Electronic Arts has lifted the lid off its upcoming Wii port of Dead Space. Well, to be fair, calling the game, titled Dead Space Extraction, a port isn't exactly fair. According to EA, the title will be a prequel to last year's survival-horror romp aboard the USG Ishimura.
Extraction will also feature an all-new female lead as players work with a group of colonists to escape the spreading infection on the mining colony, Aegis 7. New "weapons, enemies, puzzles and cooperative multiplayer gameplay" are promised as well. Even more interesting is that EA Redwood Shores is developing the game as a first-person (light gun?) shooter, promising that Wii owners will surely begin to waggle in their space boots when Dead Space Extraction ships this fall.
[Update: Worried this might be an on-rails light gun shooter? According to Steve Papoutsis, the game's executive producer, that's exactly what you're going to get. He told IGN that Extraction "takes advantage of a guided and cinematic camera" – IGN translates, calling it "an on-rails first-person shooter in the style of House of the Dead: Overkill." But Papoutsis is quick to point out that "Extraction is not your typical Rail Shooter. [EA's] goal is to innovate and push the genre forward." We loved Dead Space, but consider us thoroughly skeptical. Thanks, guttertalk.]
Reader Comments (92)
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 10:35AM xxxsam said
Yeah. Let me join everyone else in the simultaneous 'argh, a rail shooter?' groan.
If it's more like Umbrella Chronicles (long) and less like every other rail shooter (way way too short) I'll consider picking it up, though. I've nothing against the gameplay, just the length and corresponding play style - I really don't want to play a level a hundred times until I get it perfect, thanks. Playing it until I can pass the level, then *maybe* go back to it a couple more times to improve my score and get power-ups, okay... more than that? Probably not.
Even if it turns out a good game and of decent length - like Umbrella Chronicles - I definitely share the disappointment and for the same reason. Nobody was disappointed with the announcement of UC because Capcom were making a lightgun RE game on Wii. They were disappointed because Capcom weren't making a 'real' RE game on Wii. This is exactly the same situation all over again.
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If it's more like Umbrella Chronicles (long) and less like every other rail shooter (way way too short) I'll consider picking it up, though. I've nothing against the gameplay, just the length and corresponding play style - I really don't want to play a level a hundred times until I get it perfect, thanks. Playing it until I can pass the level, then *maybe* go back to it a couple more times to improve my score and get power-ups, okay... more than that? Probably not.
Even if it turns out a good game and of decent length - like Umbrella Chronicles - I definitely share the disappointment and for the same reason. Nobody was disappointed with the announcement of UC because Capcom were making a lightgun RE game on Wii. They were disappointed because Capcom weren't making a 'real' RE game on Wii. This is exactly the same situation all over again.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 12:57PM Vegeta has a ps3 said
Disappointment I can understand. Outright condemning the game because it's an on rails shooter, and basing said judgement on a single teaser trailer is downright ridiculous.
I just wish more people could adopt the logical "wait and see" approach instead of immediatly nerd raging. And besides I trust the developers on this game. If they're willing to make a completely different game instead of just rehashing the original or making a straight port, I think that shows that they are willing to put some effort into this.
tl;dr: I think people are overreacting.
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I just wish more people could adopt the logical "wait and see" approach instead of immediatly nerd raging. And besides I trust the developers on this game. If they're willing to make a completely different game instead of just rehashing the original or making a straight port, I think that shows that they are willing to put some effort into this.
tl;dr: I think people are overreacting.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 1:30PM xxxsam said
@Vegeta:
I'm not condemning it - but it remains a big disappointment that we will get a rail-shooter instead of a 'true' Dead Space experience - even if that rail shooter turns out to be a good rail shooter that's long enough to be well worth the money (as Umbrella Chronicles was).
If this had been initially announced as 'we will release a rail-shooter based on Dead Space' then I think the disappointment - though present - would've been much reduced. As it is, there was a partial announcement, everyone was hoping for a certain type of game (as could entirely have been predicted) and now we're told it's going to be another type of game which most of us think is not as good.
Kind of like 'Hey, we're releasing a prequel to Gran Turismo 5, on Wii!' - and three days later 'It's a pinball game.' Might be a great pinball game but all those racing fans are going to be disappointed - and there are a lot more racing fans than pinball fans.
tl;dr: Overreaction is predictable. EA shouldn't have raised false hopes.
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I'm not condemning it - but it remains a big disappointment that we will get a rail-shooter instead of a 'true' Dead Space experience - even if that rail shooter turns out to be a good rail shooter that's long enough to be well worth the money (as Umbrella Chronicles was).
If this had been initially announced as 'we will release a rail-shooter based on Dead Space' then I think the disappointment - though present - would've been much reduced. As it is, there was a partial announcement, everyone was hoping for a certain type of game (as could entirely have been predicted) and now we're told it's going to be another type of game which most of us think is not as good.
Kind of like 'Hey, we're releasing a prequel to Gran Turismo 5, on Wii!' - and three days later 'It's a pinball game.' Might be a great pinball game but all those racing fans are going to be disappointed - and there are a lot more racing fans than pinball fans.
tl;dr: Overreaction is predictable. EA shouldn't have raised false hopes.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 8:41AM (Unverified) said
1. WHY THE FUCK?
2. Dead rising wii
3. read the fucking comic series or watch the anime, as this just sounds like it. SPOILER everyone dies
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2. Dead rising wii
3. read the fucking comic series or watch the anime, as this just sounds like it. SPOILER everyone dies
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 8:38AM (Unverified) said
I just kind of hope it's not a rails shooter. Not a huge fan of rails shooters. They're too short.
But a Dead Space FPS could be cool... I don't know, we'll see. It should almost be better if they made it like RE4, only in space or something.
