Dead Space 4/5

Released in late 2008, Dead Space brings the horror genre to space. I approached the game with some reservation as I am slightly burned out from 1st and 3rd person shooters. What I didn't experience was one of the best and most immersive games in recent history. (It surpassed the Gears of War campaign in my eyes).

The game places you in the role of Isaak the engineer. You arrive with a small team on a repair ship after receiving a distress call from the large mining ship the Ishimura. Your role is to figure what happened on board the ship and to repair the various systems that are vital to your survival, while surviving the new residents that have infected it. The setting and atmosphere are reminiscent of the 1997 movie Event Horizon.

Technically the game looks great; crisp textures, detailed models. This would mean little without great design, and that's something the game is certainly not lacking. The Ishimura's interior is not limited to dark tight corridors (not that it lacks those), the ship is huge and houses over one thousand crew, it's essentially a small town complete with a tram system. You'll see working engine rooms, communication chambers, loading bays, a huge command deck and even a hydroponics facility. Many of the environments are used as game play elements. For example you'll have to make your way past the engine room while the engines are firing in succession. Another important detail is the lighting, it flickers and dances as the light sources move, making your flinch as you sometimes see your own shadow moving in your peripherals. At times you'll be making your away in zero gravity chambers or on the outside hull of the ship.

Sound is as good as i ever heard. Every part of the ship has great ambient sound of far of machinery and computer systems. I played this with a 5.1 surround sound system and constantly had to turn my on screen character as I heard noises all around me. Sometimes it's far of echoes of pipes falling in hangar bays, heavy footsteps in walkways above you, or minimal whispers you hear as Isaak begins to loose his sanity. The doesn't just elevate the creepy atmosphere, it serves a function as important as the visuals. This is the type of game that surround sound systems were made for.

The story is interesting and has some interesting nuances and twists. The experience can be greatly enhanced by watching the animated movie Dead Space: Downfall. It tells the story of the Ishimura before the events in the game. It's a very well executed tie in that stands strong on it's own.

Available on Xbox360 and PS3.