Of course I can only be speaking of one game. The game that has taken horror by storm, brought to life a new system of combat and let us know what it was like to fear all environmental openings. Of course I mean the hit game…Dead Effect? Wait, what?
Yes, “Dead Effect“. Not the hyped up, popular third-person military horror shooter “Dead Space” but first-person military horror shooter known as “Dead Effect“. For those of you unaware of this game’s existence, some history maybe in order. It was made in 2013 by developers InDev Brain for iOS and Android. Eventually, the game was greenlit for Steam and released. It’s received mixed reviews and it’s pretty easy to see why. Of course, being a lover of the originally noted series “Dead Space” my curiosity was only peaked when I saw this game.So, let’s not wait any longer and take a look at “Dead Effect“.
The first thing you’ll notice in Story mode is that you’re given a choice between generic tough guy Gunnar Davis and generic tough girl Jane Grey but don’t worry, it makes no difference in story or weaponry. After awakening from a cryostasis on the ESS Meridian, your character realizes somethings wrong with their scenario. One is that there’s no bathroom to use after the long rest, the other is that the ship is filled with flesh eating zombies who want nothing more then…to eat your flesh. Of course, this leads to cliche zombie moment #3040 “I’m infected too”. Yes it seems our hero didn’t eat his recommended Wheaties that morning and became infected with the virus as well (oh don’t act like it wouldn’t happen to you). So of course, this leads to a long explanation that the virus has taken over the ship which is on autopilot and heading to Earth. If it reaches Earth, humanity will be doomed and from there, shenanigans ensue but I won’t spoil the rest for you.
So moving from the story, we enter the realm of gameplay and I honestly don’t have much to say here. Mind you, I played this game on Steam (keyboard controls) and it was solid enough. You have your classic FPS options of aim, sprint, shoot, etc. The only big difference is you have a special skill that can be unleashed for massive damage but I would be a liar to say I ever used it. The gameplay goes by chapter format with stats given after each chapter similar to RE4. After each chapter is over, you’re allowed to buy and upgrade weapons with in-game credits. You do have another option to buy weapons or a bonus with gold you find in each level as well. However, it should be noted that gold is an uncommon drop. It’s pretty basic in all honesty. You get your choices to upgrade stats like power, magazine, reload speed, etc. Finally, within the chapter levels themselves, you can upgrade your characters stats such as health, sprint speed, etc. Overall, it’s extremely basic but for how basic it is, it’s done well but this does lead me into my biggest problem.
Did you note what “genre” this game is suppose to be? I mean, yes, it’s a FPS but it’s also classified as a “horror” game. Something you should know about me, I’m a lover of all things horror (I’m also a giant pansy but that’s besides the point). I understand what can make and break a good horror game. This….this is not a horror game. Now to be fair, the game was never overly sold as a horror game but this game is just too ridiculous both in difficulty and presentation. First off, the voice acting is terrible and as about as convincing as photoshopped picture of me and Barack Obama. Second off, for all I said about the game being “done well” it’s far too easy to conquer. One aspect of a good horror game is that they are usually challenging because of the fact you feel a sense of fear against odds. In this game, you’re too well equipped to fight the odds. It’s been argued that the biggest fear that stems from zombies is the fear of numbers. Essentially, one zombie by itself means nothing but the horde of zombies is what will take you down. DE never made that horde seem real even in the hardest of levels. To it’s credit, the game does have alternate modes that are dedicated to just senseless killing and survival but I would have liked to see more of that in the story mode.
Finally, let’s approach the elephant in the room and just say it, much of the game feels like a cheap knock off version of Dead Space. Everything from the use of credits, the look of the ship, even the door icon that shows it can be opened is almost identical. However, I didn’t make this into the big point of the argument because, honestly, the game still has a bit to talk about without going into that area.
In conclusion, is DE bad? No, but it’s not great. It’s extremely basic with basic controls and basic ideas. There’s no horror so anyone looking for a thrill should look elsewhere. However, for a cheap, FPS against zombies in space, it does hold up and I admit that the bad voice acting can be humorous at times. I still say if you want the real experience, just play Dead Space (the original game is pretty cheap by now). While DE doesn’t offer anything new and great to the gaming industry, it doesn’t do enough wrong that I feel the game has to be hung by a rope either.
Update: Just a quick note, it’s been an uphill battle getting a schedule to this blog. I would like to make an article twice a week (one on Monday, another on Friday) but it’s been tough. Ideally, I would like Monday’s article to be a review and Friday’s to gaming related but it’s all in the works. I’m moving into my final semester of my Master’s program and still organizing my new place. I can only ask and hope you’ll stay patient through the awkward transition. Until next time my friends.
– Gamers Mentality
Gamers Mentality to Life 