Score: 86 out of 100 (Reviewed on Wii)

While the plot line of ‘alien monsters in space’ seems cliché, gamers were treated in 2008 to a reinvigorating tale of claustrophobia, gore and horror by way of Visceral Games’ (or EA Redwood Shores) hit Dead Space, playable on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

This ain't Mario! Dead Space: Extraction brings horror and gore to the Wii in one of the best shooters you can buy for the family-friendly system.

Dead Space is a horror game after fit in the formula perfectly with a lone engineer fighting off hordes of quasi-undead mutants aboard a giant mining space vessel.

Frightening and engaging as that story was, Visceral Games’ newest title Dead Space: Extraction brings that terror and intensity to the generally family-friendly Wii with an imperfect, yet ultimately entertaining result.

Serving as a prologue to the original game, Extraction picks up well before the first game on the planet surface of Aegis VII rather than the spaceship USG Ishimura.

Things go very wrong very quickly for the unfortunate colonists and crew members, and while players should know at least a good bit of the story beforehand to get the full experience out of Extraction, there’s more than enough material to be found within the game and bonus content to get the gist of what happened.

Divided into chapters, the player takes the perspective of a multitude of characters throughout the game, often branching off into mini-stories that then loop back into the main plot.

While the plot isn’t too noteworthy and the voice acting can get slightly silly at times, it’s interesting to see how the game plays out from different (and often fatal) perspectives in stark contrast to the silent Issac Clarke from the original game.

The characters run the range of cliches for the most part, with a tough, but sensitive cop, his hard-ass partner, the love interest and a bumbling, privileged executive, but they’ve got their good moments and they’re believable enough.

The plot gets more fleshed out with the return of audio and text logs that can be found throughout the adventure, with the former being particularly interesting since the audio plays through the Wiimote speakers, sounding like someone’s last, desperate words on record.

While Extraction is a purely on-rails shooter, it’s hard to complain about it when it’s been done so well here. Movement is limited to branching paths that the player arrives at occasionally to take alternate routes, and moments where the player can look freely around the screen to perform actions or snatch up items. While jarring at first, the shake and movement of the camera with the character’s perspective certainly adds to the immersive qualities of the game, liable to drive some players into a panic when a mutated abomination clings to the screen.

Combat is fairly straight-forward, with controls available for both the Wiimote with or without a nunchuk, along with the Wii Zapper.

In addition to the simple Rivet Gun that shoots slowly, but packs a punch and unlimited ammo, players can expect to see all the weapons from the first game making a return here with a few new additions, like a gun that shoots electricity and a rapid-firing pistol. While most of these weapons are actually engineering tools being used in an undoubtedly hazardous manner, shooting them from the first-person perspective is a blast and the alternative firing modes add even more fun.

Tack on the stasis projectile to slow enemies down, which recharges over time, and the formula easily makes for one of the best on-rails shooters in recent history, especially on the Wii. The kinesis module, which demonstrated the physics engine in the original game so well, has been dumbed down a good deal so that players can only pick up items, slow-moving projectiles and certain objects, but it makes trying to grab all the ammunition, weapon upgrades and log files a mini-game in itself.

As in the last game, all the enemies are fleshy, bestial monsters known as Necromorphs that are actually the mutated, reanimated corpses of humans. While the concept of ’strategic dismemberment’ in the first game was fun enough, Extraction’s controls were built perfectly for the gory task. There aren’t many new monsters here however and the few boss battles seemed somewhat lackluster compared to the first game, but there’s more than enough creeps to shake your Wiimote at here.

Despite the Wii’s limited graphic capabilities, Extraction still manages to put on a visual show. The textures are quite detailed and the lighting is a key factor in the gameplay, especially in the darker areas where the player has to use a ‘Glow-worm’ by shaking the Wiimote, and effects such as the weapon discharges and movement in and out of vacuum are wonderful.

From the barren, hostile planet surface to the often claustrophobic, blood-splattered corridors on the USG Ishimura, the levels are sprawling and vast with very little to backtrack on. Some glitches are still visible however, as sometimes enemies will appear and disappear suddenly and there are some clipping issues. Music is minimal here aside from a few subtle, eerie pieces to set the mood, though the audio works wonderfully still as distant (or not-so-distant) growls, groans of strained metal and insidious whispers work to keep players paranoid on what’s around the corner.

A full playthrough clocks in around seven to eight hours on the default difficulty, and it tends to go even faster when you have a second player. Another player can hop on in at anytime during gameplay for a co-op option that detracts from the story, but is fun and eases up the tension at least. While the multiple routes to take may add to the replayability factor, there’s not much else besides harder difficulty modes and a challenge mode that pits players against hordes of enemie. Beyond that, the bonus features are somewhat lacking, as players get to watch the animated comic book and that’s pretty much it.

Despite how different it is from the original game and the few flaws, Extraction works wonderfully within the Dead Space series and is certainly a top contender among recent on-rail shooter games to be found. While things often get tense for the player, without being quite as scary as the first game, Extraction puts action and gameplay at the forefront while trying hard to tell a intriguing storyline, succeeding there for the most part.

For Wii players craving more mature pickings or shooters and fans of the Dead Space series, this game is a must-buy. Dead Space Extraction puts players face-to-face with the horrors of the series and does wonders to keep them there.