Dead Space 3 (2013) (PC) (Visceral Games)
0I really like the Dead Space series but don't have any strong feelings about whether it absolutely *needs* to be a survival horror franchise or whether introducing a stronger shooter element is necessarily good or bad in and of itself. The way I see it, Dead Space 1 was a focused and tightly controlled (perhaps *too* controlled) experience wrapped around a rather mechanical and predictable "one-trick pony" plot. The second game expanded the scope and scale of the third-person gameplay considerably while also improving the characterization (not so much Isaac as Ellie and "Nicole", to be specific) as well as providing more satisfying narrative hooks. The series hasn't quite evolved in ways which were easy to predict from the start, but I've rather pleased with the results thus far.
From the action-packed opening levels of the the third main installment in the franchise, it's immediately evident that Dead Space 3 is a much more fast-paced, set piece-oriented shooter than either of its two predecessors, while still retaining a lot of the exploration-based horror elements which defined the first game in particular. The most radical change is of course the addition of co-op for those who want to play games that way (I certainly don't), but the singleplayer mode also feels different and shifts more often (and even more suddenly) between action and horror. The coolest new thing is undoubtedly the versatile weapon crafting feature, which breaks up the strict upgrade paths of DS1 and 2 in favor of much greater player freedom and flexibility.