In the depths of space, no one will hear you die...
The USG Ishimura is in a mess, communications are down and a repair team has been sent in. When they arrive, they find that no one is around and they shortly find out that something is terribly wrong. A strange alien life-form, known as the Necromorph, shows up and kills some of the repair crew and everyone got separated. You play as engineer Isaac Clarke as he explores the Ishimura, trying to survive.
It's a simple premise but it is deepened by text and audio logs lefts scattered around the ship and it is quite interesting.
The gameplay is interesting and very enjoyable. You move about the Ishimura using unusual weapons to hack the Necromorph's apart, it's simple and plays similar to Resident Evil 4 otherwise, aside from the fact that you can move while shooting. You also have a kinesis beam that lets you pick up items and take them to you or throw them at enemies. Another ability, a more useful ability, is the stasis. Stasis allows you to slow down enemies and fast moving objects, giving you a great advantage.
There are also Zero-G sections, but all they end up being are annoying instances where you jump from place to place. You will also find Power Nodes, items that can be used to upgrade your equipment at workbenches, upgrading is almost necessary to survive the dead of the Ishimura. Your job will last you around 10-12 hours and you'll enjoy almost all of it.
The soundtrack makes the Ishimura a haunting place, it helps sell the atmosphere, the sounds of the ship creaking and the Necromorphs lurking in the vents are chilling. The voice work isn't bad either, the only disappointing thing is that Isaac doesn't speak.
The Ishimura and it's mutilated inhabitants look great. The violence is brutal, the lighting is excellent, the ship is detailed and the Zero-G effects are impressive. There isn't another horror game that looks this good.
Going into the Ishimura, you don't know what to expect, but what you'll find is an excellent horror game and one of this generation's all-time greats. In space, no one will hear you scream, but don't let that stop you from emptying your lungs.
Story: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 9.0/10
Audio: 9.0/10
Presentation: 9.5/10