"Dead Space" is a masterfully executed, freakishly thrilling survival horror action game that looks, plays and feels like your worst nightmare (in a good way).
Suffice it to say I had no idea what I was in for when I started this game. I assumed it'd be a cheap rip-off of "Resident Evil 4," based on the similarity of its camera system and the fact that it was created by EA. My assumption couldn't have been more wrong. Instead of a rip-off, "Dead Space" is an incredibly innovative title that in many ways surpasses "RE4."
Perhaps the most important gameplay innovation of "Dead Space" is the addition of "strategic dismemberment." In most action games, players learn to aim straight for the head. But in "Dead Space," players have to try to cut off the limbs of alien foes, because that is where they are most vulnerable. Thankfully, there are a wealth of different weapons to use, all of which are really creatively designed and inflict brutal damage in their own ways.
The enemies in "Dead Space" are equally varied and well-designed, from demonic baby aliens to pregnant ones that latch on to walls and shoot progeny from their bellies. All the different alien types animate, look and sound demented, but maintain resemblances to the human experiments they embody. Equally impressive was the AI for the aliens. Sometimes an enemy would flash across the screen, but just when I thought I was safe, the enemy would bust through the hole in the wall behind me or above me, causing me to wet myself in a sudden fit of panic.
But more than just spontaneous thrills, "Dead Space" delivers a continuous sense of tension that exists whenever there's a break between the action. The developers achieved this by making optimal use of dark environments, sparse lighting and subtle sound effects to never allow the player a chance to relax. And that's what makes "Dead Space" great -- the consistent attention to detail for all the different elements that contribute to the player's immersion.
That attention to detail carries over to storytelling as well. Unlike cutscenes in most video games, the cinematics in "Dead Space" are genuinely comparable to a Hollywood movie due to the superb voice performances, solid writing and fluid character animations. These qualities add up to an overall package that oozes high production values.
About the only complaint I have about "Dead Space" is the repetitive feel of many parts of the game. Chapters start and end with a subway sequence, and some backtracking is involved. I also wish there was more diversity in terms of environments to explore. But the shortcomings of "Dead Space" pale in comparison with the virtues. I'm excited to see where the developers take the franchise from here, and I really hope EA continues to invest in innovative titles like "Dead Space" in the future.
