Dead Space 3

Overview

Dead Space 3 is a third-person horror game developed by Visceral Games. It's the third game in the main Dead Space franchise; it introduces cover mechanics as well as campaign co-op.

The game was released in North America on February 5, Australia on February 7, and Europe on February 8; it will is for PC through both retail and Origin, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360.

Story

Dead Space 3 takes place two years after the events of Dead Space 2. Isaac Clarke and Ellie Langford became a couple, but eventually broke up; after the horror on the Sprawl, Ellie wanted to seek a way to end the threat of the Markers and their Necromorph creations once and for all, but Isaac just wanted to hide himself away and let the rest of the universe deal with the problem. The game opens on the New Horizons lunar colony on Earth's Moon, where EarthGov soldiers Captain Robert Norton and Sergeant John Carver have tracked down Isaac. It seems Ellie actually managed to find a lead; a frozen planet called Tau Volantis, which appears to be the homeworld of the Markers, where Ellie believes they can find a way to shut down all the Markers in the universe remotely and stop the threat of the Necromorphs forever. After Ellie disappeared while investigating, however, Norton tracked down Isaac on her advice and forcibly recruited him for a mission to rescue her and find a way to carry out her plan. However, their mission is imperiled by the actions of a radical, militant sect of Unitologists lead by a madman named Jacob Arthur Danik, who is bent on activating all of the Markers, and will kill every one of the heroes in order to see that his vision isn't threatened by their actions. For the first time, Isaac doesn't have to face the terror alone - the optional co-op mode sees him accompanied at all times by John Carver, who has his own reasons to see the mission through, and his own inner demons to fight as they also battle the Necromorphs for their survival.

Dead Space 3 is the first Dead Space game to introduce humans as enemies - Unitologist Soldiers. Necromorphs both old and new and environmental hazards are also present on the planet.

Gameplay

Dead Space 3 retains similar gameplay to its predecessors, while also adding new mechanics, such as the ability to roll and a cover mechanic. Isaac moves around the environment in a third person view and players are required to use different weapons to eliminate different types of enemies. Strategic dismemberment is still a core part of the game and the game introduces a new type of enemy, the Fodder, which depending on how it's dismembered, can mutate to become even more deadly than before.

Like in previous games, weapons have two different modes of fire. Dead Space 3 marks the return of classics like the plasma cutter while introducing new automatic weapons. The game has universal ammo, with ammo drops being more plentiful on the normal difficulty than in previous games.

Also returning from the previous games is the upgrade system that has been redesigned and renamed the weapon bench. Players can upgrade and create new weapons from parts and items they collect along the way. There are two types of frames, a light one handed frame and a heavy two hand frame. Players can also create unique weapons by combining two weapons.

There exist blueprints of pre-made weapons in the game, to forgo the creation process while still giving players weapons to wield.

Game Modes

After players complete the campaign once four additional game modes are unlocked:

• New Game Plus - Replay the game carrying over all weapons and upgrades from the first playthrough. During this playthrough MK-II Overclocked Parts and +3 circuits are found throughout the game. This mode can be played at any difficulty.
• Classic Mode - A single player only playthrough designed to feel like the original game. It uses the "classic" aiming from the first game, while eliminating the crafting mechanic. Players must instead only create weapons that were available from the previous games via blueprints. These weapons cannot be modified. Co-op is also disabled. This mode can only be played on the Hard difficulty. Unlocks Devil Horns.
• Pure Survival Mode - Puts a greater emphasis on resource management. In this game mode, enemies will not drop resources (except in the Prologue). There’s no ammo, health, or weapon parts to collect. Players will have to choose what to craft at each bench. This mode can only be played on the Hard difficulty. Unlocks Mega Resources Deposit and MK-II Overclock Parts Set.
• Hardcore Mode - A permadeath mode, where players only get one life for the entire campaign. Players are able to stop playing and their inventory and story will be saved as many times as they want unlike in Dead Space 2. However if players die their save is wiped and progress is reset to the very beginning. Unlocks Retro Mode.

