No one can hear you scream

Written by Tom Hasler Tuesday, 18 November 2008 16:07

Be glad that you are alive on Earth and not Dead in Space.

Space is scary. It’s inhospitable, vast and filled with unseen dangers, yet most look into the stars with hope and excitement. Luckily, Dead Space reminds us all why we should all be content living right here on Planet Earth.

Set hundreds of years in the future, you play as Isaac, an engineer who is trapped onboard the USG Ishimura, a colossal mining ship designed to rip planets to shreds and harvest the raw materials. A mysterious infection has killed most of the crew and turned them into hideous monsters called necromorphs. Your mission is survival. The premise may sound a little cliché, but fortunately the games excellent presentation keeps the game from feeling as such.

As your surviving crewmates send you across the ship you slowly piece together the fall of the Ishimura by collecting various text, video and audio logs. The plot unfolds around the player while keeping you firmly in the driving seat; in fact, all of Isaac’s vital information is displayed as a real-time holographic screen projected from the front of his suit rather than the traditional on-screen display. Together with the ships industrial aesthetic this produces an iconic and wholly immersive look. The game is also blessed with excellent audio: whether it’s the spine chilling rattle of creatures crawling through the vents or Isaac wheezing through his helmet as you pace the ship’s claustrophobic corridors, the music slowly builds tension before hitting you with a violent crescendo just as a monster lunges into view. These patterns become recognisable, yet the game still catches you unaware.

The necromorphs are deeply disturbing and reminiscent of The Thing. These abominations are creatively cobbled together by an alien entity from the body parts of harvested humans. Despite their crude construction they move with grace and speed, even when dismembered. And dismember them you will. Early in the game, you’ll learn that the best way to kill a necromorph is to sever its limbs. While this feature is more of a gimmick than a revolution, it’s horrifying watching a necromorph mutate and adapt to the loss of its appendage. They’re smart little buggers as well, stalking you just out of reach until they can attack on their own terms.

Much like Resident Evil the game endeavours to make you feel vulnerable at all times. Isaac is an engineer, not a soldier, and his arsenal of improvised industrial tools reflects his trade. These weapons have unique characteristics tailored to the dismemberment tactics the game stresses. Other abilities including telekinesis and a stasis module that slows objects make Isaac the most deadly space janitor (barely) alive. Survival is made even more difficult by scarce resources and the harsh environment of space itself. When in zero gravity you’re tethered by magnetic boots and can leap between walls and ceilings with ease. When in a vacuum a countdown appears and Isaacs breathing becomes laboured, giving these scenarios- wait for it- an air of desperation.

Over the course of the game’s 15 hours, you’ll be hit by every trick in the book. With striking visual construction, excellent sound design and action that is both intense and engaging, it evokes a constant sense of dread in the player. Dead Space is the best reason yet to avoid interstellar travel.

[4/5]

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