In Space, No One Can Hear You Die

In the last two days, I have become both fascinated and terrified by a new video game called 'Dead Space'.

This story actually begins several months ago when I read about Dead Space in an issue of game Informer. I've been a fan of survival horror games for a long time, and I like it even more when game developers mess with the genre.

Rather than find yourself in the remains of a top secret lab, island infested with dinosaurs, or even a city swarming with the living dead, you are transported to a derelict space ship which has sent off a distress call for aid. The hero isn't your typical paramilitary action hero, but an engineer simply sent to repair a disabled ship.

The story caught my interest, so I was enthusiastic when I read that there were be a comic book released as a prequel to the game. The 6-issue mini-series with the same name as the game was published by Image Comics with art by unique artist Ben Templesmith, a man that's captured a loyal audience with books like the original 30 Days of Night, Wormwood Gentlemen Corpse, and Fell.

The mini-series and Templesmith's art captured the dark look expected for a story of survival horror, but the story felt a little flat. The comic tells the tale of a colony that discovers an unknown obelisk, which results in numerous violent acts occurring at the hands of either the excavation team or religious fanatics. The main protagonists do little more than react to the problems caused by the obelisk before meeting the same fate that befalls many secondary characters in horror stories. The main information we gain from the comic is that the captain of the Ishimura (the ship the player goes to in Dead Space) brought aboard the corpses of some of the colonists and followed the same faith as a Church that worships 'Markers' similar to the obelisk which was discovered. This is reason why the Ishimura was left derelit and required emergency assistance by a team of engineers led by the player character in the main game.

The comic honestly didn't do much for me, but when I finally got the game this past Thursday, I was enthralled. It plays with light and shadows to heighten your gaming experience, along with the terror you feel from being left in the dark surrounded by undead humalien life-forms. Sound is another big factor in capturing the atomosphere. Creatures skuttle about everywhere, so you need to be on your guard whenever you hear something unusual.

Similar to another game I love, Bioshock, you have a few limited 'special powers' that are effects created by the suit you wear. You don't have a lot of variability, but you do have the power to slow down enemies (where you still get to move normally, so it's not like Max Payne's bullet-time) and move objects out of the way with telekinesis.

The weapons are unique, because most are actual tools rather than the assortment of pistols, shotguns, and assault rifles that you find in other genre games. Fortunately, there is one, a Plasma Rifle which I make good use of when confronted by a swarm of 'necromorphs'. There's nothing like being able to unload a clip of plasma rounds into an undead baddie to make you feel safe and sound. Unfortunately, you can run out of ammo due to the rifle's autofire, which is not a problem with the other weapons.

I know this sounds like a review, but I am just really enjoying the game and wanted to let anyone who reads this to know. Check out Dead Space. It's on PS3 and Xbox 360, so if you're a fan of survival horror or just sci-fi action games, you need to give it a try.

I recommend it for fans of Bioshock and Resident Evil.