DLC Review of Dead Space Awakened:
Do not read this review if you have yet to beat Dead Space 3. This review will talk about some of the events throughout the game.
Now Obviously if you watched the credits roll all the way through after you see Ellie activate the shockdrive towards Earth, you see the black screen and the hear Isaac call out Ellie's name twice. As if this wasn't a very torturous way for Viscreal to leave a cliffhanger on Isaac's supposed death and how he lived, this DLC does one even better. Awakened starts with John Carver waking up after with Isaac Clarke, buried somewhere underneath Tau Volantis after the end of the game saw Isaac activate the Codex and bring the Bretheren Moon crashing to the ground. Both are confused as to how they survived, but they both agree that it is no time to ask questions but it is time to go home.
It isn't long before Isaac's dementia returns in fine form that rivals even the scenes of dementia in Dead Space 2. I'm assuming that his closeness with the moon in the final battle brought it back dredging up to the surface, and that maybe since his mission to end the moon is over, it comes back. Things aren't as they seem as it becomes quickly apparant that Isaac's dementia is quickly becoming worse and also foreshadowing something huge. Unfortunatly for Isaac the dementia isn't the worst thing that happens. In their attempt to find a way off of Tau Volantis, Carver and Isaac hear a new Unitologist voice speak, and talk of his new church and he they must flee to the flotila that orbits the planet. It quickly becomes a race against time to find a shuttle and escape Tau Volantis and this new Unitologist cult.
It's at this point the DLC takes you back up to the Terra Nova, which was a big part of the original game. Since Isaac's last visit, the Unitologist cult has done some massive redecorating, littering the ship with candles, and also dead deformed bodies that resemble slashers. This also includes the Unitologists themselves, as in an attempt to imitate their new leader, they deface their bodies with many scratches, even going as far as cutting off their own hands and replacing them with knives to resemble necromorphs. I won't go into too much more detail about what else you'll face in the DLC, but as you go on, Isaac's bouts of dementia get steadily worse and prominately feature the new Unitologist leader. Just know that if the original ending of Dead Space 3 was enough torture on the fact that there could be another, Awakened's ending is much more worse. Knowing that we may have to wait another 2+ years for the next Dead Space is torture. All in all, Awakened has a creepy premise, and though the playtime is short (It took me an hour and forty-five minutes to complete) the atmosphere couldn't be creepier, and the new take on and old tactic is masterfully executed by Viscreal. This DLC is a must have for those who crave more Dead Space. Those who want to see how this story plays out. Most importantly to see the huge tease for the next game.
Overall I give this DLC a 9/10 despite it's shortcomings. It feels great to step back into Isaac's boots yet again as he deals with new bouts of dementia and crazy demented Unitologists.
- Story and atmosphere is fantastic
- Tease at the end means there will be a Dead Space 4 (EA CAN'T CANCEL IT WITH THIS TEASE)
- Bouts of dementia are quite creepy and abrupt to the point where you wonder just how crazy Isaac can get
- Short (My playtime was clocked at 1 hour and 45 minutes)
- The tease at the end and knowing that we will most likely have to wait at least 2+ years for the next entry in this franchise