Diehard GameFAN: Dead Space 3 Review

DHGF: Dead Space 3 is generally enjoyable and should satisfy players well enough overall, and it pulls off much of what it does effectively, but some elements fall flat for one reason or another, leaving it an enjoyable, if disappointing, finale to the series (so far). The plot wraps up what it needs to wrap up adequately enough, the game generally looks excellent and sounds amazing, and the core gameplay is as functional and friendly as it ever was. Some minor add-ons help to make the experience more functional, while the major changes, such as the addition of co-op and the ability to make your own custom weapons, are interesting and well implemented enough, and combined with the extensive depth and content, make the game easy to recommend in theory. That said, though, the plot is not well written and is often poor in execution and general concept, the experience is obviously and patently derivative of The Thing, the online pass that’s needed for the heavily advertised co-op is an insult, some of the new minigame sequences are either annoying or simply poor, and the weapon customization system feels like a novelty you’ll use until you find a gun you like and never touch afterward. Dead Space 3 manages to execute the new things it tries acceptably enough while failing at things it got right in its predecessors, and the end result is a game that’s certainly fun and not regrettable to buy, but is also hard to recommend for reasons it shouldn’t be.