Dead Space thoughts

Dead Space is a cross format title - 360, PS3, PC - coming out in October and we got a sneak peek at how it's coming along and thought we'd share our thoughts with you. We were dubious about this title because it seemed whereas it could have been a creep fest, it appeared it was going to be just another monster shooter and to a degree that factor does remain true, however, Dead Space may well be more polished than we thought.

Dead Space has some really nice touches, not least of all is the lack of an onscreen HUD system. The HUD is integrated into the character in a clever way, so it's not a distracting feature on the screen whilst playing. Inventory too is a sort of holographic projection seen in real time by you and the protagonist (Isaac). Weapon upgrades in game are done by Isaac on a work bench and this is a neat touch, kind of like in BioShock when you're making things.

For the female gamer Isaac is obviously a guy (as usual don't all yawn at once), but there is Kendra (sadly not Shaw as that would have been awesome! - BSG fans know what we mean), she serves as your helper, though usually by voice only giving you updates etc.

Still not sure about that weird mining suit, but hey, this game overall is looking VERY nice indeed. We can't wait to get our hands on it for review.

EA's E3 2008 Line-Up

EA will kick off its E3 presence with a press conference hosted by CEO John Riccitiello, and spotlighting many of the creative leaders as well as featuring new titles from EA including but not restricted to:

Dead Space, FaceBreaker, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT, LITTLEST PET SHOP, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, Mirror’s Edge, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3, Crysis Warhead, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, SimCity™ Creator for the Wii, MADDEN NFL 09, NBA LIVE 09, Skate It, TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 09, Rock Band 2, Left 4 Dead.

Rhianna Pratchett has Faith

Electronic Arts Inc. has announced that writer and story designer Rhianna Pratchett is responsible for crafting the intricate script for Mirror’s Edge - a unique first-person action adventure WITH a female lead no less!! Pratchett introduces players to Faith, a ‘runner’ in a world where communication channels are highly monitored and the movement of human traffic is closely watched. When Faith’s sister gets framed for a murder she did not commit, Faith finds herself on the edge of the city, on the wrong side of the law.

On a side note Rhianna Pratchett is daughter of fantastic writer Terry Pratchett and she also penned the story in Heavenly Sword, another female character that rocked!

BOOM BLOX by Steven Spielberg & EA

EA has announced that BOOM BLOX, the first game developed in collaboration between EA and director and producer Steven Spielberg, is set for a May 2008 release for Nintendo Wii. This high-energy game features more than 300 levels, a cast of more than thirty wacky characters, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity.

“I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids,” said Steven Spielberg. “BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together.”

Fun for kids and the entire family, BOOM BLOX offers action-packed interactive activities that takes Wii play to a new level of creativity and fun with single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Players can experience the visceral gameplay - perfectly suited for the Wii’s interactive motion-sensitive controls - through brain-twisting challenges. They can interact with entertaining characters such as the block-laying chickens or baseball-throwing monkeys across four themed environments - Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted.