Dead Space™

Most games I play have a quick save ability. Whenever I expect something to be hiding around a suspicious corner, I save. Whenever a horde of enemies appear, I save. Whenever the game auto-saves, I save. The games I've played that lacked this ability tended not to be so immersive making my experience playing it rather standard... except for Dead Space. Dead Space is one the most captivating and immersive games I have ever played. Despite the third-person camera, I felt as if I were playing through the eyes of Isaac, himself. The somewhat stiff controls remind the player that Isaac isn't anything special, he's merely an engineer investigating a derelict ship. It's this reasoning that makes him such a relatable protagonist. The content of the game is terrifying, resembling the likes of Resident Evil. The different types of enemies allow for a vast array of strategies to be used and while throughout the game Isaac acquires quite a large arsenal, each weapon has distinct strengths and weaknesses among the different enemies. As a chronic quicksaver, the scariest part for me is the lack of a quicksave ability. You have to save at designated "save" locations marked by a holographic camera icon. All those suspicious corners I'm about to turn into? All those hordes of enemies charging at me? Scare the ever living shit out of me when the lack of quicksave is combined with an immersive and terrifying world. In case the terrifying necromorphs aren't enough to scare you, Dead Space offers psychological horror elements when Isaac continues to watch the last transmission sent by his girlfriend - that he received before her ship went out of communication - all throughout the game. Not only is this game scary, for you horror-loving masochists, its also carries a very deep story unlike most games in its genre. Dead Space is a unique game paralleled only - in my opinion - by its sequel.

One of my all-time favorite games, Dead Space is a masterpiece of horror/sci-fi homages that creates something 100% unique and enthralling. Dead Space is a great blend of game-play and storytelling elements, improving on the "over the shoulder" slow-paced shooter elements introduced in previous survival horror games like Resident Evil 4. Isaac isn't a soldier, but as an engineer he is protected by a hazardous environment suit and wields a blistering array of both engineering and mining tools re-purposed to destroy the game's enemy "Necromorphs." Instead of simply blasting enemies, the tactic in Dead Space is dismemberment: plasma cutters and tractor-beam buzz saws are ideal instruments to saw off limbs, and fighting the Necromorphs--who attack with their own array of organic blades, claws and teeth--requires Isaac to remove arms to avoid attacks and take out legs to cripple necromorphs for killing shots. As he goes, Isaac can earn both cash, scavenge and "power nodes" that allow him to purchase new equipment, ammo, medpacks, and improve his existing weaponry to carry more ammo, deal more damage, and reload quicker. What really sets Dead Space apart from its survival-horror rivals however, is its atmosphere and attention to detail. From the Ishimura's "lived in" feel to the ominous Unitologist faith that has exploded to prominence in human society, Dead Space doesn't just feel like "the future," where space ships and lasers are mandatory. Everything feels like it has a place in this universe, and that makes the Ishimura all the more dreadful to explore, because you get the sense that people lived here, and now they're all dead. Killed by something that is turning its attention on you... But hey, there's always Peng.

Just play it!

I played this years ago on the xbox. Thought I could relive those days but this simply does not run on modern PC hardware - crashes immediately upon startup. Have tried every fix listed on the support page and still nothing. Will update review if I get it to run, but for the time being it's no dice.

I didn't play this game when it was released in 2008. I didn't watch the reviews, guides, or spoilers. My first playthrough was in 2021. And I'm evaluating this game by the standards of 2021. A bad port of the console version of the game. No mouse sensitivity adjustment in aim mode. Unresponsive controls and animations that can't be stopped or interrupted. The character feels like a robot, the movements are very mechanical. By the end of the game you get tired of the monotony of enemies and actions. You are becoming a robot yourself. On the positive side, I will note the great atmosphere, realistic spaceship and its elaborate structure. In conclusion, I will say that for those who have played it in the coming years after its release (2008-2010) and fans of horror this game in 2021 gets a confident 4/5 from me. For everyone else, it's a 3/5.