My Dead Space

Pros: Beautiful Graphics, Extremely Visceral, SFX are perfect, level design is flawless
Cons: Resource management can get tedious, lack of ammo, not enough boss battles

With plenty of titles out right now for the holiday season there's surely a game out there for you! Whether it be fast paced FPS titles like 007 or Left for Dead, turn based exploits like Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant or even XBLA hits like Age of Booty or Mega Man IX there's definitely a title that will satiate your pallet. For me, I found a certain gem that percolated to the top of my list within five minutes of playing it, seriously, its that damn good! The horror genre has always been a favorite of both SS SoulStealer and myself. We've played the holy hell (no pun intended) out of the F.E.A.R. series and even dabbled in Resident Evil; yet I never really found that certain horror game that made me go, "Oh sh*t, this is fantastic!" Well, I can check that box off because I have officially gone "ga-ga" for Dead Space, a fantastic sci-fi horror thrill ride.

Dead Space is a third-person survival horror-action game, developed by EA Redwood Shores for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows (as well as the PS3). In a nut shell, the player takes on the role of an engineer named Isaac Clarke, who battles a polymorphic, virus-like, alien infestation called the 'Corruption', which turns humans into grotesque alien monsters called 'Necromorphs.' The majority of the game takes place on a space mining ship or as they call it in the game a "Planet Cracker" named the Ishimura. The story unfolds throughout the game by progressing through out the ship, collecting audio logs and written journals which describe what's going on. You soon stumble upon a crazy scientist who has genetically linked mutations with the human body. However, a big old turd pile hits the fan and insanity/mutation ensues.

Through out the game you will traverse the ships innards which have been infested with the Necromorphs. Through this "traversing" you will want to shoot and kill these monstrosities...and rightfully so. This brings me to the most important component of the game: Strategic Dismemberment. In order for you to successfully "kill" these Necrcomorphs you will need to dismember their limbs from their bodies either by shooting them off. This has to be the funnest game component I have come across in a very long time. Basically, each weapon you acquire throughout the campaign has two distinct angels of projection; horizontal and vertical. It is up to you to decide which one is more effective for the varying baddies throughout the game. There is a good amount of weapons to choose from so go crazy!

[Wiki]Zero gravity and decompressed environments also appear in Dead Space, and Isaac can navigate through them using his pressurized suit and magnetic boots. Some levels even lead out onto the surface of the ship's hull. Floating debris presents a hazard, however, and Isaac can lose his footing and simply float off into space. Isaac's suit also has a limited amount of air while in airless environments, which can allow him to suffocate, forcing the player to move faster when in these situations. In keeping with Isaac's profession as an engineer rather than a soldier, weapons in the game are mostly improvised from mining tools, such as a plasma cutter, hydrazine torch used as a flamethrower, and a force cannon emitting powerful shock waves, although a triple-barreled automatic military rifle is also available. Stasis can be used in the game to slow down enemies and objects temporarily, and a kinesis module to pick up and throw items. Text, audio and video logs can be found throughout the game which detail the final moments of the crew, and sometimes provide a bit of information on the story.

Visually, Dead Space is extremely visceral. The Ishimura is dark and incandescent, however their are spot on sci-fi touches throughout the ship (i.e. neon glowing switches and gadgets) that make you remember that yes, this is science fiction. From a graphical stand point DS is stellar. Their are no texture pop ins, no blocking and almost no frame rate issues. It may just be the best looking game I have played since Bio Shock. The character models look extremely realistic and the Necromorphs are intricately detailed to the point where they give you the heebie jeebies. One point to mention is that this game is extremely violent...EXTREMELY VIOLENT. Blood is pletiful and spilled often and in addition to the "Strategic Dismemberment" their are also melee attacks. These attacks are possibly the most violent part of the game; in particular: The Stomp. When you have successfully shot an enemy's legs out from underneath him or her or 'it' you can simply shot him to death or perform what I like to call: "Stomping a mud-hole in 'ya." Simply walk over to the downed Necromorph, tap the Right Bumper and watch as you pummel the poor bastards head into little squishy giblets. The sound effect alone will give you goosebumps.

Dead Space has to be one of the most pleasing experiences I have had in recent years. The campaign is stacked with monsters, story glyphs, weapon upgrades, blood, more blood and a good helping of curb stomping. At a solid 10-12 hours of campaign you just cant go wrong with picking up this game; that's unless you can't handle the horror side of it! The scares are there, the sheer grossness of the monsters is there and the story leaves you wanting more...fast! If you're up for a good old horror story than pick this one up!

Dead Space Gets a 9.5 out of 10

-GAME HARD-