Dead Space was a freaky game, there’s no doubt about it. There’s something about pitch black corridors and multi-limbed creatures crawling across the ceiling and dropping down on you that will always freak me out. Call me a pussy, I don’t care, but ever since those zombie dogs jumped through the windows on the first Resident Evil game I’ve had a grudging respect for horror games in their ability to make me scream like a little kid. So, will an on-rails (think House of the Dead) Wii horror prequel to last year’s Dead Space carry on scaring me? Or will it be little more than a shooting gallery?

As noted Dead Space Extraction takes place before Dead Space and drops Isaac Clarke for a new female protagonist. You’re a member of a group of colonists that are fighting to escape the same infection that blighted the dark corridors of the original Dead Space. That’s about all we know of the story so far, but the video logs from Dead Space will return to add more substance to the game’s world.

The game is not a complete guided experience, as you will be able to choose what direction you wish to go in from time to time.  The new control scheme also doesn’t mean that various ways of dispatching the games horrific creatures have changed. The “strategic dismemberment” system still very much remains, along with weapons such as the plasma cutter, ripper and flame thrower.  However, one new weapon is the Arc Welder, that shoots out bolts of electricity and spreads it between enemies standing too close together.

It wouldn’t be a proper Wii game without some novel way of using the Wii remote, so EA have come up with a way of using the remote to tackle the darkness of the game. Waggling the remote will activate the faint glow of a glow stick, making sure that you won’t be caught off guard by any approaching enemy. I can see myself frantically waggling the Wii remote as the lights go out.

Finally the game will include co-op play, which is always a plus. However, it is still hard to hide the fact that Dead Space Extraction sounds like little more than the lightgun games of old. I’m not saying that it isn’t fun, but it just won’t compare to the fully-fledged game that graced other consoles. Then again, the Wii’s hardware limitations mean that the game wouldn’t stand up to its bigger brothers without a new way of looking at it; so while Wii owners won’t be sharing the exact same experiences as other gamers they still may get a pretty good on-rails shooter that seem to be climbing in popularity again lately. I guess we’ll find out near the end of this year.

More here.

If you’re looking for some on-rails shooting action for the Wii then Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, based around the events of the original Resident Evil game, may be to your tastes.

Konami has confirmed that a re-imagining of the original Silent Hill is making its way to the Wii, PSP, and PS2.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - coming from Climax, the same studio behind Silent Hill: Origins - will reintroduce the character of Harry Mason, and the basic story of the hunt for his daughter Cheryl will remain in place. Don’t expect the story to stay exactly the same though; as producer Tomm Hulett says it will be “twisted to betray your expectations” (source). There’s a lot more to it than that though, especially for the Wii as the game lets you use the remote as a flashlight, cell phone with GPS, and to pick up and manipulate objects to assist you in solving puzzles.

However, one of the biggest changes is in the game’s new ability to change how the story unfolds based on your actions. We’ve all seen this been done before, and usually it’s a lot of empty promises; but Hulett says that your behaviour will determine which characters you meet, or which scenes you will witness, as two examples.

I didn’t play any of the Silent Hill games after Silent Hill 2, but I adored the first game and it was one of my favourite games for the PSOne. I would probably still crap myself if I went back and played the original today, but at least now I will have the chance to change my boxer shorts again with the release of an updated version.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will be released this autumn. While you’re waiting there’s always Silent Hill: Homecoming, but if you’re a big fan of the series then you probably already have it.

A few days ago I brought you word that Capcom were about to announce a new Resident Evil game specially for the Wii. Well, Capcom have now officially confirmed that not one but three new Resident Evil games are on their way to the Wii. So, Wii gamers, you can hardly complain that Capcom ignores your demands.The first game will be titled Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, which will be a sequel to the on-rails light-gun game Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. The story will be based around the events of Resident Evil 2, and will feature our favourite Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. The game will play the same as its predecessor, but will feature a new evade system. Capcom also promises that the game will fill in the missing pieces that Umbrella Chronicles left untouched.

The other two games are remakes of older games in the series, hence the ‘classics’ tag. The Gamecube remake of original Resident Evil - complete with zombie dogs - will come to the Wii, as will its prequel Resident Evil 0. Both will take advantage of the Wii Remote’s motion-sensing capabilities.

The Darkside Chronicles will be coming this winter, with the other two games also being released later this year.

Darkside Chronicles official, Resident Evil, RE0 Wii-makes US-bound - Gamespot

UPDATE:  Here’s a trailer for the game. It looks pretty good graphics wise, but then again the first Umbrella Chronicles didn’t exactly look awful.

The Resident Evil 5 demo hit Xbox Live yesterday, much to the delight of thousands of Resident Evil fans. However, before going in one question remained on many people’s minds; is it just Resident Evil 4 HD?Let’s take a look.

