Review: Dead Space Extraction

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Eurocom

Publisher: EA

# of Players: 1 - 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A

In case you're staring at that cover art and wondering (raised eyebrow and all), Dead Space Extraction works brilliantly on the Wii as both a solid horror game as well as a technical showpiece for Visceral Games and Eurocom. This "guided FPS experience" as it's been dubbed manages to be scary as hell, spectacular to look and absolutely nails it in terms of the aural assault. In terms of story, the game dishes up an excellent prequel to the events in the PS3/360/PC horror hit Dead Space packed with some great emotional moments that make the original game's plot all the more poignant. Of course, if you don't have a PS3 or 360 and your PC can't run Dead Space, all of this may mean nothing. However, what's here is certainly solid enough that I could see a few formerly Wii-only gamers eyeballing a new console just to catch up on the first game's descent into sci-fi themed fear.

In Extraction, you play as different members of a four-person team trying to escape a Necromorph-invaded mining colony, Aegis VII after a group of miners uncover an alien marker and (in true horror move fashion) activate the relic. Things go from bad to a hell of a lot worse in short order and the game does a magnificent job of showing you the results throughout. The escapees are simply trying to survive, reach the ISG Ishimura and get off-planet, but as those of you who've played Dead Space know, things didn't turn out as planned. Not all your party members will make it through the entire game in one piece, but that's the extent of the spoilers I'm giving.

In terms of variety, expect to see enemies from the original game and at least one new (and frightening) freakish creature that needs to be seen to be believed. Motion controls are excellently done, accurate and about as good as it gets for a rail shooter. While I wish the reticule size was adjustable, I'm gathering Eurocom made it large as a concession to Wii owners without HDTV's or those not used to this style of game. It's not too terrible unless you get a few Necromorphs you're trying to dismember from long distances. Most weapons have great stopping (and chopping) power, but only your Rivet Gun has infinite ammo. You'll need to gather up stock for the other weapons by careful observation and shooting destructible objects, which along with the level completion tallies and rewards system, adds a nice arcade-like feel to the game.

Drop in co-op is supported and welcome, as things can get quite hectic as the game drops in stages where enemies come at you at a near constant pace. While most of the Necromorphs are slow and steady, you'll run across a few faster ones here and there. Distance plays a factor even with a pack of slower baddies, as the camera automatically controls movement and speed during each stage. Stasis and Kinesis are also part of gameplay, allowing you to solve minor puzzles grab pickups and assist in taking out Necromorphs. Probably as another concession to Wii owners, these powers are quite easy to abuse if you like, but you can also get through much of the game without them if you're fearless (and don't mind dying a few too many times when you're overwhelmed).

In yet another really great touch, you'll come across log files, some of which are the same ones from Dead Space. this sort of continuity is not only important to those players who've already read them in that game, they also spell things out for the newbies. Some folks may not like this repetition, but again, not EVERY gamer has multiple consoles for any number of reasons. Kudos to the developers for thinking this one through to that extent. While ten missions may not sound like a lot, it's an intense ride that lasts roughly 10-12 hours or so the first time through and you unlock Challenge missions that add greatly to the replay value.

As far as the presentation goes, it's stellar. DSE is right now, the best looking game on the Wii in my opinion. Eurocom has managed to make the familiar locations from Dead Space look exactly as they do here with only some detail loss that doesn't affect the "wow" factor. If you've played the original. you may find yourself replaying just to compare notes. If you haven't played it because you only own a Wii, again, you'll be eyeballing that piggy bank and considering a purchase or at least bugging a PS3 or 360-owning pal and asking if you can drop by to check out the original. Sound effects, voice acting and music are just brilliant, all adding to the immersion factor and bringing the scares right into your bones straight from your TV's speakers.

As to the gore quotient, the game earns its M-rating, that's for sure. Blasting extremities off Necromorph is as nasty as it is in the HD versions and the game pulls not a punch in terms of showing some pretty grisly stuff in other areas. It's not "gratuitous" at all and the yuck factor fits the game's tone perfectly. You're seeing just what you'd see if you were put in such a horrific situation (which makes me want to NOT visit an alien-infected space mining complex or creepy spaceship anytime soon in this life or the next). Just keep the younger kids away (or anyone who scares too easily) and it's all good. As I noted in my preview, EA, Vicseral and Eurocom are showing that the Wii is indeed a great system for "core" gamers who really, really need to give it a chance.

Nevertheless, my sole complaint about the game is why it's a Wii exclusive in the first place. Sure, I "get" the technical challenge and the need for a great genre game on a console stereotyped too early in its lifespan by many who should know better. However, in a weird way, sticking Extraction on the Wii will tick off certain types of gamers and definitely tick off those who didn't intend to buy a Wii at all. If the game were terrible (as some of those folks probably expected), it would be easy to not recommend a purchase and bash the game for what it failed at while offering constructive criticism on how it could have been made better. But, Dead Space Extraction is not only superbly scary and one of the best Wii games of 2009, it's a game that demands to be played because it shows how a combination of simplicity and complexity can indeed mesh near-perfectly to form a truly memorable (and terrifying) game experience.