Dead Space

This game has changed my opinion of the survival horro genre forever. This is how the genre should always be portrayed. Let me start off by saying that i was slightly dubious about buying this title, im not a fan of survival horrors and took a chance with this one, and im so glad i did. There are many reasons that set this game apart from the rest, so let me bulletpoint some of the most important:

Immersion - From the start you are completely immersed in the game, theres no health bar or mini map in the corner, no ammo counter. All of these things are cleverly interlinked with Isaaks suit, so you can see them whenever you want, but they're never actually on screen. Okay, that doesnt make sense, an example then. Instead of there being a health bar in the bottom corner of the screen, it runs up the spine of Isaaks suit and looks integral to the game. The ammo counter is shown on the gun when you aim it so that it is not left as a stat hanging in the corner. Another part which completely immerses the player is the inventory and map system. The inventory can be displayed whenever the player wants but it doesnt stop game play, this really helps to immerse the player in their surroundings and create a linear gameplay experiance.

Graphics - Rarely have i seen a game which looks this good. I have not seen texture dropout or any other graphical glitches which plauge so many mainstream games. They are smooth and very realistic for the current generation of consoles, really pushing what the hardware can do.

Gameplay - The gameplay is fluent and solid as it should be with any survival horror (you can move and aim at the same time!!!). The controls are easy to get to grips with and even the parts where you need to learn different controls for Isaak are easy to remember and use.

Innovation - Zero-G is something which really does make this game extremely innovative. Its an amazing experiance to able to control Isaak in that way and has been very well integrated to break up the gameplay with innovative set pieces. Another innovative difference is the segments with no air. As you travel into a vacuum all the colour washes out and the sounds are muffled and indistinguishable, it is a very effective way to help keep the player immersed.

Overall i would say that the game is excellant, with a lot of replayability. Its a shame theres no multiplayer mode, but then again half the fun of the game is turning out all the lights and playing it by yourself to really freak yourself out

Oozes quality and atmosphere right from the get go.

Graphically this game excels and is one of THE best out there. The characters are stunningly created. I can't find a polygon ngle on a single one of the characters and that included the humans which are tough todo as we know what to expect with the human form and we see issues very quickly.

The monsters are convincing and varied. All having sightly different attack methods and moves. They range from reasonably easy to tough and ugly.

I have read this game is similar to Resident Evil in ways and I think this is a fair comment. You go through collecting weapons, money and ammo from dead bodies like Resi. You have and inventory like Resi that you can increase in size. The are shops (smal machines) that you use to by equipment and power up. All very Resi Evilish.

But where this game really excels is in the combination of gamplay, graphics and sound. To really enjoy the game abd really get into it. Put some head phones on and play late at night with all he lights out. I guarentee if you do this the hairs of the back of your neck will stand up. It's an 18 for good reason and haven't allowed my 10 year old on it or let him watch me play.

If this is what you get by crossing Doom 3 with Resi Evil 4, then I want more.

To feel scared, on edge, tense, it's an easy thing to convey in a movie theatre, but not quite so simple in your own home... Or is it?

After a lot of attempts to frighten gamers (zombies, vampires and so on, you know the ones!) and some being moderately successful, it's clear the survival horror franchise is desperate to make a stand above all others. Now along comes Dead Space and within the first 5 minutes of game play expect your hands to be cold, clammy and have your nerves trembling in suspense of what's round the nest corner. EA has developed something very special here and I believe it's going to give the upcoming Resident Evil 5 a run for it's money.

Dead Space begins with you sat aboard a rescue vessel on the way to the Mining ship, The Ishimura that has lost communications, it quickly transpires that what you thought was a routine maintenance mission is something far, far more sinister. I'll say no more in reference to the story as you really need to experience it first hand suffice to mention that for once we're provided with a plot that really will leave you gasping for breath! This title oozes outstanding graphics, awesome sound effects and eerily appropriate music. Each of these making the next even more immersive, sucking you deeper into a futuristic nightmare that you wont be getting out of for at least 12 hours of play. The level design consists of mainly cramped corridors and tight corners, swaying lamps, creaking gantry's and the distant scratching of something trying desperately to creep up on you before you drop the controller in shock and your character gets torn into pieces. As un-nerving as it is, being made to feel that you constantly need to check what's behind you is a brilliant touch that this game has so many of. It's been fantasticly thought through as the classic movie moments that usually mean something is about to jump out at you remain quiet and cautious yet just when you think it's safe to relax you find yourself firing wildly in any direction!

Creature design is another brilliant achievement, the dis-memberment of your many adversary's is extremely satisfying and the sheer amount of variety in how you choose to dispatch them is staggering, head, arm, leg, other weird gloopy slime covered thing and so on. Make no mistake the content of this title is not for the faint of heart! There are a decent number of enemies as well and the idea of boss fight's has had a huge overhaul, you've not seen anything like this, believe me!

Ok so I'm shouting praises like I never thought I would here, but that's a testament to just how awesome this game is. I honestly can't think of a bad thing to say, sure I'm probably a little bias as I've always enjoyed survival horror titles (Res3 was alright, barely) and it's great to be able to be so positive about something you didn't expect to meet the highest expectations.

To sum up, I think even the most sceptical gamer would be daft to pass on Dead Space, it piles on shock, intrigue and story in equally good doses and an aspect of horror and gore that would make John Carpenter proud and will leave a big lump in your throat. Turn up your volume, draw the curtains, dim the lights and have a fresh battery pack stood by. Dead Space will keep you awake for a long time to come!

Having bought the game years after it's initial release and mainly because it was so cheap my expectations were... Measured. However Dead Space blew me away with it's amazingly atmospheric and often genuinely scary gameplay. The weapons are varied and a lot of fun to use and the enemies are suitably single minded and bloodthirsty - AI may be lacking but what self respecting mutant-alien-human-hybrid is going to spend it's time ducking behind crates?!

And when you're not busy blowing off limbs and suffering (extremely) gruesome deaths, the game keeps you occupied hunting down the next objective with twists and turns along the way. Can't wait for the sequel - it has a lot to live up to!

Dead Space is easily the finest survival horror money can buy for the xbox 360. Whilst I found Resi 5 to be very enjoyable it didn't even come close to Dead Space for sheer atmosphere, shocks and some great moments that really made me jump.
The environment's are fantastic with a totally believeable world for you to explore. The back story is excellent and it is relayed in fantastic fashion with video logs, audio logs and diary exerts scattered throughout the game world. There are some excellent weapons to be had and the upgrade system offers tons of customisation which gives the player more than enough options to suit different player's preferences.
At £9.99 this represents the biggest bargain I've ever come across for the 360. I'd recommend this without hesitation, especially if you like your survival horror games.