Dead Space Review

Isaac Clarke is sent on a routine mission with a hidden motive of his own. Sounds simple, go repair the USG Ishimura and get to the bottom of a cryptic message he received from someone on board the broken down ship. Upon arrival though it becomes crystal clear that this trip isn't going to be as routine as he was probably hoping it would be. Shortly after arriving you run into some new friends, Necromorphs, who come in a variety of forms and really know how to get your blood pumping and your heart racing by dropping down from vents, standing behind random doors that you open and always being considerate enough to bring plenty of friends to the party where, of course, you are the main course on the menu. Seperated from most of your team for the majority of the game, it's up to you to not only figure out how to stay alive, but how to put an end to this situation before it kills the entire human race.

 

One of the things I like the most about Dead Space is the combat, how you have to shoot the arms, legs and heads off your enemies to finish them off. It really tests your aim and can be really difficult to do after your mind is shocked at some scary sequence and you're still trying to process all that is going on and at times forget about going for the legs to stop that disturbed creature coming at you, or falling from the ceiling or walking along the wall. Thankfully you have plenty of weapons to choose from with a lot of upgrades available through power nodes that you find throughout the game, although you need to use these wisely since saving one at all times is handy since you need them to access locked rooms now and then for some extra goodies to find as you travel through the ship trying to find a way to escape while figuring out what really happened here through the video, audio and text logs you come across, greatly adding to the overall quality of the story.

 

Without a traditional HUD display you find yourself completely immersed in your environment unlike any other game I have ever played before. Your health and other vital information are mainly display on the back of your suit making it easy to keep track of your health and other information since you don't have to look away from Isaac to get this information. Your ammo is displayed on your gun while you aim, which is also nice and very convenient. Menus are displayed in front of you which doesn't stop the progress of the game since you can move around while looking at them, but this also leaves you open to attack so even while trying to figure out where to go or accessing other things you still need to be careful and aware of your surroundings since you really never know when you are going to run into danger. This all helps add to the amazing experience that Dead Space has to offer with it's gameplay. Making for a smooth progression throughout the game without having to go through the tedious process of stopping, looking at what you need on the map, and then going on with your gaming, it's really nice to be able to do both at the same time and letting you stay completely immersed in your environment.

 

Explore you shall, with a vast environment and plenty of things to find along the way. Everything you need is part of the main environment of the Ishimura. You will find save stations along the way, stores to buy ammo at or nodes to upgrade anything you might need at the benches you come across, or drop things off at to pick up at a later time when you need it if your inventory is running full. All very convenient, and I also like how you can drop less important items from your inventory if it's full in order to pick up something more important, and then come back later on to pick up the items you left behind if you do something like upgrade your suit to have more room to hold items or use other items and have room now for what you dropped previously. Which doesn't sound like much, but even if you don't need a certain item it's still important to know where you are at and left them because you can always sell them at the stores for more credits for things you do need, whether it be oxygen, power nodes, health packs, ammo or anything else you might need depending on your style and skill of play.

 

From visuals to audio quality Dead Space is top end, and even though there are probably glitches, since no game is perfect, I didn't run into a single one during my time with the game, and that says a lot for the game since it's the only game I have played a complete play through on without experiencing a single glitch. From the lighting, environment, sound to the Necromorphs themselves this game provides a nearly perfect Survival Horror environment. So whether you're looking for a quick scare to get the ole adrenaline going, a vast environment to explore and enjoy, an immersive story to follow, or a solid shooter to test your aim and nerves with Dead Space has it all and is the kind of game every gamer should give a chance to be in their collection. Enjoy the teaser video I have provided for you as well, since it shows just some of the great things that Dead Space has to provide!