Readers of this Diary know that I've been playing and enjoying "Dead Space" on and off for a little over a week. Last night, after I settled myself in for what I expected to be a fun multi-hour binge on the game, I considered giving it up.
This moment of doubt lasted nearly 30 minutes, starting 10 minutes after I realized that I was repeatedly failing an unskippable shooting sequence in the game. The supposedly brief sequence involved shooting asteroids with a large cannons. And I thought I would have to quit the game because I could not get past it.
First, I suffered ten minutes of failure for a task that was probably only supposed to last two minutes. Okay. It's not unusual to reach a hard section in a game and need to repeat it. Ten minutes of struggling. Then came the creeping doubt that I would not be able to pass this part and continue the game. Ten minutes turned into 20, then 30, then 40. I am positive I failed more than two dozen times. So much for "Dead Space."
Then my wife called to say she was heading home from a dinner. I'm sure I was gruff on the phone. I was irritated. Who wants to spend 40 minutes bashing their head into the same brick wall? On my second try after my phone call, I finally made it through. I ran to a save station. I never want to play that bit again.
The asteroid cannon sequence may well be "Dead Space"'s "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" Star Destroyer takedown. It's a strangely difficult section that uses gameplay that is entirely different from everything else in the game. Once I was past it, "Dead Space" returned to form. I'm having a lot of fun with it again.
But for almost an hour, I honestly thought I might have to quit a survival-horror game I was enjoying because I couldn't win an arcade shooting sequence. Now that's scary.
Next: I'm still playing "Lock's Quest" on my DS and will play more on the subway. Every time I think I've seen all the game's possible mission structures, the developers throw a new variation in, still using the core mechanics. Smart stuff.