Co-op

The game features two player campaign co-op. Co-op can activated at the main menu or during gameplay at a checkpoint or after the player dies. Players can find a partner randomly with Quick Match or invite a friend - co-op doesn't feature friendly fire.

Co-op mode is disabled in Classic mode, in the spirit of the previous games.

Suits

There any many suits in Dead Space 3 but unlike the previous Dead Space games, the suits are mostly cosmetic and do not feature any buffs. The RIG can be upgraded to increase damage protection and other stats at Suit Kiosks, and these upgrades apply to all suits.

Unlockable Suits

• Special Forces Suit:The EarthGov Special Forces Suit is worn by members of the elite DB2 task force. It is designed with puncture-resistant body armour to protect its wearer from bullets and shrapnel. John Carver's signature suit in this game, the Special Forces Suit is unlocked in Chapter 2, and can only be worn by John.
• EVA Suit: A spacesuit that is lightweight and engineered to protect the wearer from prolonged radiation exposure from space. This suit is worn typically by salvage operators in the private-sector. Unlocked in Chapter 3.
• Arctic Survival Suit: A suit that is woven with classified S.C.A.F. synthetic fibres. Those fibres insulate the body of the wearer from extreme cold and hypothermic conditions. Unlocked in Chapter 9, and is Isaac Clarke's signature suit for this game.
• Archaeologist Suit: Woven with puncture-resistant micro-fibres for increased physical protection. This suit also has body heat retention. This suit can be worn in the Arctic. Unlocked in Chapter 11.
• Legionary Suit: Military armour that was decommissioned. This armour was worn by S.C.A.F. forces and is very bulky, but has a high value among collectors and historians. Unlocked in Chapter 14.
• Elite Suit: Used by the 401st Division of the S.C.A.F. this suit was built for frontline assaults. Designed with advanced survival and biophysical support technologies. Unlocked in Chapter 16.
• Engineering Suit: A vintage CEC uniform worn by mining and engineering personnel on the USG Ishimura. This suit was one of the first to feature an integrated RIG bio-sign motioning system. A callback to the original Dead Space, this suit is unlocked by beating the game on any difficulty, and can only be work by Isaac.
• Security Suit: The Security Suit is a vintage Sprawl uniform worn by EarthGov's Titan Security Force. This elite corps of soldiers was charged with promoting peace through strength aboard Titan Station. A callback to Dead Space 2, this suit is unlocked by beating the game on any difficulty, and can only be worn by John.
• Deep Dig Suit: A durable and extremely heavy deep space suit. This suit was designed for use by industrial asteroid trackers and long-haul salvage missions. Unlocked by collecting all weapon parts.
• Flight Suit: Designed for S.C.A.F. pilots, this suit continually monitors the wearer for signs of stress and fatigue. This suit can also inject stimulants into the bloodstream to counteract these effects. Unlocked by collecting all artifacts.
• Hostile Environment Suit: Issued by S.C.A.F. research scientists on Tau Volantis. This suit is designed to withstand the ionizing radiation emitting from the planets mantle. Unlocked by completing all optional missions.

Downloadable Content Suits

• First Contact Suit: A variation on the EVA suit built by S.C.A.F. for encounters with foreign entities. It has a gold finish to provide protection from long term space radiation. Comes with the Limited Edition of the game.
• Witness Suit: An insulated suit that will protect you in arctic weather. It is covered with strange graffiti and worn by S.C.A.F. deep dig teams that exhume the darkest secrets of Tau Volantis. Comes with the Limited Edition of the game.
• N7 Suit: A suit inspired by the hero "Shepard" from popular twenty-first century Earth fiction. The suit is distributed by Cosplay Intergalactic, INC. Unlocked by having a Mass Effect 3 game save.
• Tundra Recon Suit: Woven with nanotech fibers that are coated in a paraffin-based analgesic compound. This compound maintains body heat under any condition. Unlocked by purchasing the Tundra Recon Pack DLC or Tau Volantis Survival Kit DLC.
• Marauder Suit: S.C.A.F. Marauders were issued this suit during the Separatist Wars. It was used by ship-boarding parties to breach Separatist defenses and destabilize their supply chains. Unlocked by purchasing the Marauder Pack DLC or Tau Volantis Survival Kit DLC.
• Sharpshooter Suit: Designed for S.C.A.F. 's UN14 Special Operations Division. The suit features high impact armor to give the wearer maximum protection and the "No Retreat" motto of the UN14 troops. Unlocked by purchasing the Marauder Pack DLC or Tau Volantis Survival Kit DLC.

