Dead Space 2 infects Dragon Age II

Electronic Arts has a well-documented penchant for unusual tie-ins. The stars of the M-rated games Army of Two and Mass Effect took to the skies in the family-friendly MySims SkyHeroes, the Burger King served as corner man in Fight Night Round 3, and Spore developer Will Wright even made a cameo in The Simpsons Game.

The publisher is prepping yet another shot of series synergy, as today it confirmed that gamers who purchase Dead Space 2 will be able to download a special set of armor themed after the sci-fi survival horror game for use in the upcoming Dragon Age II. The Ser Isaac of Clarke armor is modeled after the suit worn by Dead Space protagonist Isaac Clarke, boosting the user's armor stat and incorporating a pair of rune slots.

Developed by EA's Visceral Games studio, Dead Space 2 is set for launch on January 25. It follows the further adventures of Clarke, the engineer hero of the first game. After battling the mutating zombielike necromorphs on a deep-space mining vessel in the original game, Clarke finds himself inside The Sprawl, a huge metropolis anchored to one of Saturn's moons and under siege from the inhuman undead.

Set over a 10-year period, Dragon Age II will see the player transform Blight-survivor Hawke from "a destitute refugee to the revered champion of the land," with new combat mechanics for the game's three classes. Although Hawke gains fame as the Champion of Kirkwall, the game will peer into his mysterious rise to power.

For more on the games, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Dragon Age II and Dead Space 2.