EA’s Tokyo Game Show event was stuffed with more games than we could count, but when we saw the first playable build of Dead Space: Extraction running on the PS3 with PlayStation Move, Rey and I made a beeline for Visceral Games’ upcoming horror shooter. Dead Space: Extraction is a prequel to the original Dead Space, and chronicles the discovery of the dreaded Necromorph on Aegis VII by planetary colonists.
Playing Dead Space: Extraction on PlayStation Move makes for a fine demonstration of the motion controller’s precision and versatility. Aiming is quick and accurate with virtually no discernible lag: small, subtle movements of your wrists translate precisely on-screen, giving you the feeling of aiming with a computer mouse. One nice touch is how you twist your wrist 90 degrees to the left or right to flip your Plasma Cutter’s firing plane from horizontal to vertical, which can help you find the ideal angle for snipping off arms, legs, tentacles, and other protrusions of the vile Necromorphs. There are other weapons, of course, including a Rivet Gun and a Force Gun. The “wrist twist” will activate these alternate fire modes as well.
Using the PlayStation Move, you fire your current weapon with the T button (aka the trigger). Pressing the Move button activates a quick Telekinesis blast, which you can use to pick up ammo and items hidden throughout the environments — or use to hurl objects at the marauding Necromorphs. It’s your choice! Melee attacks are gesture based: you press and hold Circle, then rapidly slash back and forth to fend off nearby Necromorphs. Melee isn’t much use for inflicting damage, so think of it more as a way to dissuade nearby enemies.
Dead Space: Extraction running on the PS3 looked extra sharp in HD, with moody dynamic-lighting effects and a rock-solid framerate. This build of Dead Space: Extraction primarily showed off the Challenge mode, a survival-type arena where players can battle ever-toughening hordes of Necromorph grotesqueries. Dead Space veterans already know that strategically dismembering the Necromorphs is a valuable tactic, and this is doubly true in the Challenge mode if you want to beat your partner’s score. If you don’t have a PlayStation Move, Dead Space: Extraction will be compatible with the DualShock 3 controller (for you old-school types) and will also feature optional support for the PlayStation Move navigation controller, though it’s not required.
Dead Space: Extraction will ship on the Dead Space 2: Limited Edition Blu-ray disc on January 25th, and will be available separately as a PSN download. Once we land back in the States, we’ll sync up with the Visceral Games team to get a deeper look at Dead Space: Extraction on the PS3. Including, hopefully, some luscious new video. Stay tuned!
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