Dead Space puts the horror back in survival 'horror' and has gamplay that can run with the best action games.
User Rating: 9.5 | Dead Space X360
As you can probably tell by my score, I love Dead Space. This is one of the scariest games I have ever played but at the same time its gameplay isn't compromised in favor of atmosphere (I'm looking at you Silent Hill and early Resident Evils). The terror of this game starts as soon as you step aboard the mining ship Ishimura and doesn't let up until the credits roll. The atmosphere the game sets from the very beginning is both amazing and terrifying. The sound design alone would be enough to make you jump out of your skin. Sounds dying survivors, the creaking of the ship and the unearthly howls of necromorphs create the best sound design I have ever heard. The setting of the game also sets the atmosphere very well. The Ishimura is not on anyone's vacation destination. Every nook and cranny of the ship contains something terrifying, from blood splattered medical wings to dark and rusty engine rooms, every room will have you tensing up. The graphics of this game are no slouch either. While they are not quite at the gears of war level, they are darn close. One thing that adds a lot to the emersion of the player is the fact that there is practically no HUD. All indicators a shown in the in game environment, for example you health bar is shown right on the characters back. This really makes you feel immersed in the environment. One neat feature that really ratchets up the tension is that going into your inventory doesn't pause the game. Not being able to pause and heal really adds a lot tension to otherwise standard battles with enemies. While all of this sets the atmosphere of Dead Space, it wouldn't mean anything without the gameplay to back it up, and Dead Space delivers. The controls are very similar to Resident Evil 4, which is a good thing because they were top notch. There are a good amount of enemies and they are all entertaining and though. The dismemberment system also adds a lot experimentation to fighting enemies, ensuring that the battles don't get repetitive. Boss battles, puzzles and some unique abilities like stasis (freeze time) and kenosis (basically a gravity gun) ad some variety to the gamplay.
For all the praise I have given Dead Space, it still has some issues. For one, while the gameplay is awesome the objectives are usually pretty bland. Almost every objective is a variation of the ''go here, do that'' formula. Not giving the player a satisfying reason to traverse the horror filled ship is a little bit of a let down. Another small issue I had with the game is that there was a little to much back tracking for my taste. For example, a lot of times when you finish an objective, you will have to go back the way you came to get back to the now unlocked door/tram/puzzle etc. It doesn't take away from the game experience but it is some thing that can be improved in the inevitable sequel.
I really can't say enough good about this game, it has solid gameplay, great graphics, a chilling atmosphere and an awesome story. The small faults in the game are nothing compared to the amount of stuff this game got right. If you like shooters, survival horror games or just like being scared you have to pick this game up, you won't regret it (unless you plan on getting a good nights sleep, then you will regret it).
