Dead Space's strategic dismemberment system was a lot of fun, but ultimately a waste of perfectly good limbs. Executive producer Steve Papoutsis tells Kotaku one way the sequel will keep the fun going even after someone loses an arm.
I caught up with Mr. Papoutsis in the lobby of the Sheraton, which connects to the convention center where PAX East is being held. While many of the details of Dead Space 2 are still hush-hush, when I asked him about the original game's strategic dismemberment system, he offered up one juicy tidbit.
Incidentally, juicy tidbit isn't a good phrase to use when talking about severed limbs.
Steve said that while the strategic dismemberment system is still in place, you'll be able to do more with the limbs once you cut them off.
"Imagine if you will," Steve proposes, "Slice off limb, slasher blade, TK (telekinesis) the slasher blade, shoot slasher blade at the enemy, nail enemy to the wall." Then he made bang bang noises. He's obviously extremely excited about this.
"That way if you run out of ammo, you can just go for some limbs." Running out of ammo was a big issue in Dead Space, and it's nice to see they didn't simply fall back on the more ammo solution.
So expect more limb play in the next game in the Dead Space franchise. Just don't expect my suggestions, limb armor, or collecting limbs to trade for new items. "We had conversations about stuff like that," Papoutsis responds when I bring up the possibility. "Limbcraft?"
Perhaps I'd best leave the game design to the developers.