gameplay may be many players’ first introduction to the Dead Space universe, and the game’s story will need to be accessible too.

    To ease the way in for newcomers, EA today released a recap video that succinctly explains everything first-time Dead Space players will need to know about the markers, Michael Altman, the Church of Unitology, and series protagonist Isaac Clarke. As a bonus for fans who already know everything about the Dead Space series, the last 30 seconds of the video contains a hint at just what could bring Isaac out of his retirement from necromorph stomping.

  • Dead Space 3 Demo Coming in January

    Dead Space 3 Demo Coming in January

    It’s natural for gamers to be worried about the Dead Space franchise. The first two games in the series introduced fans to a new Sci-Fi survival horror game that was able to successfully implement heavy action elements to the formula. Now that EA knows it has a hit, though, Dead Space could fall victim to the publisher’s tendency to broaden games for a wider audience, often by inserting multiplayer or social aspects where they have no place. Dead Space 3‘s new big feature is co-op gameplay, meaning there’s at least some cause for concern.

    Luckily, gamers will get a chance to try out the action this January, when a demo for the game will be released. The demo will hit Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network starting January 22, just weeks before the game’s February 5 release date. Xbox gamers will also have the opportunity to play the demo starting January 15 if they sign up for early access on the Dead Space website.

    The co-op in Dead Space 3 revolves around series protagonist Isaac Clarke and the mysterious John Carver. Due to his dementia, players who take on the role of Carver will experience different things on-screen than those who play Isaac. It’s a thoughtful touch that should help differentiate the gameplay from other bland co-op modes.

    Hopefully, the demo will demonstrate whether this mechanic works for the story and gameplay. It would be sad to see such a promising franchise go the way of Resident Evil 6 – bogged down with over-the-top action gameplay, mandatory campaign partners, and ResidentEvil.net.

  • New Dead Space 3 Kinect Support Details Released

    New Dead Space 3 Kinect Support Details Released

    Last week it was announced that Dead Space 3 will be getting Kinect integration for the Xbox 360. This is in addition to the drop-in, drop-out co-op multiplayer that will be present throughout the game, completely shifting from the lonely, fearful tone set by the near-solitude of the first two games in the series.

    Whether these features were natural expansions of the series’ gameplay or mandates handed down by a social gaming-focused EA, it’s caused plenty of concern among fans that Dead Space may be going the way of the Resident Evil series and abandoning the very things that made it popular.

    The Kinect support, though, isn’t going to ruin a gaming experience. Gamers won’t have to wave their own limbs at their screen to de-limb necromorphs. Instead, through voice commands players will be able use items, switch weapons, or exchange equipment with their co-op partner.

    In a new promotional interview video released by EA, Visceral Games’ Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis states that “reload” and “roll” will be voice commands, among others. There isn’t much more info provided, though the video does provide a good look at the action in Dead Space 3 through clips. Forewarning: it also contains dubstep.

    Two interesting trivia facts are revealed, though. Papoutsis states that Visceral had considered including a Kinect-specific achievement for swearing. The developer also considered using the Kinect to take photos of the player at the moment of Dead Space 3‘s inevitable jump scares. That sounds like the best use of the Kinect yet devised, though the potential for abuse of such a feature is obviously high.

  • Dead Space 3 Gets Kinect Voice Commands

    Dead Space 3 Gets Kinect Voice Commands

    In case any Dead Space fans don’t know yet, EA want to make sure they’ve heard that Dead Space 3 will feature drop-in, drop-out co-op gameplay. Players can take on the role of Isaac Clarke or John Carver, a military man who is suffering a nightmarish dementia.

    Today the publisher announced that the game will feature Xbox 360 Kinect commands. Players will be able to use commands to exchange ammo, find objectives, or revive a co-op partner. EA stated that the feature “further immerses players into the Dead Space universe.”

    Co-op is an odd (and controversial) feature for a game series that’s success has been based on the frightening feeling of isolation and panic. The Resident Evil series’ reviews began going south with Resident Evil 5, which introduced similar co-op gameplay. It’s no wonder that Dead Space fans are worried about their favorite series following the industry trend of shoehorning multiplayer into all types of games.

