Ssshh! What was that?
This game does a great job of just throwing you into the environment. The most appealing thing that attracted me to the game was the lack of a HUD. Your health bar is shown on Issac's back, and the ammo sign appears when you draw your weapon (it is a hologram on the weapon itself).
I am not a great fan of over-the-shoulder third person shooters (like Fallout 3), but this game was amazing.
Granted, I am not able to list every detail I liked about the game, but I will give you a heads up:
Environment: the environment set inside the USG Ishimura was dark, creepy, haunting, and immersive. The lack of a HUD really puts you into the game. The bloodly hand prints and crazy writings (some of the writings are made in blood, and some are in indistinguishable language) on the walls and floors are nerve-racking.
Sounds: Heavy breaking. Something moves in the shadows. A bin rolls towards, and BAM! you are attacked from above! The sounds in the game are just spectacular. And, the soundtrack is exactly what you would expect in any horror film. The various moans, grunts, and screams coming from the distance and all around at great with a 5.1 surround sound system.
Voice Acting: The voice actings was great, and the main character (that you play) doesn't really say anything until the end. But, with the great voice acting also comes the good dialouge.
Story: At first the story seems to be a cliche version of every Sci-Fi horror film, but the twists and turns at the end make it really worthwhile.
Weaponry: Not only do you have military weapons, but since you are an engineer you have a wide selection of futuristic tools that can be deadly in the wrong hands.
Background: Dead Space Downfall and downloadable comic books really fill in the story, and does a good job of creating a satisfied fan base.
There are some not so great things about the game like:
The missions are repetitive to the point that they get frustrating, because everything seems to go wrong. When one problem is fixed, two more pop up.
The enemy A.I are not that smart, and the only way they can defeat you is either by ambush and rushing you. Just flank them and you are good to go.
Upgrading system is not flawed, but it would have been better if the game told you where to start. Personally, I screwed up big time with the upgrading system. I had to restart half way through the game because I upgrading too many things.
A second play through the game is just for fun really. There is nothing really to go for.
No multiplayer.
However, overall I think this game is amazing. I have played through it 2 times, and now I am going for my 3rd.