Dead Space (Xbox 360) Review

 

Dead Space is a survival horror game set in - you guessed it - space! Specifically, the USG Ishimura. You'll follow protagonist Isaac Clarke as what started as a an attempt to fix up a spacecraft turns into an wonderful example of "everything that can go wrong definitely will".

The story takes several twists and turns and you'll even get to venture beyond the game's central location a few times! As usual, I won't go too deep into the story because I'd like you to be able to experience it for yourself if you've never played the game! I quite it enjoyed it though, and the game created a good sense of isolated fear while also making me concerned for the safety of Isaac's few surviving crew-mates throughout the game.



The combat is very intense as most of the creatures you'll encounter move in a very violent and erratic manners, and you'll want to target their weak points - usually the limbs. Thankfully, the game has a cool upgrade system for all your gear - tools, weapons, gadgets and even your own suit! It can take you several play-throughs to fully upgrade everything, which also adds some replay value!
The atmosphere and audio are very well-done. Most of the time you'll hear very subtle and ominous ambient music along with great sound design for both the environments and creatures. Some of the creature sounds in the game have stuck in my memory, unpleasant as they are. During combat there is a a lot of violent sounding orchestral music, with screechy violins that adds to feeling of panic when a hideous creature is trying to chew Isaac's face off. Some areas of the game make great use of dynamic lighting on large objects, casting creepy shadows around the environment.  Claustrophobic little corridors can make you feel trapped with the necromorphs, while wide open areas can make it easier to dodge their assault but also sometimes allows them to sneak up on you more easily!

Overall the game is fantastic, has satisfying combat and lots of creepy scenes and nasty monsters. The story is very linear, but the upgrade system as well as some achievement goals still add replay value. It probably won't be as spooky after you've beaten it once, but it's still a lot of fun blasting and shredding necromorphs with your weapons.

The only criticism I really have for the game is that some of the DLC is "pay to win" content. You can pay real money for items such as "the tank suit" which is stronger than any suit that is in-game. I would have much preferred for the tank suit to be unlocked through normal game-play, such as beating the game on a certain difficulty level or completing certain achievements.  Sadly, I have heard that problems like this only get worse in the sequels, especially the third game.





Despite this one criticism, I highly recommend it if you're a fan of horror and/or sci fi action!