    Whether they were forced to include multiplayer or decided on their own it would be a good idea, however, Visceral Games has at least put an interesting twist on the co-op formula. As shown in a new trailer released today, players taking on the role of Carver will see things that the Isaac player won’t. This simultaneous-but-alternate gameplay could be enough to make the co-op gameplay interesting. Or, it could be a highly situational gimmick. We’ll know in less than two months when the game is released on February 5.

  • Dead Space 3 Pre-Order Exclusives Revealed

    It’s a sad fact of life for current gamers that they won’t be able to acquire every bit of content for a game unless they purchase it three or four times. The retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses that have grown common in the past few years are the new normal going forward and a source of pain for OCD, completionist gamers.

    EA and Visceral Games today announced the pre-order bonuses customers of GameStop and Amazon will receive for pre-ordering Dead Space 3. Both bonus items are guns.

    Gamers pre-ordering from GameStop will receive the “EG-900 SMG.” It’s a submachine gun issued by the EarthGov and “built for urban warfare.”

    Those who pre-order from Amazon will receive the “Tesla Enervator.” The weapon is described as having been developed from an overdriven focus coil by Sovereign Colonies scientists. It fires a “precision blast causing instantaneous electrocution and molecular destabilization.”

    What’s odd about these bonuses is that one of the touted new features in Dead Space 3 is the crafting system. It’s been stated that players will be able to find materials to craft their own weapons to add different effects. It’s even more clear than usual that these pre-order weapons will be useless by the time players hit an hour of gameplay.

    Dead Space 3 is currently scheduled to launch on February 5, 2013. The game features Isaac Clarke back in action against the necromorph threat, but this time joined by another protagonist named Carver. Players, for better or worse, will be able to play together in a new co-op mode.

  • New Dead Space 3 Preview Highlights Co-op Gameplay

    Survival horror fans hoping for more Dead Space 3 news are in for a treat today. Machinima just released a new eight-minute preview for the game, featuring minor spoilers from the game’s story producer, Chuck Beaver.

    Most of the interview focuses on Dead Space 3‘s new co-op gameplay. Players will play as either Isaac or a new character, Carver. Players taking on the role of Carver will experience Carver’s dementia, meaning what that character sees will be different from what the Isaac character sees.

    “Carver is just experiencing dementia on the scale that Isaac did for the first time,” said Beaver. “As a character, Carver is a military man who had a wife who was secretly involved in market research.” Beaver also stated that the character has a connection to the villain of the game.

    Beaver spoke for a bit about the new “adaptive cover” mechanic in Dead Space 3. He tried to reassure gamers by calling the system a “soft-lock cover system” that shouldn’t be intrusive.

    The new weapon crafting system was also touched upon, but Beaver provided no new information beyond what was revealed at this year’s Gamescom expo. He did, though, state that Dead Space 3 is the largest Dead Space game by far.

  • Dead Space 3 Gameplay Walkthrough Released

    With all of the amazing games coming out in the next few weeks, it’s easy to forget that the gaming party won’t stop at Christmas. Some of the most anticipated games of the year have been delayed to the first part of 2013, ensuring that gamers will have plenty to keep them in their seats until next summer.

    To keep player looking ahead, EA and Visceral games this week released a 15-minute gameplay walkthrough for Deadspace 3, which is currently set for a February 5th release. In the video, seen below, Visceral’s creative director and senior audio artist for Dead Space 3 take us through a section of the game that takes place on a ship named the Eudora. As Isaac Clarke, players will make their way off the ship, which has been attacked and is in the process of exploding. After that, the game seems to settle down into the pace of a Dead Space game, with Clarke exploring a derelict flotilla and, of course, encountering Necromorphs.

  • Gamescom 2012: Dead Space 3 Launches On February 5

    Dead Space 3 is probably one of the most anticipated games of next year. Visceral Games proved that they knew horror with the first two games. The expectations are high for the third entry and we’ll know if the game meets those expectations early next year.

    EA announced during their Gamescom press conference today that Dead Space 3 is launching in North America on February 5, 2013. The game is launching in Europe just a few days later on February 8. The game features returning protagonist Isaac Clarke as he takes on the necromorph menace on Tau Volantis. The new planet is completely covered in ice. It’s obvious that the developers are channeling The Thing with Dead Space 3.

