Dead Space (iOS)

Developed by Iron Monkey Studios (released 1/25/11)
Price: $7

Before I start this review let me first clear up that Dead Space for iOS is NOT a port of the console version.  Dead Space is actually an independent story with a different protagonist and is sort of an interquel. 

If you read my Dead Space 2 review then you already know what you're getting into with the iPhone/iPad version.  If the screenshot doesn't wow you then check out the gameplay for yourself.  Dead Space is truly one of the best looking titles on the iPhone (along with Infinity Blade and Chaos Rings) but graphics mean nothing if gameplay doesn't deliver right? 

Dead Space is going to shock you with how natural the controls feel.  The left side of the screen controls movement while the right side is aiming.  Unfortunately there is no inversion for aiming but I'm sure EA will release an update.  I play inverted and had no problems adjusting to the game so you shouldn't have a problem too.  Along with amazing controls, you're given a surprising amount of content from it's console counterparts.  Upgradeable weapons and suits?  Check.  Multiple tools for destruction?  5 including 2 new ones.  Scares and a great final battle?  Check and check.  The last point may come as a surprise because I didn't think there'd be many scares in the iPhone version.  I'm happy to say that while not nearly as good as it's console brothers, it does deliver and have even heard of some gamers too scared to continue playing.

Dead Space for iPhone clocked in at about 3 hours for me to complete the first time but can be beaten in under 2.  While not a long game, there are definite replay values here with the developers providing phone backgrounds to unlock along with a bevy of achievements.  You can even link your EA account to the iPhone to unlock a power node and a special secret in Dead Space 2.  The developers took a lot of time to create a decent product and there's even some decent voice work done.  The story itself is okay but what do you really expect from the iPhone?  If you're a fan of 3rd Person Shooters or Survival Horror, do yourself a favor and buy Dead Space on iOS. 

Final Grade: B+



Dead Space 2

Developed by Visceral Games (1/25/11)

While Dead Space garnered critical acclaim, this shouldn't prevent people from seeing that it was a pretty obvious sci-fi take of Capcom's Resident Evil 4.  The difference between Dead Space and most other games that steal ideas though (see Darksiders) is that it managed to surpass RE 4 in many ways.  Dead Space was a scary game with great action sequences, a pretty decent story, interesting characters, and the ability to move and shoot!  While that last point may not seem like a big deal, it took Capcom over 6 titles to finally implement some mechanic that allows their heroes to move and shoot (coming soon to the 3DS).  Capcom released RE5 and while not a bad title, it didn't live up to expectations and even more tragically, wasn't even scary.  Could Visceral Games succeed where Capcom failed?

*I'm going to try to keep the spoilers to a minimum and will indicate any upcoming with a SPOILER so don't worry.*

Dead Space 2 is truly a roller coaster ride and many reviews have stated that it reminds them of Uncharted 2.  To be honest, I'd have to agree with them because Dead Space has a lot more epic moments in it as opposed to the first title.  There'll be times when you're sitting there gripping your controller not realizing that you're in control of the events taking place and at any moment Isaac (main character) could be ripped to shreds.  Does it achieve the grand scale of Uncharted 2 though?  Not really but it doesn't have to.  Visceral had the groundwork of a solid title already in Dead Space so slight alterations were all that were needed for a great title. 

For starters, this game is still scary.  If you played the first game and didn't jump, chances are you weren't playing in the right atmosphere (lights off sound up) or you have Chuck Norris like nerves.  Granted, many of the frights come from jump scares, there were moments that actually had my adrenaline pumping.  The controls are near perfect this time around and refined ensuring that if Isaac dies, it usually can be blamed on the player and not the game itself.  One of my favorite additions is the reworking of Isaac's Kinesis.  The first game made it crucial to shoot off Necromorphs limbs but in this title, you could shoot off an enemies arm, kinesis it, and then fire it through another enemy impaling him on a wall 15 feet away! While it may seem like a gimmick, using this trick is integral to conserve ammo which is scarce on harder difficulties.  You're gonna need every bit of ammo too with new enemy types and reworked (and slightly harder) old necromorphs.  No worries though because Isaac is given a better arsenal this time around (although I stuck with the Plasma Cutter).

