Review - Dead Space

With so many games using elements of horror to appeal to hardcore gamers, how does the survival horror genre stand out from the competition? If you ask EA Redwood, the answer is to take the genre into space, and rip everyones legs off. Dead Space borrows elements from various films and games to deliver a somewhat unique experience, but at times still comes across as little more than a marketing tool for dismembering limbs.

With the crew from a mining ship going MIA, players take the role of generic gaming mute Isaac Clarke while he follows orders to repair the ship, uncover the truth about what the heck is going on, and possibly find his missing love squeeze. The story remains solid thanks to an abundance of passive voice messages and being able to walk around during cutscenes. However the religious overtones and alien technology feel cliche at best, and the story does little to deliver true feelings of horror.

Once inside the game, Dead Space tries its hardest to convince you it is a legit survival horror. The flickering lights and blood splattered walls do make for more atmosphere than a spaceship should have, and while the monsters are more hyperactive than a child on red cordial, the designs are definitely creepy. And while the sound design gives away 90% of the scares, the lack of sounds in the outer space portions really show an attention to detail. Problems arise with Isaac and his limb breaking boot though. Controlling Isaac makes any elements of fear disappear as he is casually able to beat the creepy crawlies to death with their own legs.

Fear issues aside, the core design of the exploration gunplay is solid. While over the shoulder cameras are nothing new for the genre, ingame inventory management and menus are a rare treat. In terms of control, Dead Space plays like a textbook example of functional mechanics to reach from point A to point B over 12 linear chapters. The dismemberment feature is impressive at first, but within the first hour you can't help but feel the game is riding on this feature by reminding you about it almost half a dozen times.

There are games that can taunt innovation and be considered the greatest thing since sliced bread. Dead Space is nowhere near that. Dead Space is a gamers game, it has plenty of sexy sexy violence and a functional (if derivative) design philosophy. Like an enjoyable summer blockbuster movie, Dead Space would be best taken in with a bucket of popcorn if it were possible to have a third alien arm feed you while playing.

Presentation - 4/5

Gameplay – 5/5

Value – 3/5

Overall – 4/5

Reviewed by Steven Janjic