Public Assembly - one of the two levels included in the demo - was my first destination.I was immediately greeted by gorgeous visuals, although there was some noticeable screen tear. While the colours may not be the brightest ones in the rainbow the washed out appearance does transfer that grim sort of feel that Resident Evil 4 gave to an African setting. The character models also look pretty good, and Chris himself seems to have been spending a lot of time in the gym since we last saw him. The new co-op character, Sheva, stood by Chris; and for the moment I remained sceptical of her intrusion into the Resident Evil universe.After a short test of the controls I ran a short distance to a hut (with Sheva following) and was greeted by a cut scene. You may have seen part of this scene in pre-release trailers, but the short version of it is; guy with megaphone, raging crowd, massive dude with axe, someone gets their head chopped off, megaphone guy see’s you. After this has ended you are attacked by the people from the crowd. These are largely the same as the people from Resident Evil 4, and spout the same creature from the stump of their neck when their head is blown off. They immediately begin to smash through the windows and pour through the doors, prompting you to test out the ‘new’ control system.

The first thing I noticed was that you, again, can’t move while aiming and shooting. It could be argued that this adds to the tension and may help drum up some fear, but it also feels like you’re playing a game from years ago. The cramped conditions of the two levels in the demo mean that you can’t get many shots off before the horde is on you, and being able to strafe (EDIT: I’ve since noticied that you can strafe, but my complaints about limited movement while aiming still remain) while shooting would have somewhat helped matters. Instead you find yourself quickly running out of the room and into a more open area, but not – as it happens – by much.

After a short while axe guy makes his appearance, or rather slowly walks towards you while you go and make a cup of tea. Ok, so this is not as bad as it sounds as, again, the cramped conditions mean that you can’t really hope to outrun him much anyway. If you do find a place to hide he’ll just come and smash the wall of wherever you may be hiding down. This was one area that somewhat impressed me, but not by much. It’s also worth noting that Chris can now gradually destroy doors by shooting at them. In any case you have to keep running as axe guy seems impossible to kill.If you run out of ammo then you can collect those dropped by dead enemies, or find some lying around. Eventually though you’ll have your first experience with the inventory system, whether your changing weapon, healing yourself or – god forbid – giving and swapping items with Sheva (Sheva has an inventory to, meaning that she often has to pick up more ammo just like you. In reality this means that she often grabs items before you have the chance, but at least you can easily get them back off her). The inventory is in real-time, meaning that you have to quickly find what item you want when you’re facing a horde. Running out of ammo when you’re surrounded is slightly frustrating, as you have to bring up the inventory and switch to another weapon, all the while losing valuable seconds to the attacking horde. The best thing to do is to simply run off and often directly through enemies. The AI seems so slow and dumb that they often won’t even try to hit you when you run past, something I discovered more on the next level.

Shanty Town is bigger than the previous “survive constant waves of enemies” level, but it still suffers from the tight passageways with hardly anywhere to run. You’ll come across the first point of Sheva being around on this level. Chris can give her a boost up to a rooftop, where she is supposed to provide cover. In reality she barely seems to shoot, and her laser sight can often get in the way of your own. Later instances only confirmed my beliefs that Sheva is as thick as a brick. For example, sometimes she’ll walk in front of you while you’re trying to kill enemies and simply stare at you. Other times she’ll stand behind you and barely get a shot off, leaving you wondering just what the hell she is there for. Later on in the level she has to split up with you, which largely means she screams for help while you try to shoot enemies from across the street. All this can be solved by simply playing with a friend instead, but there is not always a time when you can play with others. So, what used to be single-player experience that left you feeling incredibly isolated is no longer the case. Instead you have to play with AI dimmer than a broken lightbulb.

The final part of the second level see’s you facing off against a chainsaw wielding maniac. What should have been a thrilling encounter actually bored me to tears. Again it was largely shoot-run-shoot-run, but even if stood next to him he didn’t seem to want to cut you apart. Maybe his heart wasn’t in it after discovering he was in such a poor demo. Anyway, at first I couldn’t figure out how to kill him, so spent most of the time shooting at enemies (he is joined by constant reinforcements of other enemies) and running away. Finally I discovered that you’re supposed to shoot him in the head a few times, and then give him a right hook with Chris’ fists of steel. What? A high powered rifle won’t kill him but a simple punch will? You have to repeat this a number of times, until he finally dies and you can pick up the key to end the level. This feels like something out of a Megadrive game rather than a HD 2009 video game. I’m not saying that bosses shouldn’t be hard to kill, but are really supposed to expect that a fist can beat bullets? Haven’t games like Dead Space already changed the boss formula for the better?

Resident Evil 5 doesn’t add much more to the formula than what Resident Evil 4 had already accomplished. In fact the only thing distancing it from its predecessor is the co-op mode, and this only seems like it will be fun with a friend. Is it really too much to ask to be able to move just a little when aiming a weapon? Instead I have to constantly run in circles while stopping to shoot every so often. Of course, it’s only a demo and the rest of the game may change my mind, but I can’t honestly see myself buying this (at least not straight away) unless I always have a friend to play it with. Even then it’s really nothing special, and I’d take Left 4 Dead over this any day.

