Chilling atmosphere, horrific enemies, tense and unique combat.
Initially Dead Space looks like any other game in the survival horror genre. It's only after shooting away the limbs you can truely see what makes this game so unique.
The game puts you in the boots of engineer Issac Clarke who has been sent along with his small team in response to a distress call projected by the industrial 'planet-cracker', The USG Ishimura. The intro to the game sets the tone perfectly, leaving you as clueless and unaware to the horrors that await, as the characters themselves. Your first encounter with the necromorph, as they're known, is with your back to it as you run for your life defenceless, deeper into the deserted, industrial mining station. This element of isolation plays a key role within the game and is further emphasised with the simple yet effective HUD, with all your health and ammo stats displayed on your armour and weapons respectively. Inventory and objectives are displayed via a holographic display projected in front of Issac, preventing the tense atmosphere from breaking as you scroll the menus.
The enemies themselves are horrific and leave you shocked even when the game goes off; however one must truly admire the effort behind these designs to create such unforgettable creatures. Not only are the alien human hybrids admirable but the only way to deal with them is just as special; dismemberment. This new and unique way of killing enemies takes a nice spin on the conventional head-shots we see in most shooters today. Not only does it make the combat unique is also increases the tension of the game as you're panic induced shots begin to stray as you attempt to find the legs just to stop the monsters sprinting at you in a rage. This method accompanied by the stasis and kenesis abilities which allow you to manipulate objects and enemies physically prove for some memorable encounters.
The most impressive part about Dead Space apart from the intense combat and stunning visuals is the overall atmosphere set by the incredible sound design; which when truely taken advantage of with headphones or for the more fortunate ones amongst us surround sound can deliver an unforgettable experience audible experience. The audio design is truly something special from the low rumbles of the industrial space station to the terrifying shrieks of the creatures which you forever find yourself looking over your shoulder for.
With a compelling story, astounding visuals, chilling atmosphere, desolate setting and unique combat I think it's safe to say that this is one of the best survival horrors of the year if not ever.
