Dead Space

Taking the good parts from various different movies and games this survival horror/action game really managed to surprise me. I expected a game with gore and some cheap scares. I got that. But I also got a game so filled with atmosphere, I don't think there were many of last years games that can compare. The derelict ship, automated voices, flickering lights, the audio logs, the necromorphs and the few, crazed survivors really draws you in. And there is also the sense of despair, the sense that you are fighting with less and less chance of survival. All in all, the game doesn't do anything new, but it does it really well making it a pleasurable experience.

This game is very good on atmosphere and gore. Two things I love in a horror movie, throw into that an interesting story. Granted it does borrow heavily from science fiction horror classics like Alien and The Thing. It also borrows from not quite a classic Event Horizon and the really bad Ghosts of Mars. And for even more similarities watch the Japanese anime Lilycat as the monster in that movie reminded me a lot of some of the monsters here. The story starts out with you and other crew members on a ship headed for a repair job on some sort of mining vessel. Upon arrival you can tell something is wrong as there is no crew to greet you, and pretty soon you see your first necromorph creature and you are in for the fight of your life. You get separated from two crew members who will periodically try to help you and them get off this ship of death, but for the most part you are on your own in the nightmare space cruiser. You will learn, through audio tapes of the fate of this ship as you try to battle your way off. You have a variety of weapons at your disposal, though for my money the rail gun and default plasma cutter are the best. Other weapons just do not pack enough pop, others are overly complicated, still others just run out of ammo way to fast. You can update your armor and collect health packs as in any game of this type. You have levels where you must go through zero gravity and still others where there is no air. The monsters attack sometimes in such a flurry you can not aim well and you end up panic firing a lot. The weapons though are at their most effective when aiming for the creatures appendages. The game is not without its faults which kept me from giving it a ten as aspects of the story did not add up for me and sometimes the missions get a bit to long in areas. However, there are no real complicated puzzles to endure. The ending is kind of shocking however the credits are uninspired which was surprising considering the detail and effort put into the rest of the game. Still, all in all a great horror game set in space, and from the looks of it a movie version is going to be made which I am betting will not be as good as they will needlessly add to many characters or something and just make the movie less scary and I am betting the monsters do not look as good.

I'm going to come right out and say this is the most terrifying game I have ever played or even heard of. The game play was a little sluggish, but then again it was the first game in the series. I'm going to state some of the experiences you will have in this game, as well as my opinions.

The Game: I own this game for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC. The PC version was the weakest experience, the controls in this game are much more suited to a console. The game play is in it's early stages, but it is playable, just not as refined as the later games. The graphics are great and enhance the atmosphere. The main weapon of choice is the plasma cutter, it really is the only gun you need, except the flamethrower which I use to kill the brutes. You want a tip, shoot the brute in the face with the plasma cutter, it will shield itself in a ball so you go up behind it and barbecue it with the flamethrower. It's the most effective way I have killing the brutes, I don't think i've ever heard anyone mention that tactic. The atmosphere is dark and disturbing, it is accompanied by the creaking of the ship and the odd noise in the background. You always have to stay on constant alert, you aren't safe any where. This game is very terrifying, it will make you want to quit, but I was so in to it I couldn't stop playing it, I had to see what was going to happen next. To sum it up, if you want a heart-attack play this game, some parts of the game had me screaming in excitement and terror. Movies mostly rely on jump scares, same with some games, those are cheap attempts at being scary, but here you will be scared throughout the duration. This game also features an immense amount of disturbing moments, some are gruesome and others more subtle. Here is one example, the beginning of chapter ten starts off with you entering this lobby area with only the glow of candles to light the room, there are many dead bodies with their faces wrapped up, there is also a lullaby playing in the back ground. If you just stop and take it in for a second it quite a gruesome scene. The Necromorphs are very grotesque, the screeches they make are chilling enough, especially when you hear that they are in the same area as you and you have to find them quick. This game is incredibly graphic, some of the ways the Necromorphs kill you are disgusting, one of them literally knocks your head off and attach's itself in your neck stump and takes control of your body. This game is not for the faint of heart.

This game is the pure essence of horror, it is terrifying, thrilling, and shocking, it is better than most horror movies, and is easily the scariest horror game ever made. Highly recommended if you can handle the gruelling moments this game has to offer.

I haven't felt this level of stress and fear from playing a game since I played Resident Evil at 8 years old and this game captured that same feeling as an 18 year old.

The best game i ever played, pure essens of horror, highest quality in every level.