The demo for one of the most anticipated titles of 2009 - Resident Evil 5 - is now finally available on Xbox Live. Japanese gamers originally had access to the demo on 5th December, but it is now available to the rest of the world.  Unfortunately Playstation 3 gamers will have to wait until 2nd February to get their hands on the demo, as Microsoft has secured one of those annoying ‘exclusive’ deals.

Capcom have included two levels from the full game - Public Assembly and Shanty Town - with the ability to play both in both single player and online or split-screen co-op. If you have the misfortune to not be near your Xbox 360 right now don’t forget that you can head over to Xbox.com and add the demo to your download queue. The 478mb demo will begin to download as soon as you get home and turn your Xbox 360 on (if you’re a silver member then, sorry, but you don’t have access to the demo as of yet).

I had a quick play through the demo myself and I have mixed impressions, but I’ll post those later when I’ve had a bit more time to spend with it. Feel free to let me know what you think of the demo in the comments below!

While we have another month to go until Halloween I figured that I’d get in there early (when you least expect it…muahahaha!) and take a look at four upcoming horror games. Although I like horror games I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to playing them as I slowly slog my way through them crapping myself before turning every corner. I have bad memories of stupidly playing Doom 3 in the dark, although I wasn’t as bad as this guy. Anyway, here’s a quick look at what you’ll be needing new underwear for in the coming months.

Left 4 Dead

Release date: November 21 (UK)

The people at Valve always put out amazing games (Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2 anyone?) and Left 4 Dead seems like it’s shaping up to be no exception to this rule. The premise see’s you and three other players stuck in a city overrun by zombies and other strange monsters such as the obese ‘Boomer’ who, when it explodes, can cause massive damage to anyone in the immediate area. The objective is to escape, but you have to work as a team to do this and anyone who departs from this will find themselves quickly overrun by the games intelligent ‘director’ AI.

I’m really excited by this one, even if the fast zombies may seem horribly overwhelming at first. I’m not sure what version to get as my PC is not exactly stellar these days but, at the same time, I love the mod scene and one will inevitably grow up around this game. Check out this link for some footage from the Xbox360 version.

Resident Evil 5

Release date: March 13 2009 (UK)

If you haven’t heard of this one then your cave must go pretty deep, especially with all the controversy surrounding it. Fans of the series will recognise the return of Chris Redfield, this time thrown into infected Africa. The game will play similar to the control system used in Resident Evil 4 and, if that game is anything to go by, it will be just as perfect.

Resident Evil 4 showed us that you don’t need the usual shambling zombie to be scared stiff as the thinking one can be far more terrifying. I remember the beginning of the 4th installment when the villages break into the house you’re in and chase you upstairs. Getting trapped in an upstairs room with hordes of people chasing you is pretty scary, until you find the window - and then you realise that they’re climbing up on ladders. That’s not forgetting the chainsaw guy (who makes his return in this installment, along with a particularly intimidating guy with an axe) and the boat on the lake scene that may put you off water for life.

Thankfully you can also experience the terror with a friend as the game supports an online co-op mode.

Dead Space.

Release date: October 24 (UK)

It’s being called Bioshock in space but will it be anywhere near as good? Dead Space is EA’s attempt at creating a new horror IP and they’re doing a good job building up all the fiction around it, but that’s all well and good until the game turns out absolutely pants. Luckily it seems to be shaping up pretty well, and is also looking pretty terrifying!

The story takes place on the giant mining space ship the Ishimura, but the crew who made the distress call seem to have turned into horrific nightmares. Since the ship is stricken and no longer under control you’ll encounter parts of the ship devoid of gravity, which you have to navigate using your magnetic boots while putting up with mind bending ceiling-is-now-the-floor type puzzles like those seen in Prey.  Oh, and there’s also that small matter of the incredible amounts of gore.

If EA can pull this off then we may just have an excellent new horror series on our hands.

Silent Hill: Homecoming

Release date: November 20 (UK)

Like Resident Evil the Silent Hill franchise is still going strong and, as always, will probably turn out to be far more terrifying than the Resident Evil franchise (although the giant spiders still freak me out). Since the original the Silent Hill games have got progressively weirder and weirder and, quite frankly, I’ve lost all hope of understanding just what the hell is going on. I think the above picture pretty much just sums up my reaction to each new Silent Hill game, as I’m sure you’re all with me in thinking ‘what the hell is that??!?’.

Another person goes to Silent Hill in search of someone…yawn. Real-time wounds will show up on Alex, the protagonist, and the strange creatures that populate this town from hell, which I guess sounds pretty cool. This is combined with completely new enemy AI and physics that allow more realistic interaction with the environment, so bumping against an object can alert terrifying creatures to your position.

However, Team Silent (the developers behind most of the franchise) aren’t developing this installment so I’m a bit sceptical about how the new developers, The Collective, will be able to handle the constantly confusing storyline.