Dead Space: Ignition Reviews

  • SuperC0d3m0nkeySuperC0d3m0nkey39,993
    31 Oct 2010 31 Oct 2010
    73 13 14
    Absolutely awful. Not worth 400 MSP, it should be a free giveaway. I honestly cannot believe the EA marketing engine let this turkey out of the bag as part of their run-up to Dead Space 2.

    It's basically a poorly animated comic interrupted repeatedly by three different mini games (tower defense type game, race type game and a puzzle game with lasers and mirrors), none of which are terribly interesting. You can beat the tower defense game by mashing buttons, the race game is frustrating because of a poor control scheme and the laser/mirror puzzle game while mildly amsuing isn't particularly challenging. These games aren't quality either, the sort of thing you'd expect from a throw-away flash browser game.

    The story is cliched - two people try and survive the Necromorph outbreak on 'The Sprawl', being the space station DS2 is set on. The ending is also shockingly obvious. There are a couple of points where you have to make a choice, but all choices lead to exactly the same ending anyway so I'm not sure what the point is.

    Really the only well executed part of the whole game is the voice acting which is passable, although a few of the supporting cast are very wooden.
    1.0
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    MazraelBeen playing this for about 2 hours.. the comic is the only good thing about it.. that one final ending is really an epilogue.. the pair's story is the first 3 parts, so how hat resolves is your real ending... Fable Pub Games anyone
    Posted by Mazrael on 13 Feb 11 at 02:45
    Scenic Route 16This game is shit. Don’t play it.
    Posted by Scenic Route 16 on 24 Aug 23 at 22:28
    Jigsaw0097Just finished all of the achievements for this, and yes it was utterly pointless. If the game didn't have Dead Space in the title nobody would have given this a second glance, but that is how they get you I suppose. Now on to Dead Space 3!
    Posted by Jigsaw0097 on 30 Nov 23 at 05:50
  • rotorschneerotorschnee509,837
    13 Jun 2011 14 Jun 2011
    19 3 0
    After doing a review for Man vs. Wild, I feel compelled to write another review of a subpar game I've completed. So I've chosen Dead Space: Ignition.

    When it comes to IPs like Dead Space, there's two types of players. The first are the people who play the games, and nothing more. The second are the players who really like the canon of the universe the game takes place in, and not only pursue the games but other media as well (books, comics, movies, etc.). I fall into camp 2 myself - if the universe a particular IP takes place in is particularly engaging, why not check out other ways to interact with it?

    I had pre-ordered the collector's edition of Dead Space 2, so a pre-order bonus of Dead Space: Ignition came with my copy. This is good because despite my previous statement, I think shelling out some money for this mini-game is suspect.

    Dead Space: Ignition is a collection of 3 different mini games tied within a story that makes up 4 branches that utilmately end up at the same point. The non-linear aspect of Ignition actually is done well, it harkens back to the days of Choose Your Own Adventure books except you don't die in quicksand*. The main character of Franco is rather unlikable, and depending on your choice in the adventure, becomes even more unlikable. The character of Sarah has promise, but isn't given the time to flesh her out nor the suitable artwork to make her more attractive. She's got the curves and looks pretty most of the time, but is hindered by the artwork. The artwork style of Ignition is atrocious. Comic-book style media has been done before, but this is barely servacble. The characters and enviroments look more like sketches and initial drafts rather than legitimte artwork. So, if some deviant artist wants to take the character of Sarah and do her justice, please do so and send me a picture!

    I'm for the narrative in so far that it adds a bit more mythos to the Dead Space universe. The Sprawl gets a little bit more elaboration, and getting a little slice of life from other minor characters helps humanize the Issac Clark centric universe. The intrigue going on in the narrative hints at more dubious elements going on in the Sprawl that Issac doesn't even become privy too during his venture through the city.

    Regardless, the narrative and graphics are just vessels for the real game play, which are 3 different minigames.

    The first mini game is some sort of racing game, where you guide a beam, start to finish, whilst dogding obstacles and other beams. Though the beam races start off easy, they progressively get harder, with the screen tilting, flipping, and throwing more obstacles at you. This wouldn't be so bad, but the controls for it are not the best. Reaction times seems to suffer as you intend to move your beam quickly out of an obstacle only to hit it. You as a player may be quite dextrous as other games of similiar ilk, but this minigame doesn't respond very well.

    The second mini game is some virus-based mini game - a sort of reverse Turrent Defense game. Except you're not placing the turrents but the mobs instead. The problem is, there's no difficulty or strategy. Simply spam the button to create your little mobs and just like the Russians during WW2, your sheer numbers will eventually net you a victory.

    While the other 2 minigames are a bust, the final mini game is actually pretty fun. You have a circuit board and you have to connect laser beams from their origin to their terminus using mirrors and chips that split the beam. Surveying the boards and determining solutions along with trial and error gives a sense of engagement the other 2 minigames do not have, and on the particularly hard ones, it's fairly rewarding to complete the puzzle.

    Though sometimes frustrating, all three puzzle types are easily doable, and the skill level is definarely geared for newbies. Each play through is about 20-30 minutes, so you're looking at 120 minutes for story and 2.5 hours to full 200 points this game.

    The replay value of the game is restricted to 4 play throughts for story and 5 play throughts for achievements. The puzzles are static, and if play one play through, turn it around and play it again, you'll encounter the same puzzles again. So even playing the game again for shits and giggles will wear thing since there is no randomness.

