Aim For The Head... No... Wait!
Dead Space is a third person survival horror title set in the presumably not too distant future. The player takes the role of engineer Isaac Clarke, whose crew is sent to investigate the USG Ishimura, a deep space mining vessel that has lost outside communication. Isaac and company quickly learns that something is awry when they land on the Ishimura and find abominations known as Necromorphs rather than the ship’s crew. Over a span of 12 chapters (each of which take about an hour to complete) Isaac traverses the Ishimura in an attempt to get the ship back in operating condition and devise a way to return home. Dead Space features a variety of grotesque Necromophs, none of which die easily, and the game urges the player to dismember these creatures to dispose of them quickly. While this is admittedly a bit silly, it is a refreshing change from constantly aiming for headshots. Furthermore, Isaac’s arsenal is more creative than shooting-game standards, with weapons like The Ripper, that shoots saw blades like boomerangs. There is a weapon and armor upgrade system that encourages the player to explore, although this very linear game leaves little room to stray off the beaten path. When the player visits something other than yet another dark hallway the artistic design and technological achievements of Dead Space truly shine. However, these moments are way too few and far between. Similarly, the boss battles are equally memorable and scarce. There are occasionally zero-g environments, which are surprisingly fun despite the Isaac’s less than agile movement. While the foundation of Dead Space is nothing new, the setting, plot, and certain gameplay nuances make the game feel very unique. A greater variety of environments and more large-scale boss battles would have made the title shine even more.
