Dead Space

October 14,2008 - There have long been survival-horror games that have delved into the range of human emotions and delivered pulse-pounding, heart-wrenching titles that are both terrifying and enjoyable to play. With the wide amount of games available now and the popularity of various other titles, it might have been hard for EA to create something new and innovative for gamers to enjoy. Overcoming that obstacle, Dead Space is just as good as any other game from which it derived inspiration, and sometimes even a bit better.

Dead Space relies heavily on its story and it is a benchmark for understanding just why you are on board a derelict space station overrun by vicious alien creatures. Dead Space itself is actually the continuation of a branching storyline that began in a comic series and was continued on through DVD and online films.

The game begins with the giant ship, USG Ishimura, already having been attacked by a mysterious force, while Isaac Clarke and the Concordance Extraction Corporation are responding to a distress signal issued out by someone onboard the Ishimura. Right off the bat, the story itself gets thrilling enough when your ship crash lands in a visually pleasing array of particle effects and high-octane sound. The story is told seamlessly throughout, meaning you will never stop the action to view a cinematic. Audio and text logs you pick up will help in giving you extra info on events while your crew will talk to you on screens that appear right next to your head, which you can view as you walk around.

As Isaac Clarke, you are soon separated from your team and left to venture the bowels of the Ishimura by your lonesome. Being alone is a key concept in Dead Space, and the game thrives in knowing that. You will never know what lurks behind the corner, when it is safe to wander around and look for items, or if you have enough health or ammo to survive until the next save point.

The scare tactics that Dead Space exhibits are for more than just shock value, enemies don’t typically just jump out and scare you from the dark. You can hear most enemies beforehand, while hearing their shrieks, screams, and ultimately their footsteps as they come charging straight toward you. The missions require you to venture through the ship and ultimately fix various things that have broken. There isn't much variation in terms of objectives you must complete, but thankfully the slick battles and level designs more than make up for the lack of mission structure.

Being a horror game, the enemies look grotesque and nefarious. These enemies, called necromorphs, are alien beings that can take over corpses and cause them to transform into other vicious enemies. Since your friends so suitably told you that some necromorphs create corpses while others transform corpses, your journey is never as easy as it seems.

These necromorphs come in all shapes and sizes, with each type requiring a different means to kill. Dismembering body parts on the necromorphs is the best option, since doing so will render them helpless for a short time; long enough for you to finish them off with a gun blast to the skull or a foot to the brain. Failure to kill them after you dismember their limbs, however, will turn these helpless foes into deranged killers who lunge at you and attack at super speed and with increased rage. Needless to say it is always in your best interest to kill the necromorphs with precision and speed, oftentimes shooting off their legs to immobilize them and then stomping on their heads for the fatal blow.

The level design in Dead Space is spectacular, with rooms ranging from simple medical bays to a fight on the outer deck of the Ishimura. Most of the game will be spent fighting necromorphs inside the bows of the ship, but the times you do venture outside make for some of the most exciting and thrilling moments. When you leave the comfort of your ship and step outside, a timer appears on your suit letting you know how much oxygen you have left. You can use air cans and oxygen stations to refill your air if you are close to running out, but its best to try and make it to your destination before you ever have to rely on that option. Zero- G rooms are equally as fun, allowing Isaac to jump from wall to wall and literally fly through the air. Oftentimes enemies will fly after you and attack in midair, making the scenario much more frantic and exciting to behold.

What makes combat so exciting is that the enemies don’t simply oblige by typical horror game standards, meaning many of the necromorphs will remain hidden and you won't see them until they are right on top of you. Enemies will sometimes even travel through the ship's ventilation system and converge at you from different points in any room. Some necromorphs, like the sinister baby with tentacles that sprout from his back, can fire projectiles at you from far away. It is always best to keep your distance at first and unload using your weapons, but sometimes not being ambushed is easier said than done.

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