In depth review for Dead Space.
Players take on the role of Isaac Clarke, a space engineer who works for an intergalactic mining company. He's part of a rescue mission dispatched to find out why one mining vessel, the Ishimura, lost contact with earth. In a scenario that fans of the science-fiction/horror genre will be well acquainted with, upon setting foot on the Ishimura, Clarke and his compatriots find that something terrible has happened. After a short, bloody battle which decimates all but two of his team-mates, Isaac finds himself cut off from his fellow survivors and forced to wander the dark corridors of the Ishimura which are infested with violent monstrosities called Necromorphs. Like the best horror games, Dead Space's primary function is to scare the pants off players as effectively and as often as possible. It accomplishes this by creating a chilling and claustrophobic atmosphere packed fat with tension. Dialogue and cut scenes are kept to a bare minimum and the soundtrack is dominated by the echoing industrial clanks of the Ishimura punctated by the odd set of screeching violins. The monster's tactical movements also heighten the sense of apprehension; given the fact that the monsters are using the Ishimura's air vents to move around, attack can come from any direction. The Necromorphs also occasionally pretend to be dead, and then leap to their feet as the player approaches. These pre-battle jack-in-the-box scare tactics send a jolt of fear through players and only increase their sense of foreboding when the enter a section of blood-stained corridor or a dimly-lit room. This air of dread is further helped by the fact that unlike most shooters, the weapons in Dead Space aren't particularly effective to begin with. Shots to the face and body only serve to momentarily stun enemies, so players are encourgaed to "tactically dismember" them by shooting off their limbs. As the players proceed further into the game their weapons become more deadly (through power node upgrades), but then so do the creatures they come up against; players who run into the fray with guns blazing will be quickly torn apart quite graphically by their opponents. Also, the action doesn't stop when players access their map or inventory - which are projected as holograms out of the side of Isaac's suit. Checking your mission log or using medical packs to heal yourself means you risk exposing Isaac to an attack.
Gameplay is solid, that combines Resident Evil and Silent Hill into one. Graphics are very good, aswell as the atmosphere. The monsters themselves are ghastly approximations of what would happen if you crossed humans with squishy arachnids. The move is jerky spasms which not only look unnatural, they make dismembering them more difficult. The enemy AI isn't particularly challenging during combat; the Necromorphs will try to win every battle by overwhelming Isaac, whose clunky mobility doesn't exactly help him dodge very effectively. As a counterbalance to this, Isaac's suit has a couple of built-in abilities to help him. Players can use his stasis field to slow down opponents, and target them limbs more easily. They also have the ability to use a kinesis field to move objects remotely. These two abilities also come into play during several puzzle-solving segments. The are occasions when players will find themselves in zero-gravity environments, both inside and outside the ship. These sections can be quite challenging, due to the fact that the HUD changes in line with the surface Isaac's walking along and this can be disorientating. During the puzzles section outside the Ishimura, players have the added worry of running out of oxygen. And then of course, there's the posibility of being attacked as the Necromorphs don't seem bothered by the vacuum of space.
The game is not without its drawbacks; while the story contains its share of twists and turns, it feels a little underdeveloped after several hours of play. There are times when the camera is unhelpful during combat, and text in many of the info logs and inventory items is small enough to be unreadable on smaller screens. But Dead Space is one well, truly, scary game. Moments will make you jump, gasp and pause the game. Boss battles or blood thirsty, and gore is on the 10 scale. Honestly, try this game. But be prepeared, to be scared.
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Graphics: 5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Enemie AI: 5/5
Lengh: 4/5
Replay Value: 5/5