Dead Space (2023) reminded me all over again why I fell in love with this franchise, why I love Sci-Fi Space Horror so much as a genre, and how truly incredible a well-done Survival/Horror game can be.
This is a pair of incredibly beloved classic games available on modern consoles and PC, and available for *FREE* with Xbox Game Pass. While the graphics may show their age, the stories themselves are timeless and hold up right alongside the best modern-day video game narratives. They have moved from a relatively unknown franchise for me, to one of my fondest recent games. I have been completely swept away by the stories and captivated by the characters and gameplay and will be finishing Persona 4 Golden and moving on to finally play Persona 5 Royal after that.
The Callisto Protocol seemed to be tailor-made for me based on the trailers and the information we had on it leading up to launch. Crafted by Glen Schofield, co-creator of the Dead Space series, it had all the right elements. Sci-Fi horror set in space, monstrous creatures that need to be dismembered to be killed, a gruff Josh Duhamel in the lead role, it had everything going for it. Unfortunately, none of those things were enough to save what essentially ended up being a re-treading of Dead Space with none of the charm or intensity that made that game so great.
Iron Man VR is a pinnacle of VR technology and a game that I would show to anyone who was interested in seeing what VR had to offer. It highlights just what makes VR special in a way that few other games have. It ranks up there with Half-Life: Alyx as one of the must-have titles for anyone with a VR headset.
Overall there is not enough here to recommend to most players. Souls veterans will be left wanting more, and most likely frustrated by the limited options available to approaching combat encounters. Newcomers to the Souls-like games will most likely be put off by the initial difficulty, as well as the massive skill check that the first boss poses. A forgettable story, relatively bland world, and overly simplistic combat leave quite a lot to be desired after the initial hour or two with Thymesia.
This game is not genre-defining, not world-shaking, or game-changing. It is simple, straightforward, *short*, but a hell of a lot of fun.