The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
For our latest entry, we pack our plasma blasters and embark on a blood-filled horror fest in the Move-compatible Dead Space: Extraction.
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Developer: Visceral Games
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1-2
Dead Space: Extraction slithered out of the vents back in 2009 as a then Wii-exclusive prequel, offering owners of Nintendo’s HD-less box their long overdue – and to date, only – chance of stepping in to the bloody boots of Visceral’s gratifying gore ‘em up series. It was, for all intents and purposes, the poster boy for the more discerning Wii third party outing. Ironically, punters avoided it like the plague, seeming quite content to part with their pennies on the endless dirge of wonky wii-mote knock offs of big name franchises and superficial party romps. Sniffing out ample opportunity to capture the hardcore Dead Space demographic on PS3, Visceral announced at E3 2010 that it would be bringing the shooter to Sony’s flagship console alongside core sequel Dead Space 2.
Of course, the fact Extraction is a rail shooter – and a former Wii title at that – means it’s inherently tailored for some wand-waggling strategic dismemberment. No prizes for guessing it’s suited and booted for PlayStation Move right out of the box. Still, those who tend to gravitate towards more conventional controls will be pleased to know you can plump for regular DualShock control if you wish. Narrative wise the game has players clambering on board the doomed Ishimura from the inaugural blood fest, though the unfolding events are completely disparate from that of perpetually mute stomping machine Issac Clarke’s adventure. Instead, the prequel shines the spotlight on a pair of fresh-faced survivors Gabriel Weller and Lexine Murdoch as they infiltrate the vessel looking for help.
Predictably this turns out to be a less than auspicious move on the pair’s part, as they quickly find the ship infested with Necromorphs. As a result, the duo team up for a pulse-pounding plasma blasting romp through the bowls of the creaking, claret-stained voyager. As you’d expect, you can also bring a mate along for the action if you not brave enough to tackle things on your lonesome. Extraction may be on the rails, but it doesn’t compromise any of the quintessential Dead Space essentials you’d come to expect. As such, all the basic refinements show up, including a meaty, guttural-sounding arsenal and the immensely useful show-stopper stasis ability. The weapons also boast alternative firing modes, making for a diverse dismemberment package at your disposal. And, when you’re not slicing n’ dicing your way through the slobbering Necromorph hordes, you can lob stuff at them using telekinesis. Clarke would be proud. The haunted house ride-style set-up affords plenty of furious fire fights, with grisly beasts bearing down on you from all directions.
It’s not just an all-out dismemberment diner, though. A sprinkle of puzzles punctuate the more frantic moments, requiring some dexterous handiwork as you alternate between dispatching incoming foes and fiddling with various hacking mini-games. There’s also some meaty bosses to tackle too, requiring some pin-point accuracy to dispatch. Aside from the main quest, there’s also a Challenge Mode that’s worth a gander if you fancy a more unrestrained chance to blow holes in the onslaught of razor-toothed, space-based undead hordes. It’s also two-player compatible for a spot of cooperative gut-spilling antics, with the gist of the action to rack up a high score. Oddly, leaderboards are restricted to local play only, though the main campaign’s varying difficulty levels offer more than enough incentive to have another pop at the proceedings. Visually the PS3 dusts off a few cobwebs here and there, adding a little more spit and polish to what was otherwise equivocally one of the Wii’s more prettier offerings. Indeed, if you need something to get you in the Dead Space mood after a lengthy hiatus waiting for the sequel, this should be just the ticket.
Join us again tomorrow when we have another butcher’s Inside PlayStation Network.