Dead Space: Extraction

Dead Space: Extraction
Wii cover art
Developer(s)	Visceral Games Eurocom
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Composer(s)	Jason Graves
Series	Dead Space
Platform(s)	Wii, PlayStation 3
Release date(s)	Wii AUS September 24, 2009 EU September 25, 2009 NA September 29, 2009 JP October 1, 2009 PlayStation 3 NA January 25, 2011 EU January 27, 2011
Genre(s)	Rail shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, 2 player cooperative multiplayer
Distribution	Wii Optical Disc, download, Blu-ray Disc

Dead Space: Extraction is a 2009 rail shooter and prequel to the 2008 video game Dead Space. Originally released for the Wii, it is included with the PlayStation 3 limited edition version of Dead Space 2, and is available on the PlayStation Network. Dead Space: Extraction takes place before the events of Dead Space and during the same time as the film Dead Space: Downfall.^[1]

It revolves around a group of space colonists from the Aegis VII colony fighting against the infection of Necromorphs created when the Red Marker is removed. Necromorphs are the re-animated, mutated corpses of humans and serve as the major antagonists of the game.^[2] It was developed by Visceral Games and published by EA Games.^[3] The game was released in September 2009 in North America, with the PAL region release following in October. Although initially a Wii exclusive, it was announced during E3 2010 that a port of the game would be included in the PlayStation 3 version of Dead Space 2, using the PlayStation Move controller.^[4]

Gameplay

Extraction is a first-person rail shooter introducing new enemies, characters, weapons and environments to the Dead Space series. Players also have some degree of control over the camera. The game uses the pointer function of the Wii Remote for aiming at enemies and can also be controlled through the Wii Zapper. Twisting the Wii Remote or Wii Zapper activates a weapon's secondary firing mode, and swinging the Nunchuck (or shaking the zapper) can perform a melee attack or shake off enemies that have grabbed onto the player. Players can use a kinesis option at any time to make objects float, draw closer, or throw them at enemies. Kinesis can also be used to grab flying projectiles and fire them back.

Plot

The story begins with a small crew of miners, among them a man named Sam Caldwell, who are helping to extract the Red Marker from Aegis VII. The crew begins to suffer hallucinations, including Sam, who begins killing his crewmates in what may or may not be self-defense. Before he can escape, a P-Sec squad, including Detective Nathan McNeill, impedes Caldwell's path, and McNeill kills him.^[5]

One week later, McNeill, working on the case file of the incidents, meets an old friend, Sgt. Gabriel Weller, now serving on the Ishimura. Upon arrival, the two discover the outbreak has spread to the entire colony and they are attacked, first by psychotic colonists, then by Necromorphs. They make it to the P-Sec Headquarters, where they discover Lexine Murdoch, Caldwell's girlfriend^[6] and agree to take her to safety. The group races to find a shuttle and eventually find one in the Megavents, thanks to a man named Warren Eckhardt, a mining company executive. The four of them fly to the Ishimura for help but are warned to return to the surface. They refuse, resulting in the Ishimura shooting them down, causing the shuttle to crash onto the ship and forcing them to spacewalk to a nearby airlock.^[6]

After entering the Ishimura, they discover the ship is also infested with Necromorphs. As they attempt to move to the bridge, which they believe will be safer, they encounter Nicole Brennan in the medical bay who elects to stay behind in case anyone else arrives. The group continues on but they fall into the sewage system, where Lexine is attacked by Swarmers and pulled into a water tank; the group assumes she has died. Dr. Karen Howell discovers Lexine, who has somehow survived, and the two find McNeill, Eckhardt, and Weller. McNeill, Weller, and Lexine continue on while Howell attempts to shut down the sewerage system, guarded by Eckhardt. While Howell berates Eckhardt for replacing staff with fanatical Unitologists, she is attacked by a Necromorph tentacle. Eckhardt flees and locks the door behind him. When he finds the others, Eckhardt lies, saying Howell locked the door in order to sacrifice her life for the group.^[6]