Editions

Pre-Ordering Dead Space 3 upgraded the game to the Limited Edition version of the game, which included:

• The Witness Suit - An insulated suit to help Isaac explore Tau Volantis' harsh terrain
• The First Contact Suit - Built for long-term space exposure with thick armor
• Evangelizer Weapon - Heavy duty assault rifle and shotgun combination
• Negotiator Weapon - Tesla-powered "instrument" for organic tissue dismemberment

Players received the EG-900 SMG - a compact Earthgov sub machine-gun sporting an internal hyper-accelerator - when pre-ordering from GameStop.

Players received the Tesla Enervator - a focused energy tool used for eliminating dangerous specimens by delivering a precision blast causing instantaneous electrocution and molecular destabilization in the target - when pre-ordering from Amazon.

The original game come free when pre-ordering from Origin.com.

Dead Space 3 DEV-Team Edition

The Dev-Team edition is truly a limited edition with only 5,000 made. There are two versions. The $160 version came with the game or one for $100 without the game (Dev-Team Edition Add-On). Each tin crate has a metal plate with the edition's number stamped on it i.e. 215/5000

It comes with any copy of Dead Space 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, or PC disc only)

• 13" SCAF Tin Crate
• 8" Polyresin Black Marker Statue
• Aluminum Data Pad
• Med Pack Water Bottle
• Bound SCAF Jotter
• 3 SCAF Posters
• 6 PENG Postcards
• 96 Page Mini Art Book
• DLC: First Contact Bundle
• DLC: Witness the Truth Bundle.

Downloadable Content

Awakened

The first piece of story DLC for Dead Space 3 is Awakened. It was released simultaneously on all platforms on March 12, 2013. It takes place immediately following the ending of Dead Space 3.

Development

First details of Dead Space 3 leaked on September 26, 2011 when Siliconera revealed the game's setting as well as minor details about the plot and gameplay. Minor details about the game leaked over the coming months before being officially revealed in May 2012 and shown at E3 2012.

Developers Visceral Games decided to take a more action oriented approach to Dead Space. When CVG asked Frank Gibeau why they had chosen to do this, Gibeau replied that with Dead Space 3, EA was aiming for the biggest possible market:

What we’ve tried to do with each instalment is tell a different story about Isaac but at the same time bring in new features and ways to turn the game into a more connected experience … so we embraced [the co-op] idea and we tried to open up the accessibility of the IP a little bit by adding a little bit more action, but not undermining the horror.

We can’t not be a horror game because that’s what Dead Space is … and at the same time we definitely do not want to piss off our fans by taking it too far from horror.

Playable Demo

On January 22, 2013 a playable demo of Dead Space 3 was released for Xbox 360 via Xbox Live and for PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network. Xbox 360 players who signed up on the official Dead Space website with an Origin account gained access one week early.

PC System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP (SP3), Vista (SP1) or Windows 7
• CPU: 2.8 GHz processor or equivalent
• RAM: 1 GB RAM (XP), 2 GB RAM (Vista or Windows 7)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or better (7300, 7600 GS, and 8500 are below minimum system requirements); ATI X1600 Pro or better (X1300, X1300 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements); 256MB Video Card and Shader Model 3.0 required
• DirectX: The latest version of DirectX 9.0c
• HDD: At least 10GB of hard drive space for installation, plus additional space for saved games.
• Other: Internet connection.