A trek through the Ishimura
The planet-cracking ship Ishimura is the greatest thing about Dead Space. Sure, the shooting mechanic is different, the third-person helps provide for more moments of fright, and the storyline is compellng, but much like the "Event Horizon" in the movie of the same name, its a ghost-town of a giant spaceship that draws the player in.
Dead Space takes a tired formula, that of the survival horror, and slaps a new coat of paint on it (it's in space, you must target the enemy's limbs, etc.) to make it fun. The game could have taken another run through the editing room, as three of the chapters were a little longer than neccessary. But overall, this game is worth at least the cost of renting.