McNeill and Lexine split up from Weller and Eckhardt to search multiple shuttle bays for usable shuttle to flee in. Weller and Eckhardt find a shuttle but Weller catches Eckhardt finishing a recording of a message to a member of the Church of Unitology. Weller watches the message; Eckhardt says he was sent to find a person who was immune to the effects of the Marker, and who could protect others from its effects as well, and he believes Lexine is that person. He also explains that he arranged Howell's death because she was beginning to suspect his intentions. When Weller is done watching the message, Eckhardt shoots Weller and tells him of his plans, only to be killed by a Necromorph himself. McNeill and Lexine find Weller and escape on the shuttle right after McNeill shuts down the power to the cannons on the Ishimura that were preventing them from leaving, although he had to cut off his arm in the process. As they escape, they hear a transmission from the USG Kellion. Lexine tries to warn them away but they do not receive the message.^[7]

In an epilogue, Lexine is attacked from behind by a Necromorph. The scene gives the impression that McNeill (who had been seeing things and hearing voices, just as all infected do) has transformed into the Necromorph and is attacking Lexine. One can see that the ship she is being attacked on is the shuttlecraft the three protagonists had boarded. At the last moment, she grabs a pistol and aims it at the Necromorph. The scene ends with the muzzle of the gun flashing.^[7] Lexine and Weller's story is continued in Dead Space 2: Severed, which again occurs before the game's main events.^{[citation needed]}

Development

Extraction was developed by Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores) with assistance from Eurocom. It had been in development for at least a year before it was formally announced on February 18, 2009.^[2]

The game was designed specifically for the Wii console.^[8] Development time was around 14 months, less than was the case for the first Dead Space title as aspects of art design, weapons and locations were inherited from the original game.^[9]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 83.81% Metacritic 82/100 Review scores Publication Score 1UP.com B+[10] Edge 8 out of 10 Eurogamer 8 out of 10 G4 4 out of 5 GameSpot 8.0 out of 10 GameSpy [11] GameTrailers 7.9 out of 10 IGN Wii: 8.5/10 PS3: 7.5/10 Nintendo Power 8.0 out of 10 Official Nintendo Magazine 84%

Dead Space: Extraction received very favorable reviews, with an average rating of 82/100 on review aggregator Metacritic.^[12] Official Nintendo Magazine awarded the game 84% and called it "A first rate introduction to one of the finest survival horror franchises of recent years."^[13] Eurogamer awarded the game 8 out of 10,^[14] while Computer and Video Games awarded it 7.0/10. IGN gave the game a score of 8.5/10 along with an Editor's Choice award.^[15] The Guilty Geek said it "isn't just another typical rail-shooter" and that it "is a real game that stays true to the franchise."^[16] Giant Bomb was less enthusiastic, awarding the game three out of five stars, criticizing the game's abrupt ending and short play time, although recommending Dead Space fans check it out.^[17] Despite receiving favorable reviews, the title sold only 9,200 units in its first five days at retail in the U.S.^[18]

In their Best and Worst of 2009 awards, GameSpot awarded Extraction 'Best Game no one Played' and 'Best Wii Game'. IGN awarded it Best Shooter on the Wii. Extraction scriptwriter, Antony Johnston, stated that due to the game having an M rating, being released on Wii, being a rail-shooter, and lacking publicity, it received minimal attention. Johnston also mentions these are the same reasons the game was praised.^[19]

PlayStation 3 version

The game was released for the PlayStation 3 both as a standalone purchase on the PlayStation Network and with the limited edition of Dead Space 2. The port of Extraction is compatible with the DualShock 3 and Sixaxis controllers, as well as PlayStation Move. Graphical enhancements have been added to increase the polygon count and make models smoother for the move to HD. For the most part, the port is identical to its Wii counterpart, except that it does not contain the bonus materials included in the original release.

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dead Space: Extraction

• Official website