Playing Dead Space is like controlling a Sci-fi horror flick. You play through as the silent Isaac Clarke, dismembering mutant alien things on a spaceship. Sounds like a sci-fi channel exclusive, right? This horror survival game scared countless gamers, who refused worriedly to put it down.

Isaac is sent to answer a distress call from the biggest mining ship of its class, The USG Ishimura. He is meant to repair some of the ship’s systems, but is quickly stranded on it, with countless alien monsters called ‘Necromorphs.’ The Necromorphs look like something out of The Thing, and must have their limbs cut off to be killed. He must repair the ship’s systems, stop it from crashing into an asteroid belt, and find out what ‘The Marker’ is, all while staying alive.

Issac has many different guns at his disposal, though some are merely engineering tools turned into weapons. He can use everything from a flamethrower to a buzz-saw to take out the Necromorphs, and all the weapons are upgrade-able. He has the ability to use Stasis, which slows most enemies to a near standstill, and Kinesis to pick up and move/throw objects. His suit can be upgraded, also. Upgrades are done at special points, with ‘power nodes’ (I recommend carrying at least one at all times) and there are upgrade trees, that make the player decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for the things they want. There are also shops throughout, offering new weapons, health packs, ammo, and other things. Items may be bought or sold.

There are parts of the game in zero gravity which are unlike anything I’ve played before. If you are in a vacuum, or toxic area, you must find a way out quickly as you have limited air in your suit. There are air cans, but they are rare.

The Controls are convienient and offer the player plenty to do. At the most hectic times it can get a little confusing, as I would sometimes use stasis instead of a health pack. This was, however, quite rare. There is even a button that displays the route to your current objective on the floor, one of the greatest things I have ever seen in a game. This makes it hard to get lost, which would be a major problem on the wrecked ship without it.

The Graphics go above and beyond what you’d expect from even a survival horror game. All the disgusting details are there. Blood squirts from bodies, and the lighting sets up creepy sequences, playing tricks on your mind. Holograms frequently pop up in front of you, offering a new kind of cutscene or menu. The scenery is (when you’re not being attacked) serene, quiet, and almost beautiful in places. This mixed with the ugly Necromorphs, and blood stains makes an intriguing juxtaposition.

The Sound plays a major part of the suspense and action of the game. The soundtrack consists of creepily quiet background music, and blood chilling screams/screeches. The music gets louder and more wild as the action increases, but the scariest moments are when things get quiet. Nothing is quite as scary as silence or an unopened door.

There is a lot of backtracking in this game, which can make parts of it seem repetitive. You will often find something, then have to repair it by going back someplace and getting some obscure object and then back to the whatever-it-was to repair it. You might have to throw some switches, go somewhere, throw more switches, and then way back to the door you just unlocked.

This Game offers a riveting story, intense action, and definite horror. There is plenty to do, and even more to find out. It is a well made, if a bit repetitive game. It should be noted that you most likely not come back to this game after beating it, and that can make it hard to want to spend the money on it. I must assure you, though that you won’t regret it. If you do get it, you’ll have a scary good time.

8.5/10 Dismembered Aliens

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