The weapons in Dead Space are mostly mining equipment, modified by Isaac for use against the enemy. The Plasma Cutter for example is a small mining tool used for breaking up small rocks or metals, but in this case we can use it for ripping arms from shoulder sockets. There are plenty more weapons to discover later on in the game, including an assault rifle and a flamethrower (toasty). You first discover the schematics for the weapons which can then be uploaded to the store for purchase. The store itself doubles up as a storage facility allowing you to deposit surplus items and come back to them later. You can also purchase armour upgrades, giving you more protection against enemy attacks and also granting you larger inventory space.

Something you’ll eventually see further in to the game is the Zero-Gravity environments. When you reach these parts of the ship you will be able to launch yourself from one platform to an adjacent wall or platform nearby. Once doing this your view of the world will change as up becomes left and down becomes right. Necromorphs soon follow you into these areas and use them to their advantage, although there is nothing better than blasting one and watching it float away effortlessly from its perched position, blood bubbling from its open wounds.

Isaac soon learns new skills such as Telekinesis and Stasis, which will soon become your greatest assets. When encountering a large amount of enemies swarming towards you, fire off your stasis ability and anything in front of you slows almost to a halt, allowing you to aim carefully and take down enemies with ease. This ability can also be used to solve basic puzzles such as malfunctioning doors that open and slam shut far too fast for you to move through. Be warned though, the stasis ability costs stasis power (shown by a small coloured dial on your back next to your health bar) and should you run out at a crucial moment, you’ll find yourself turned to mincemeat. The second of these abilities is Telekinesis, granting you the power to pick up large obstacles blocking your path, severing explosive parts of enemies only to send them flying back at them, or even something as simple as opening door locks.

The sound and ambience of the game is outstanding, and it really does multiply the horror effect of the game tenfold. Be it the screeching of violins (anyone remember Aliens vs Predator the game?) as the impending danger approaches, or the tap of fleshy feet overhead as you hear something crawling through vents or openings. When you eventually exit the ship to wander the exterior of the hull, or enter a room that’s been blown off the ship, sounds are almost completely cut out as they would be in a vacuum. The only things you’ll hear are your own faint breathing and footsteps, and the silenced report of your gun as a stealthy Necromorph pops out at you. Although you never hear Isaac talk, the voice acting of the other characters is near perfect. You can sense the fear in some voices, and the madness in others as the game progresses, not to mention the stomach-turning shrieks from the Necros themselves.

There are a few minor flaws with Dead Space, however. The gameplay becomes a little repetitive at times and you feel that a little more variety in level design would not go amiss. There are also some technical issues which threaten the level of immersion, such as the collision detection when you use the ground stomp move. Also, once you complete the game you can restart it in a new game mode with all your current equipment, but the game will not allow you to change difficulty, meaning that you cannot try the unlocked insane mode with all your current gear.

EA Redwood Shores has created a compelling survival horror game in Dead Space. The game can be genuinely terrifying in some places, and unsettling in others and anyone with a sensitive disposition may have some trouble with the level of gore. Dead Space is a great addition to the survival horror genre, and offers up some of the most scary, atmospheric gameplay I’ve encountered in a while.

Now you’ll have to excuse me whilst I fetch myself some clean underwear...

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