Dead Space: Dismembering Gimmickry!

Well, I've finally awoken from my turkey coma just in time to play the Dead Space: Dismemberment Demo. While the environment was wonderfully foreboding and eerie, the demo itself seemed to suffer from a case of the "Gimmicks".

I acknowledge that a demo show be short and leave the player wanting more, persuading them to buy it. But in doing so a demo should show off key features to give the player an idea of what their experience will be like during the late hours they deny themselves showers, food, and sex (intentionally or not). Although if this definition holds true and the demo is a true representation of the whole, then it's a dark, sci-fi thriller which features kick-ass weapons which rely heavily on combat dismemberment. And this is where the problem lies: dismemberment is such a gimmick.

The difference between an innovation and a gimmick is that an innovation is something original, creative, and best used sparingly. A gimmick is something that's marketed as new, heavily relied upon during gameplay, and doesn't particularly advance the genre. Target-sensitive attacks are very cool but have been around since "House of the Dead" circa 1997 (if not sooner). When this system is forced upon the player in every combat situation, inevitably being required to advance, the immersion shifts. It changes from a lone survivor murdering the armies of darkness to staring at a blue reticule, lining up limbs and shapes. Once the player has mastered this challenge, they no longer see disgusting mutants and flailing body parts. They see "Monster A" which is dispatched with "Solution 1". In the end, all the effort and time put into making the enemy's limbs fly off realistically could have enriched the stereotypical storyline (*cough*Master Chief in Space*cough*) or been used to create an original combat system of player-created traps.

I digress. I have to admit though the health, skill, and inventory systems are quite innovative. When I first opened up the holographic interface my heart sang. It's about time we take a step away from the static-screen menu systems of old. I firmly believe these holograms retain immersion while being easily accessible to the player. In short: Holograms are the future!

Preliminary Verdict: Beautiful visuals, interesting weapons, gimmicky combat, great atmospheric setting and suspense. One step forward and one step back. I wonder if we'll ever get it right?

What they should have done:

1. Original Combat System (I mean come on! You're a fucking scientist!!)
2. Original Main Character (I mean come on! You're a fucking scientist!!)
3. A Longer Demo. One with perhaps a shred of plot and more than one battle. It took me 2 replays just to figure out all my weapons.
   

The Holy Grail of Games will come, and immersion will be it's name.