    The game rewards you with additional items for Dead Space 2, but the rewards are nothing remarkable, and you're not necsessarily gaining any huge edge when you transition to Dead Space 2.

    The best thing Dead Space: Ignition has going for it is its story which adds a few elements to the developing Dead Space mythos. If you got it for free, then it's got that going for it too. The game is about 2 hours quick, with extremely limited replay. If you're looking for quick achivements, this is a boon. If you're looking for substance, it's not.

    The graphics are horrible. The concept of using comic-book style and distorting the images to illicit faux moments of action and dialog could have worked with an art style that wasn't so crude, detailess, and lifeless.

    One minigame game requires no skill, only to spam the button until you win. The other mini game isn't dextrous enough to work properly. Only one minigame is servicable, and is worth your time.

    In the end, Dead Space: Ignition is a hastly made collection of minigames churned out as an appetizer for the then upcomming Dead Space 2. Luckily it's cheap (or in some cases free), but you're still not getting your monies worth if you're pursuing an engaging experiance.



    *It's true! Pick a random CYOA Book - one of the Ends is a quicksand death! Even when it makes no sense!
  • TarynCrimsonTarynCrimson272,640
    04 Feb 2011
    12 2 0
    Dead Space Ignition is a game that sets the scene for Dead Space 2, which is pretty much all it has going for it.

    The game itself consists of 3 mini games, ones that are fun the first time around but to have them drilled constantly throughout a play through is a bit too much.

    To the games credit they have tried to add a little variety in the game with branching paths which will alter the story line (What little there is of it) as you play, but this alone isn't enough to claw away the boredom that is soon to follow. Story is all this really has going for it, and by the time it's over all you want to do is just play Dead Space 2 and forget about this, bringing your unlocks along for the ride.

    On average it takes about 35 minutes to get through, that's watching cut scenes which like I say at least develop some of the little story that is there.

    Achievement wise this is an easy 200, all be it a boring 200. It's one of those games you don't feel any sense of actually achieving anything.

    Is it worth 400 points? Not really, even with the unlocks and such it really isn't worth the money, buying the DLC in Dead Space 2 would be a better bet.
    2.0
  • NiteraceNiterace267,330
    09 Nov 2010
    27 20 3
    Ok here goes my review. For 400 MSP I think it's a rather good deal. Then again that's all subjective. First thing you must realize is that this isn't a standalone game and it's building up to Dead Space 2 and bridging the gap between the two games. So it does concentrate more on just getting the story across to you rather than focusing too much on the gameplay.
    The story is phenomenal and builds up to Dead Space 2 very effectively. It offers you different paths that you are free to pick and choose as you like. They all lead to the same ending and that's where Dead Space 2 will pick up.
    The gameplay is challenging in the later levels and pretty easy to breeze through in the beginning. There's different types of levels;
    1)Trace Routes-Which are basic racing types of levels
    2)System Override hacks-Probably the least fun of the three
    3)Hardware Cracks- Basically puzzles that you must figure out
    As far as gameplay goes those are your three types of levels. Yes they're pretty tedious to plow through but as I said before the point of the game is to convey a story so the gameplay department was lacking.
    In the end it all comes down to whether or not you are huge fan of the series or just enough to buy the retail games or don't care and just want easy gamerscore. If you're a fan you'll definitely want to get it, if you aren't that big of a fan you can still get it for FREE if you pre-order Dead Space 2 and if you want easy gamerscore then get it because frankly other Arcade titles only give you 200 GS for 1200 or 800 MSP and this is half that.
    So there you go, pretty good game for it's price and good way to rack up on some easy achievements. Plus you can get it for free. If you don't want Dead Space 2 pre-order it get this game for free then cancel your pre-order, although I wouldn't recommend it since Dead Space is among some of the top notch titles in this generation. Plus last I checked free stuff was always worth it. If you are a fan of Dead Space then you even get an exclusive armor for use in Dead Space 2. It looks pretty badass. toast
    Story:5/5(Effectively sets you up for Dead Space 2)
    Gameplay:3/5(Could be better but as good as you can expect from a tie-in game)
    Price:5/5(It's only 400 MSP/FREE)
    Overall:4/5
    music
    4.0
  • DemonTweak08DemonTweak08135,194
    19 Feb 2014
    7 1 3
    This is just a brief review for those who like me are late comers to the Dead Space series.

    I completed Dead Space and loved every minute of it, so while hyped up from it I ordered Dead Space 2. While waiting for Dead Space 2 I saw this, Dead Space:Ignition, while looking at the DLC for Dead Space 2. So I jumped at it, thinking how bad can it be it's Dead Space.

    Boy was I wrong, this is an absolutely appalling attempt by EA to cash in on the success of Dead Space. The gameplay is horrible, only one game is based on skill,the laser and mirror one. The anti-virus one is basically just button smashing and the trace route one is just a frustrating and cheaply difficult. On top of the poor gameplay, the story is basically none existent and poorly voice acted.

    If I could rate this a 0 out of 5 stars I would, avoid at all cost even if you are a fan of the series.
    .5
  • SamuelMarstonSamuelMarston36,927
    09 Jan 2011
    7 10 1
    This review will be brief.

    At least one third of this game is punishment; give or take two thirds how patient you are. The "race" style levels are quite possibly the "worst thing ever" and should never have made it into the final game.

    Yuck.

    It's really hard to find one hundred non repeating words to say about this game. I would like to unlock all of the achievements, but honestly, this game is brutal to play.

    I really hope these games don't show up in Dead Space 2 as hacking mini games. I don't ever want to have to play these again.
    1.0
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