- Joined
- Jan 2, 2007
- Messages
- 1,067
When people think of horror and space, they think of the iconic and legendary horror/action film Alien and its sequel, which is one of those rare birds that is better than the original, Aliens. The tagline for the original Alien has also become well known now: In space, no one can hear you scream. Dead Space takes that mantra, embraces it, perfects it, and holds it high. It is brutal, it is dark, and it is absolutely terrifying. That says something coming from me, as it is hard to scare me. The main reason I love horror is because I am in the eternal quest to find things that actually scare me.
Dead Space has a simple yet familiar premise, something goes awry on a space ship and a worker must fix things while surviving. However, this simple and derivative set up spins into a great story that oozes fear and style. Even on paper, it would be disturbing and impressive. Another thing that makes the story and the overall universe great is the amount of detail. Let us bring up Aliens again. While it had a bit more testosterone than its predecessor, its story was believable because everything made sense. It did a wonderful job of suspending your belief and keeping things futuristic while at the same time realistic. Dead Space does this great as well. There is no 'hud,' in the traditional sense. This time, your hud is in the game as holographic displays from a projector on the main characters suit, ammo counters on weapons, and a clever health system showing the lights on his back- when those lights go out, you are dead. The monsters in the game, Necromorphs are memorable. They have a feeling akin to John Carpenters The Thing, but once again, it feels more like a loving tribute/inspiration than a 'rip off' and they find a way to make these creatures unique.
The atmosphere will suck you in, and you will always be on your toes. Something else this game does surprisingly well is monster closets. Yes.. monster closets are actually scary in this game. The reason why is because they aren't scripted and you can't always predict them. The AI is brilliant, and can pop out from anywhere and still manage to scare you. Even if you get used to the idea and expect that something will pop out, its almost like it knows the one weak point in your thinking, and manages to startle you. The games combat is brutal, and once again adds to the amazing atmosphere as to truly kill a necromorph, you have to take off their limbs. Simply shooting them down won't do, and you must always make sure the enemy is truly down for the count, and frequently stomp the bodies or whack them after combat. Sometimes you get lucky and can dismember the enemy whilst in combat, but its easier said than done thanks to the brutal and relentless AI.
The sound design is once again, absolutely amazing. The sound effects are amazing, the voices are amazing, everything about the sound is amazing and top notch.
The graphics are too. The game has rough edges, but that is to be expected, but the lighting effects and detail are absolutely stunning.
Overall, this is one of the greatest survival horror packages to date. It oozes atmosphere, style, and fear and is highly immersive, unique, and if you like a good scare; fun. If you don't like horror or to be scared, than you probably will find Dead Space boring or too scary for your tastes; but anyone with a passion for horror, Dead Space absolutely must be experienced.
The studio behind this game receives my applause for such amazing work on a new IP that I hope to see again in the future. It is one of the greatest starts for a new series experienced in some time, and it only brings into mind the possibilities the sequels can hold.
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Multiplayer: N/A (No multi)
Story: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
This is simply put an amazing game, and has already been entered into my list of favourite games in this current generation, and it is easily the best survival horror game in years.
Dead Space has a simple yet familiar premise, something goes awry on a space ship and a worker must fix things while surviving. However, this simple and derivative set up spins into a great story that oozes fear and style. Even on paper, it would be disturbing and impressive. Another thing that makes the story and the overall universe great is the amount of detail. Let us bring up Aliens again. While it had a bit more testosterone than its predecessor, its story was believable because everything made sense. It did a wonderful job of suspending your belief and keeping things futuristic while at the same time realistic. Dead Space does this great as well. There is no 'hud,' in the traditional sense. This time, your hud is in the game as holographic displays from a projector on the main characters suit, ammo counters on weapons, and a clever health system showing the lights on his back- when those lights go out, you are dead. The monsters in the game, Necromorphs are memorable. They have a feeling akin to John Carpenters The Thing, but once again, it feels more like a loving tribute/inspiration than a 'rip off' and they find a way to make these creatures unique.
The atmosphere will suck you in, and you will always be on your toes. Something else this game does surprisingly well is monster closets. Yes.. monster closets are actually scary in this game. The reason why is because they aren't scripted and you can't always predict them. The AI is brilliant, and can pop out from anywhere and still manage to scare you. Even if you get used to the idea and expect that something will pop out, its almost like it knows the one weak point in your thinking, and manages to startle you. The games combat is brutal, and once again adds to the amazing atmosphere as to truly kill a necromorph, you have to take off their limbs. Simply shooting them down won't do, and you must always make sure the enemy is truly down for the count, and frequently stomp the bodies or whack them after combat. Sometimes you get lucky and can dismember the enemy whilst in combat, but its easier said than done thanks to the brutal and relentless AI.
The sound design is once again, absolutely amazing. The sound effects are amazing, the voices are amazing, everything about the sound is amazing and top notch.
The graphics are too. The game has rough edges, but that is to be expected, but the lighting effects and detail are absolutely stunning.
Overall, this is one of the greatest survival horror packages to date. It oozes atmosphere, style, and fear and is highly immersive, unique, and if you like a good scare; fun. If you don't like horror or to be scared, than you probably will find Dead Space boring or too scary for your tastes; but anyone with a passion for horror, Dead Space absolutely must be experienced.
The studio behind this game receives my applause for such amazing work on a new IP that I hope to see again in the future. It is one of the greatest starts for a new series experienced in some time, and it only brings into mind the possibilities the sequels can hold.
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Multiplayer: N/A (No multi)
Story: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
This is simply put an amazing game, and has already been entered into my list of favourite games in this current generation, and it is easily the best survival horror game in years.
