Fright and Fight, all done right
Dead Space is a great game. I regret that its strong M rating and relative lack of publicity might let it go on forgotten like other great single-player adventures, like Beyond Good & Evil or The Darkness. I hope the great reviews keep it fresh in peoples' minds. I want to see more of this universe.
Anyway, let's get to it. The storyline of Dead Space has been seen before. It's essentially the same as Alien. This is a good thing. If Aliens is getting a game, Alien should have a game to represent its different, more horror based feel. At the same time, the story contains enough twists to make it interesting. Objectives are a little samey, but make sense in both the context of your predicament and the engineer hero's capabilities. The way the story is dealt out is also interesting. Much like Bioshock, you can find logs throughout the world, giving you backstory on locations, characters, and the "incident" that created the things trying to kill you.
Since we're on the subject, let's talk about killing things. This is the first horror game I've played that doesn't feel to heavy, like driving a tank. However, it's also the first third-person shooter I've played that doesn't feel too light and sensitive. Protagonist Isaac Clarke has enough weight to feel real and powerful, but it maneuverable enough to avoid frustration. He can strafe, run in any direction, and has a great aiming system. Aiming is similar to Resident Evil 4, with a slightly clearer laser target. Combat is hectic, enjoyable, and a bit different from most shooters. Instead of aiming for the torso or head, the game encourages dismemberment, with each weapon (actually mining tools) capable of lopping of enemies' limbs. Smaller monsters are actually harder to fight, due to their lack of protruding claws or tentacles. With creepies popping out when you least expect it, the combat is very fun and feels great, keeping you scared and excited while giving you plenty of control to deal out justice.
The atmosphere of the game is what really sets it apart. The graphics are fantastic, with high quality textures all around, amazing lighting, and sickening gore effects. The deaths will probably make you feel very bad about subjecting poor Isaac to all this. The music is fantastic for the experience. You won't find yourself humming any Dead Space themes, but the screechy strings are terrifying. The sound is some of the best in any game, from the crunch of your boot on alien limbs to the faint, ghostly whispers of "Isaaaaaaaac..." (made creepier by the fact that my name is Isaac). The monsters are coming to get you, and they will let you know, one way or another.
In the end, Dead Space is the scariest game, if not the scariest of any media, to date. It plays great and has a damn fine payoff. Check it out before you get swept up in the other 100s of releases this fall.