    The addition of co-op has some players concerned that Dead Space 3 will lose its edge. The first two games were fantastic horror romps with great environment and sound design that really hit home the fact that you were alone. Adding on a co-op partner relieves the tension. It’s great for people who don’t like horror games, but are they really going to buy Dead Space 3 now that it has co-op?

    Fortunately, the trailer released today seems to confirm that Dead Space 3 will still be just as scary as previous entries. Check it out for yourself:

    EA also announced a Dead Space 3 Limited Edition for those who preorder the title. It’s similar to Dead Space 2’s Limited Edition on the PS3. It includes two bonus suits and weapons that are available right from the outset. There’s no mention if EA will be packing in extra games like they did with Dead Space 2.

  • Doctors May Soon Be Sticking Needles Into Your Eyes

    I have very few fears in this world, but needles is up there with the big ones. I would rather sit in a room with Steven Spielberg’s most horrific creation, E.T., than spend one second with a needle in my arm. That’s why today’s news of doctors wanting to stick needles into my eye to cure macular degeneration has me kind of tense.

    Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have shown the potential for delivering medicine to the eyes through microneedles. The needles are less than a millimeter in length and were shown to be injected into the eye of an animal model as a proof of concept.

    If you’re scared, don’t be. The procedure is minimally invasive and will only be used to inject drugs into the front of the eye where they will slide into the back of the eye. Considering that contemporary treatments for many eye problems can’t reach the back without extremely invasive procedures, this has the potential to cure a lot of eye diseases that affect many people.

    “This research could lead to a simple and safe procedure that offers doctors a better way to target drugs to specific locations in the eye,” said Samirkumar Patel, the paper’s first author and a postdoctoral researcher at Georgia Tech when the research was conducted. “The design and simplicity of the microneedle device may make it more likely to be used in the clinic as a way to administer drug formulations into the suprachoroidal space that surrounds the eye.”

    What’s even more amazing is that drugs injected via microneedles revolve around your eye like a satellite to a planet. The drugs revolve around the eye in a part that doesn’t have any negative side effects on the person while delivering drugs to the affected parts of the eye. Researchers will now develop drugs contained in capsules that will biodegrade in the eye while only letting out small amounts of medicine over time. It prevents having to be repeatedly stabbed in the eye over the course of a few months.

    I think we can all agree that this is a good thing, being stabbed in the eye notwithstanding. The eye is one of those body parts that’s really hard to treat due to its fragile nature. This new treatment should save eyesight everywhere. We can at least rest easy knowing that this won’t happen:

  • Dead Space 3 All But Confirmed For E3 2012

    E3 is only a few days away now with EA scheduled to make some big announcements on June 4 during their press conference. One of those announcements has been rumored to be a new entry in Visceral Games’ excellent Dead Space franchise. A new video released today on the official Dead Space YouTube channel seems to confirm those rumors.

    The video takes the form of a graphic novel tells the story of a new character in the Dead Space universe – John Carver. The short story shown here takes place on an icy planet called Uxor. That matches up with previous rumors that said Dead Space 3 would take place on an icy planet. It seems that Carver will be a lot of Isaac Clarke from the first Dead Space as he is on his way to look for his wife.

    The video doesn’t give us much information in terms of what Dead Space 3 may entail besides the setting. It looks we can expect all manners of necromorphs including some big boss monters and some interesting new mechanics involving the frozen wasteland that is Uxor. Beyond that, we’ll have to wait till EA’s press conference where they will undoubtedly show the game.

    How do we know that this is for Dead Space 3 though? The video originally appeared on the official Dead Space Web site and it contained a few treasures within its source code. Just like with the recent source code leak in regards to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, the Dead Space site source code mentions Dead Space 3 multiple times.

    Dead Space 3 E3 2012

    Whether or not the graphic novel ties into Dead Space 3, we can assume that there will be an announcement on Monday. EA has pushed Dead Space harder than any of their other new IPs this generation, much to the chagrin of Mirror’s Edge fans, but I think this is just the tip of the marketing muscle that EA will be putting behind the latest effort from the guys over at Visceral Games.

    Check out the video in all its glory. If this truly is the direction that Dead Space 3 is headed, count me in.

    [h/t: Joystiq]