It’s an on-rails FPS but before you think this is just like Time Crisis or House of the Dead, let me explain to you why it’s very much not. Extraction has a much more dramatic approach. There are times where you don’t shoot anything-- the atmosphere builds as you’re taken for a ride through the eyes of a number of survivors in different chapters. You crawl up ladders, shuffle across service hatches and even make leaps of faith through zero gravity. The mining equipment from the first game is in use again as you hack limbs off the monsters, and you’ve also got access to pistols and pulse rifles. You can also slow down enemies and the world around you at times using stasis and fetch weapons, ammo and items using a sort of sci-fi tractor beam type thing.

There are 10 chapters to play through and as you go, you unlock new challenge mode levels and comic books. It may be short but it really is a new gaming experience for me and something I couldn’t put down until I finished the story mode. There are also choices of paths to take from time to time which may encourage playing through the story again and you can play the game in co-op mode and shoot the Xenomorphs with a friend.

The game’s got the best graphics I’ve seen on the Wii and although the action slows down occasionally when there’s lots on screen, it certainly doesn’t wreck the game. Another small complaint is the crosshair. Info about your guns and a Gears of War-style quick reload system are incorporated into it and as a result it’s rather large, sometimes obscuring what you’re actually trying to shoot. Still, it means there’s no HUD on the screen which all adds to the atmosphere.

If you want a game that really sucks you into the action and gives you the creeps at times, give this a go. You’ll definitely enjoy it.

Dead Space Extraction gets an excellent 8 out of 10.

When it comes to gameplay it’s a return to running through a level that’s a sort of rollercoaster. You’re almost on rails as you plunge into the screen, moving slightly to the left and right to avoid obstacles and pick up items and fairies and stuff.

Of course, having a sword, you also get to swing it by waving the Wiimote when you encounter enemies. You can also perform rush moves where you lock onto enemies and smash through them one-by-one. Occasionally the running will stop and you’ll have to fight bosses. You either fight them directly using a combination of blocks and sword swings, or have to defeat them using quick time events.

My main problem is that the game almost plays itself at the beginning of the game and then becomes nearly impossible later on as you have to dodge all sorts of perils coming at you at a ridiculous speed.

When it comes to presentation, it’s obvious they’ve put at least some care and attention into the visuals. The environments look great, even if they all kinda look the same, and the opening cut-scene looks fantastic – it’s a pity the story is then explained using story book graphics.

Sonic fans might enjoy this, but for normal people, Sonic and the Black Knight is a mess of uninspired gameplay. Sonic and the Black Knight gets an less than chivalrous 5 out of 10.