DAILY MANIFESTO

A Little Space Duct Tape: Crafting In Dead Space 3

Posted on Friday, September 14 @ 12:03:07 Eastern by Daniel Bischoff

During Gamescom, Electronic Arts and Visceral Studios revealed that Dead Space 3 will allow players to completely customize their weapons from the ground up. This new crafting system would give players the tools to hand pick components of their weapon, experimenting with new attachments, new cores, and even new frames.

We sat down with Associate Producer John Calhoun last week to talk about the crafting system. Calhoun says Isaac can still care two guns, but you can craft and store more in your safe. "Players can also make a blueprint and share it with co-op friends so then that player can create the gun you've built if they have the parts."

"It doesn't cost a thing to make a blueprint, but nothing is free in Dead Space 3. You have to have the resources to build a gun, whether or not you've got a blueprint," Calhoun explained. This notion of "nothing is free" extends to the way guns handle in combat. You can find bigger and better components, but until you get to a crafting bench, you'll still be carrying the same hardware.

Notably, you'll find the strongest adapters and cores after defeating boss characters. Difficult enemies will drop more valuable loot and certain components can only be found nearer to the endgame where boss Necros guard them against Isaac's sticky fingers.

"Every weapon from Dead Space and Dead Space 2 can be recreated in the Dead Space 3 crafting system, including some that didn't make the final cut in those games," Calhoun said. "That doesn't mean we're going to let players 'break' the game with their creations."

"We wouldn't change anything that would ruin the Dead Space experience players are expecting, so we have had to remove certain gun components that create that kind of disconnect." Calhoun detailed an adapter that would attach to the frame and core of your gun. It causes projectiles to bounce around the room.

Some guns can still use this adapter, but more rapid fire guns caused too much chaos. In addition to balancing, Calhoun was keen to establish that weapon crafting is a part of Isaac Clarke's engineer side.

"There are no aesthetic customizations to guns," Calhoun said. "We don't want people running Isaac around with a pink gun. He's an engineer first and foremost, so this is about adapting tools for his particular objective." This is the kind of attitude I've seen throughout Dead Space 3's development.

Even when the title was leaked early or the new cooperative mode was revealed, the team at Visceral has always reaffirmed that Dead Space 3 is about Isaac, and you, and a ton of Necromorphs out to kill you. Crafting certainly seems to multiply the number of weapons at Isaac's disposal, which is welcome news for me. No longer will I rely solely on my Plasma Cutter.

I will rely solely on a Plasma Cutter with reverberating rounds.

Related Games: Dead Space 3

Tags: Dead Space, EA, Visceral Studios, interview

Comments

Sourdeez
Joined: Feb 2012

Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I think this series has potential. Its gotten a bit better with each game.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
That's the same reason I don't mind getting hyped for Assassin's Creed. Changes or no changes, the franchise seems to be in good hands.

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Kassen
Joined: Aug 2012

Posted: Sep 16th, 2012 at 3:36 am
Yearh. but i think that generally the producers have gotten better with sequels. Of course you are always gonna lose some fans in the corners, and some die hard fans are gonna buy it no matter what almost. (like me and resident evil)

And then we have the examples like dragons origins 2.....

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Sep 16th, 2012 at 10:42 am
What's notable about Assassin's Creed is that as the time allotted for work on each game decreased, so did the quality. I think Revelations is the most skippable, but even that game with only a year and a half or so of development time was up there with some of the best last year.

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sliverstorm
Joined: Jun 2007

Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Gonna be plasma cutter 100% for me, as well.

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
When they have an achievement for an entire playthrough with just the plasma cutter in the first game, it pretty much cements my reliance on that weapon alone.

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napsterxxl
Joined: Mar 2006

Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Isaac is an engineer, he solves practical problems. Like for example how to get me to finally finish the first game, even though I've finished second one several times already.

Love the series to death, and cant wait for the 3rd game...hopefully I'll finish the first one by then.

maybe i should invest into liquid courage?

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danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009

Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Liquid Courage can't hurt. I remember tanking sloppily through the final third of DS1. You make a good point though. I like DS2's varied pacing much more than the first game's.

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