One perspective on what keeps Dead Space from being as scary as System Shock 2
The “well rounded gamers” at Four Fat Chicks take an intimidating dive called “What Not to Fear” into exactly what makes scary games scary, and therein why Dead Space falls short. Let me be clear that I haven’t played Dead Space yet, but the (now almost) universal acclaim I’ve heard has put the game on my short list of PS3 games I will buy and play at some point. Still, reading this article has put those plans on pause, because it was the “scary” claim that made me want to play it so much. Maybe I should spend my money on Silent Hill instead? Or better yet… System Shock 2. Maybe Fatal Frame.
Although Dead Space borrows heavily from well known science-fiction convention, it manages to establish a reasonably eerie atmosphere before mucking it all up with chronically over-exposed flesh-eating horrors. The concept of “cracking” a planet open for mining purposes and instead finding only suffering and death and making the player an engineer rather than some Duke Nukem/The Rock variant had enormous potential.
Aaah, spoilers! Dammit! Seriously, though, the article is a very thorough and entertaining read. Stay tuned for the contrast of Dead Space‘s tools-as-weapons plot device against that of Fatal Frame.
Source: What Not to Fear by Jason Dobry, Four Fat Chicks. Image of Silent Hill from the article.
6 Comments »
Leave a comment!
Any article that lauds Fatal Frame and elevates it as a genuinely scary experience is a total win.
Great article!
The fear factor is more in the sound than the actual experience. First best way to play is with headphones. Next best is to play with 5.1 sound. There is no other way to play the game, as you lose the sound perspective. After awhile you start to expect certain things to happen, but I can think of at least a dozen moments when I jumped out of my seat, and the sound played into that factor.
I would definitely say that Dead Space is better than most, and does a good job of pulling off the System Shock vibe.
Any article that lauds Fatal Frame and elevates it as a genuinely scary experience is a total win.
Great article!
The fear factor is more in the sound than the actual experience. First best way to play is with headphones. Next best is to play with 5.1 sound. There is no other way to play the game, as you lose the sound perspective. After awhile you start to expect certain things to happen, but I can think of at least a dozen moments when I jumped out of my seat, and the sound played into that factor.
I would definitely say that Dead Space is better than most, and does a good job of pulling off the System Shock vibe.