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But a Dead Space FPS could be cool... I don't know, we'll see. It should almost be better if they made it like RE4, only in space or something.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 11:34AM (Unverified) said
That's what I thought it looked like... Oh well. Maybe I'll pick it up once it hits it's first price drop or something.
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 8:56AM (Unverified) said
Yeah save your money, because this is a light gun game.
I always said I welcomed more lightgun shooters whenever, but not when bloody Dead Space is in the pipeline!
Unless it's the best lightgun shooter the world has ever known, I call cop out on this one, they blatantly should have done something much better, having it on a modified version of the xbox engine they had in development, but oh no, that was obviously too much work for Redwood wasn't it?
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I always said I welcomed more lightgun shooters whenever, but not when bloody Dead Space is in the pipeline!
Unless it's the best lightgun shooter the world has ever known, I call cop out on this one, they blatantly should have done something much better, having it on a modified version of the xbox engine they had in development, but oh no, that was obviously too much work for Redwood wasn't it?
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 9:03AM (Unverified) said
First the Wii-exclusive RE game is a rails-shooter, now this.
Why do people think Wii can't do third-person?!?
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Why do people think Wii can't do third-person?!?
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 12:13PM (Unverified) said
At this point, I would even settle for the original xbox alpha of Dead Space over another light gun game.
+1 for not an exact port of Dead Space.
-1 for not a port of xbox alpha of Dead Space
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+1 for not an exact port of Dead Space.
-1 for not a port of xbox alpha of Dead Space
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 10:48AM Duke said
Everyone is assuming its on rails right now. We don't know that. If the game isn't on rails then it would be worthwhile for those of us who enjoyed Dead Space on PS3/360. I am intrigued by getting to play another part of the story and not using the wii just as a port device.
Of course, if it is on rails....I have no interest either.
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Of course, if it is on rails....I have no interest either.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 11:26AM illiteratePoet said
I disagree. I loved the original Dead Space, but I think a "casual" (but scary) on rails experience fits with the Wii a lot better than a gimped waggle-port running at no80p. IMO this could be a fun rental as long as you go in with appropriately low expectations.
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 12:27PM dr steve brule said
how do you do know gravity on rails?
actually that might be pretty cool if they can do it right.
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actually that might be pretty cool if they can do it right.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 9:13AM ilduce620 said
Thank you, Hardy... It doesn't say _anything_ about "rails" in that preview...
And it looks surprisingly interesting, and perhaps even a bit scary. That preview didn't look as dark as the original, I don't think, but still looks like it retains the scariness.
I'll give it a look!
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And it looks surprisingly interesting, and perhaps even a bit scary. That preview didn't look as dark as the original, I don't think, but still looks like it retains the scariness.
I'll give it a look!
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 9:55AM samfish said
It doesn't say anything about being a rail shooter.
...on the other hand, it also doesn't say anything about being a FPS, either.
The press release is a fairly ambiguous "a frenetic first person perspective to create a new action-packed horror experience." And admittedly, the video, though also fairly ambiguous, seems to suggest a light gun game, too.
Personally, I hope it's not a light gun shooter. That'll severely curtail the game's potential, IMO.
On the other hand, if it's a light gun shooter, I would actually be able to play it.
...on the OTHER other hand, though, I'm tired of paying $50 for lightgun games. Even if they're enjoyable, they never feel worth that much money :\
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...on the other hand, it also doesn't say anything about being a FPS, either.
The press release is a fairly ambiguous "a frenetic first person perspective to create a new action-packed horror experience." And admittedly, the video, though also fairly ambiguous, seems to suggest a light gun game, too.
Personally, I hope it's not a light gun shooter. That'll severely curtail the game's potential, IMO.
On the other hand, if it's a light gun shooter, I would actually be able to play it.
...on the OTHER other hand, though, I'm tired of paying $50 for lightgun games. Even if they're enjoyable, they never feel worth that much money :\
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 10:03AM guttertalk said
This announcement doesn't say lightgun or rail, but this IGN interview sure sounds like the definition of an on-rails shooter:
http://wii.ign.com/articles/954/954895p1.html
Steve: Our gameplay takes advantage of a guided and cinematic camera which allows us to frame the action on screen and deliver fantastic and gripping action sequences packed with loads of scares.
"guided and cinematic camera" sounds like on-rails.
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http://wii.ign.com/articles/954/954895p1.html
Steve: Our gameplay takes advantage of a guided and cinematic camera which allows us to frame the action on screen and deliver fantastic and gripping action sequences packed with loads of scares.
"guided and cinematic camera" sounds like on-rails.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 9:23AM (Unverified) said
This is one time I actually wish I had a Wii, Dead Space was great and I'm sure this will be pretty good too.
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 9:41AM (Unverified) said
What the F? They bring a great game like Dead Space to Wii and then make it a lightgun shooter? Lightgun is nice for an arcade game like HotD, not for something deep as Dead Space. Bloody hell.
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 9:53AM (Unverified) said
Looks like it's a new game, but with elements of the original Dead Space.
Well, thank god! I'd hate to see Isaac all pixelized.
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Well, thank god! I'd hate to see Isaac all pixelized.
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 9:56AM (Unverified) said
Was the trailer cut into several 2 second chunks for suspense? Or to not let us actually see how bad the textures and polygon count truly are?
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 10:30AM Vegeta has a ps3 said
That joke almost made me want to extract myself from this life...(get it? extraction!!!)
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 11:49AM Gun Barrier said
these comments filled me with joy... (get it? joystiq!)
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 10:03AM (Unverified) said
Please can you stop throwing adverts at us when trying to watch a video? Thanks in advance.
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Posted: Feb 18th 2009 10:21AM (Unverified) said
Would prefer to see it playing like RE4 Wii Edition than another on-rails shooter.
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