Pixelnauts.net

Throw out any preconceptions you may have about "on-rails shooters" or "light gun games." Dead Space: Extraction, the prequel to EA's 2008 sci-fi/survival horror, Dead Space, transcends the genre's limitations and proves itself to be not only one of the best looking games on the Wii, but also sets the new genre standard.

Set just hours before the events of the original, Extraction's story reveals the gruesome transformation of the USG Ishimura crew from regular, everyday space workers into the hellish necromorphs that would become the enemies of Dead Space. One of the difficulties with prequels in general is that, before you even begin, you're already aware of how everything ultimately ends up. But even though you may be privy to the grisly end that awaits all of the principals, Extraction's story actually turns out to be its greatest strength.

This may seem unbelievable considering the history of the genre, yet Extraction's well written and acted script, it's frantic pacing, and exceptional camera work all prove that the on-rails shooter can indeed provide a fully engrossing cinematic experience. At times you'll feel less like you're playing a game and more like you're guiding along a movie.

The story centers around a group of four people as they try to escape the gory pandemonium unfolding all around them. As far as narrative is concerned, there isn't anything too profound here. It's essentially a horror movie and so you can expect your standard horror movie tropes. The characters cover all the necessary bases. The reluctant hero, the gruff soldier, and the suspicious, shifty-eyed coward are all accounted for and play out their roles predictably. You'll also find that the group's plans inevitably go awry -- usually forcing them to split up. Pretty standard stuff to be sure, but this isn't a bad thing. When it's done well, it works, and so it does with Extraction.

Perhaps the main reason that the game succeeds can be chalked up to its production value. If a game is going to sell itself based on its cinematic qualities, then it had better deliver in presentation -- and Extraction does in spades. Easily one of the best looking and sounding games to be released on the Wii, the game at times rivals its 360/PS3 predecessor -- which is really saying something. Characters animate realistically, lighting effects are exceptional, and Dolby Pro Logic has never sounded better. The creepy atmosphere and polish that made the original so great is absolutely present in Extraction.

That said, the game isn't quite as scary as the original. In third-person survival horror games, fear stems from knowing that right around a corner is a big scary monster just waiting to tear you apart, and the thrill comes from choosing to turn it anyway. Seeing as how there is no player control in an on-rails shooter, a game like Extraction has to use different, more film-like techniques to elicit the same emotions. Therefore you can expect a lot of monster-closets providing 'jump out of your seat' moments (think closing the mirror to see someone behind you). It works to varying degrees in Extraction. There are a few genuinely scary scenes, but they are the exception, not the rule. Still, though the game may not be as scary as the original, it's every bit as exciting.