The story is pretty interesting though some parts get kinda hokey.  If you're a fan of the Dead Space universe then you should enjoy many of the nods to the original and how the game messes with your sense of comfort.  There were times that I was sure I would be bombarded by enemies, only to see myself worked up for nothing.  At other times, I would be relaxed when out of nowhere *BLARGH* and I'm pinned against a wall!  Visceral found a decent balance of jump scares and genuinely creepy moments that fans new and old will enjoy.  Also, there are over 100 different text/audio logs to find, each giving the universe more life.  I enjoyed much of the main story although there were quite a few that disappointed like *minor SPOILER* the ending battle and lack of real boss fights. *END OF SPOILERS*

The newest edition to the Dead Space world is the addition of multiplayer.  Two teams of four controlling either the Necromorphs, or the humans.  From what I've heard, it's similar to Left 4 Dead but have yet to truly try it.  I will update my review later when I've spent some time with it to give my full views but as for now, it seems to be just icing on the cake of a great 3rd person shooter.

*Note, the 360 version comes with 2 discs while the PS3 version only comes with one.  While that may seem like an advantage for PS3 players, I have seen that you can access multiplayer from either Disc 1 or Disc 2 with the 360.  This means that two people can play multiplayer off one copy of the game!  EA sadly requires online pass codes but I can help you with that (just send me a message or e-mail).  Don't fret though PS3 players, because your copies (I think collectors only) come with a free copy of the Wii's Dead Space Extraction with Move support!

Pathetic

Game may be too short for some (my first playthrough took a little over 10 hours)
Disappointing Final Fight
Some deaths can be pretty cheap
Pregnants and Guardians are bullet wasters!

Very Nice!

Some truly epic moments
One of the best openings I've played through in awhile
Kinesis is a blast to use
Lots of great scares
Fun combat and more variety of enemies
Isaac Clarke is a much better character now that he has a voice

FINAL GRADE: A

I had a lot of fun playing Dead Space 2 and while not as great a leap like Uncharted 2 did from it's previous title, it's still a solid follow up and a great way to start off 2011.  Throw in the upcoming DLC and you're looking at a title that any fan of survival-horror/3rd person shooters should own.

Vanquish (Xbox 360/PS3)

Developed by Platinum Games (10/19)

Platinum Games released (arguably) one of the best action games of all time last year with Bayonetta and followed up with another crazy title in Vanquish.  In development since 2007, Vanquish was directed by Shinji Mikami and given Mikami's track record we were expecting an amazing experience (Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe, Devil May Cry) or another big letdown (God Hand, P.N. 03). 

Although Vanquish was developed by the same makers of Bayonetta, the gameplay is different trading crazy hand to hand action for third person bulletfests.  Try and imagine Gears of War, mixed with Lost Planet 2's bosses, and then shooting the whole thing with 10 kilos of adrenaline!  To say it's over the top would be an understatement because Vanquish is one of the most ridiculous experiences of the year.

 At the games core is a duck and cover system not unlike Gears of War.  Your character (Sam) has a choice of 8 different weapons and 2 grenade types which are all upgradeable.  Sam can dodge quickly and his suit utilizes an Augmented Reality (AR) mode which is essentially bullet-time.  Be wary of using AR mode too much because it overheats Sam's suit rendering him more vulnerable to enemy fire.  Fret not though unless you're playing on Hard mode or (Heaven Help You) God Hard mode where the enemies get ridiculously accurate.  I beat the game on Hard and you truly have to take advantage of every bit of cover because there are times where the game swarms you with danger.  There were many times where I yelled out because my suit overheated and I was on the verge of visiting the death screen again (which you'll most likely see often too on Hard and above).  Throughout the frustration though I never stopped having fun while my character fought towering bosses and robots in ever changing environments.  One section that sticks out for me was a fight along two monorails where one of them literally is suspended above yours and you're forced to change perspectives to continue firing upon the enemy. 

