Dead Space

"Space has never been so dead"

You know the old saying "In space, no one can hear you scream?" Well, apparently not even the vacuum of space could hold back my screams of terror that come from this game. From the very first days that I laid eyes on this I knew without a doubt that this game was going to be something big. Something really big. To think that man could conceive something truly horrific in this day and age, especially considering how new horrors weren't delivering as much scares as they used to, is definitely something to be proud of.I have to applaud EA Redwood Shores for finally creating something that many survival horrors were lacking in this day and age: something that's truly terrifying and extremely suspenseful whilst still making the action frantic and fun.

Gameplay: 10/10

The game's most shining aspect is it's game play, in which it is no slouch in, providing one of the most enriching experiences to date. The much touted strategic removal of limbs works perfectly in here, and it offers a much needed change of pace from the a-typical "Just go for the head" (Which they shake off losing a skull as if it weren't anything.) "Should you I off their arms first or their legs?" "Will they be harder or easier once they're gone?" and "What if they grow back?" are the questions you'll be asking yourself as you face these beings, as the game offers many many different enemy types, each with their own different reaction to losing a body part.

Which brings me to the weapons themselves. There's only really 1 weapon, as everything else are actually mining tools. Each weapon takes the best out of the conventional weapons found in typical survival horrors, and makes them much more appeasing to use, as well as throwing in a dash of originality themselves. Take, for example your first weapon, the plasma cutter, basically the game's pistol. It shoots a beam that cuts off limbs, but the secondary feature rotates the gun to a horizontal position, making cutting legs easier. You can upgrade and modify each weapon (as well as yourself) with power nodes that you can either find or buy throughout the game, along with other items and weapons, plus you can melee with each weapon, and the right bumper also acts as a curb stomp button. Making sure your enemies stay dead has never been so satisfying (or so gory).

You also have the ability to slow enemies for a specific amount of time, using stasis, as well as lift and throw objects at enemies using kinesis. Both of these are very useful for intense fights, and they also factor into the puzzles of the game, most of which are pretty original. Plus, all the action is all in your face, without any clutter. The way the hud was designed blends it in seamlessly into the game. Your health bar is on your back, inventory is a hologram in front of you, and ammo appears on your gun. Couple that with with the occasional mix up doing specific events (such as destroying asteroids), some excellently done zero gravity events, going outside the ship and exploring, and all of this mixed up with never ending relentless terror that doesn't quit even when it gets a hold of you, and you have grade A game play. About the only thing that could be said negatively about the game play is that some of the objectives resort to the typical "Find this object and bring it back" or "Press this object and proceed", but you'll be too busy being scared or enjoying the awesome game play to have that deter from the experience. Word of wisdom though, the game is pretty hard, so don't take things lightly.

Story: 10/10

Dead Space has one of the best stories written around, on par with other sci-fi classics when it comes to writing. You play as Isaac Clarke, a mining engineer sent on the ship with your crew to answer a distress call and repair the USS Ishimura, a huge "Planet Cracker" class ship, made to destroy planets and mine them for precious material. As soon as you land though, something isn't right, and eventually you find yourself surviving the derelict ship, asking yourself what happened to these people and how humanity lost the battle against the necromorphs. It contains some great twists and turns, and Isaac is one of the most memorable silent heroes around, as well as one of the most realistic, making him very likable. It's also all free flowing, without pausing for a sec as everything is played out in real time, from audio and text logs to even hologram footage. Just like Bioshock, everything happens in front of you. It can be a little bit deterring to see video footage when fighting off waves of enemies, but overall it's an excellent sci-fi thriller.

Graphics/Sound: 10/10

Beauty is everywhere in this game, from the simple little fine touches to all the death. Every single section of the ship looks like if it were designed to actually function in real life, and even if it is an "abandoned ship", it looks as though it can easily support a full economy. It's actually scary, not in the fact that it's abandoned, but in the fact that it's almost too real, like as if gothic designs mish-mashed with a sci-fi look. Besides that, the animations and models of the enemies and foes are extremely impressive. Isaac's look alone is enough to garner someone cosplaying as him, and the enemies themselves are absolutely disgusting, but very believable as well. All in all, this is a graphical powerhouse that will appease anyone.. if they don't turn away from the horror.

Now the sound design, ooh boy is it good, hauntingly good. Isaac isn't completely mute, as all his grunts and groans are very appeasing yet very powerful, as with all voice actors. They give a very realistic performance, and it makes ya feel for the characters. Still, that plays second fiddle to the amazing sound design. The ambiance is simply deathly, where even the slightest noises has impact on your senses as even your own heart beat and breath can scare the living crap out of you, and all that background noise makes it very unsettling, and the little touches of music here and there are epic and fit the scene perfectly. Combine that with some really thick weapon sounds, appeasing to the ears interface blips, and some horrifying enemy noises, and you have yet another win win situation. Let me tell you, twinkle twinkle little star is now the scariest lullaby in the world.

Playtime/Replayability: 8/10

The game isn't the longest thing in the world, lasting you a decent 10-20 hours on your first play through, and there isn't much in terms of unlockables, just the usual extra difficulty, bringing that to a total of 4 difficulty modes. The game does reward you though, giving you a bunch of stuff and letting you go and do a new game +, but you can't carry all that extra stuff you receive. The majority of achievements you'll be able to get on your first run through, and 1-3 runs to get it all, but the typical player will probably take about 3-5 runs to get all the achievements. Still, it's got this addicting appeal to it that makes you wanna play more, it's another one of those games that makes you feel warm inside each time you play it.

Final Verdict? Buy!

Seriously, this is probably one of the best survival horror games out there, and it just never quits. Scare after scare after scare, but never too much. They all come at opportune moments. Your palms will sweat, your heart will beat, and you will actually scream in terror. It might be much to say, but this is the new king of physical horror. It is beautiful in it's disgusting nature. Go out, and buy it. Experience one of the first true next generation survival horrors, and get ready to be scared outta your mind!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/08

Game Release: Dead Space (US, 10/13/08)