Platform: Xbox 360
ESRB: M
Number of Players: 1
Publisher: EA
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Official Website

BUY

Genuinely scary games are hard to come by these days, and Dead Space delivers. But it also weaves in and out of amazing fun and hair-pulling frustration.

Graphics: Hoo boy these graphics are mighty fine. There are games out there where you think to yourself, “yes this looks fine”, and then there are games that really make you appreciate the next-gen technology that the developers have to work with. Dead Space looks amazing; the characters, the environment, the monsters, all superb. Also, considering most people’s lack of knowledge of what nuts and bolts space mining looks like, this game gave you the impression that they were absolutely spot-on for how it should look.

Sound: Dead Space knows atmosphere, and 90% of the atmosphere hinges on how creepy the sound is. This ship was overrun with ravenous monsters that bust out of walls, windows, air vents, ceilings, etc., but it was mostly scary because of how they pounce on you out of nowhere. The screeching, howling, and background music all come together to make this game work as something terrifying that you have to navigate.

Zero-G monsters.

Controls: Basic, easy controls. It gets a bit frustrating early in the game, where you have so few inventory slots to put your gear in. Many developers often mistake a lack of convenience with something that makes the game scarier. No, it actually just makes the game frustrating when you have to sacrifice something you’ll need later for its inventory slot.

Flow: The flow  is what brings the game down. Dead Space has amazing potential, but it is bogged down by cut scenes that are un-skippable and points in the game where the objective is unclear. For example, there is a part where you have to walk out into space— but oh noes! There are asteroids flying at the deck, and if you don’t hide behind a series of shields, you’ll be smashed to smitherines. Sounds fun, only the area where you’re safe and the area where you’re not safe are very ambiguous. And this isn’t the only spot where you find yourself replaying the scene over and over; being trapped in a room with a monster that can’t be killed and all of the exits are locked happens more than once. These things don’t make the game fun, they just make it so you don’t want to even try anymore.

Fun Factor: As stated earlier, this game can be loads of fun. LOADS. It can also be a pain in the ass, and the line between whether or not you should play it is blurred.

Female Factor: Half of the characters are women. They send you messages over your suit TV. That’s about it.

Replay Value: None, except for the Achievements, which involve leveling up different weapons or playing through entirely with a certain one. Honestly though, it is hard enough to get through the first time without breaking the disc in half out of rage. There are some pretty cool DLCs available for anyone who wants to fire it up again. They offer a fully-upgraded suit and weapons for about 5 Microsoft dollars. Worth playing at least once.

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