If the game sounds too crazy and downright silly, that's because it doesn't take itself seriously.  There are tons of in-jokes and the developers poke fun at many staples of the space shooter.  Gruff sounding main character that smokes? Check.  Grizzled veteran who believes in no nonsense toughness?  Check.  Hottie behind the scenes that buzzes in your ear?  Check.  Enemies that are either Nazi's, Russians, Robots, or Aliens?  Check and check!  The plot sees San Francisco being taken out by the Russians in a terrorist takeover.  They then threaten to take out New York next unless Madam President of the US unconditionally surrenders.  Is there a plot twist that involves some stupid government conspiracy?  What do you think?  Aside from the developers having fun with the ridiculous premise and characters, the enemies are just as fun sometimes changing from an axe wielding megabot into a cheetah like scorpion. 

Bosses are fun, the characters are hilarious, the shootouts are intense, and the premise is so bad it's good but I bet you're wondering what's the downside?  Sadly, many feel that the game is too short and while I wanted to disagree, the truth is that for the asking price ($60) you're not given enough meat.  I played on Hard and beat the game in a little over 6 hours and that included constantly dying and taking my time on certain segments.  There are 5 acts each consisting of roughly 6-9 chapters but they're over quickly and the game actually encourages beating them as fast as you can.  I'm replaying under Casual and have already beaten a chapter and a half in about an hour!  True there are some extra challenges nad collectibles to find, but does that justify paying 10$ per hour of gameplay? 

Pathetic

Story takes roughly 4-6 hours to complete
Premise and characters may be too hokey for some
Some enemies are ridiculously cheap

Very Nice!

The game is a blast to play
The cover system is done very well and the game looks gorgeous during AR mode
The story doesn't take itself too seriously providing laughs for the right audience
You won't find anything else in 2010 that comes close to being the adrenaline shot this title is

FINAL GRADE: B-

While I wanted to give this game a higher grade I honestly believe it deserves nothing greater then a B-.  Some can argue it deserves lower given the asking price but just because a game is short, doesn't mean it has to be bad.  I enjoyed my brief time with Vanquish and definitely recommend you pick it up as a rental or purchase it when the price drops. 

Why Haven't You Played This Yet? #3

Chaos Rings by Square Enix
iPhone/iPod
$13 $5.99

It's not hard to figure out why most people were turned off by Square Enix' Chaos Rings and the reason why is because we're cheap.  Why on earth would anyone spend $13 on some weird RPG when you could spend $1 on Angry Birds?  The answer: Quality over Quantity.  Chaos Rings was crafted by the RPG kings behind Final Fantasy and to be honest, I'm not really a big fan of Final Fantasy (more on that some other day.)  Surprisingly, I'm enjoying Chaos Rings though and if you have the slightest interest in turn-based RPGs then I suggest you download it.  In my opinion, most RPGs on the iPhone should be turn-based because of the lack of physical buttons.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Zeldaesque games like Zenonia but often times the game doesn't seem to do what I want it to.  Chaos Rings has turn-based combat so there's no way of blaming the device for any mistakes made.  With traditional RPGs, random battles are inevitable but thankfully there's a way of turning off random encounters.  Personally, I didn't mind the hundreds of battles and it's always fun learning new techniques and leveling your characters up.  Many reviewers in the App store disliked the leveling up system and stated that the game is too short and too easy.  For a game on your phone, how long do you expect it to be?  For starters, the main quest takes about 4-6 hours but there are 4 different scenarios to play through!  While each scenario roughly follows the same story, the characters personalities and plot twists help it to not feel too stale.  I've racked up 11 hours of gameplay already and have finished two scenarios, yet can't help myself to want to continue playing. 

Bottom Line: You'll Get Your Moneys Worth
4 stories roughly 4-6 hours each = about 20 hours of gameplay
Fun newly developed property (not a simple remake or port) designed specifically for iOS.
Impressive graphics for iPhones (nowhere near as nice as Infinity Blade though)
For RPG FANS ONLY