EA took Resident Evil 4 gameplay and put it in a Doom 3 atmosphere for an experience you'll never forget!
GAMEPLAY (9.5) As I mentioned, the gameplay closely resembles Resident Evil 4 with a behind-the-shoulder view. At the start it seemed a little awkward but it didn't take long before I was completely comfortable with the view. Your character, Issac, will have a large selection of unique weapons that are actually based on mining tools to help him survive. What separates this from other shooters is that most enemies will not be killed by simple shots to the head or torso. Instead shots must be made to the limbs to put these monsters down for good. It usually is a case of knocking off the legs first and then finishing them off by destroying the arms, though this varies as not all of the creatures have two legs and arms. Again, this seemed a bit awkward at first but it did not take long at all to get used to this style of combat and I found it to be much more fun and intense than old-style shooting. Isaac also has a stomp move to both finish off enemies and to break open boxes that contain useful items. Several areas take place in zero gravity, which works surprisingly well. Isaac has magnetic boots to keep him on the surface but at anytime can point to another area and fluidly dive to that spot. The game stays pretty linear, and Isaac even has the ability to create a line pointing in the direction he needs to go. However there are a good number of branching hallways and rooms that provide a little more exploration. Throughout the game Isaac will collect schematics for weapons or improved armor and items, which he can then input into "stores" and buy. Plus he will occasionally find workbenches where he can make individual improvements to either his armor or weapons. The only thing I didn't like about the gameplay was two occasions where Isaac has to man a cannon and get though a shooting game that was a bit frustrating for me as the 360 controller just wasn't as precise as I would have liked. But, after a few attempts I got through them and other than that the gameplay was excellent.
GRAPHICS (9.5) Simply put these are some of the best graphics I have ever seen in any videogame. The ship is very well designed, looking completely sinister whether you're in an area that has been taken over by some alien life form, a room covered in blood after a massacre, or simply a hallway with flickering lights. The monsters are disgustingly detailed and look and move very realistically. Isaac himself looks great in his armor which includes neon bars in the back that lets you know his health status. To make things more immersive there is no HUD. Isaac must bring up his inventory and other info in a very cool looking holograph screen. All weapons look very realistic and to top it off the lighting in the game is perfect.
AUDIO (9) Everyone knows that decent audio is essential to survival-horror. Fortunately Dead Space has great audio effects. You'll hear creatures skittering behind walls, normal computer and machine noises as well as creepy whispers that keep you on edge. The music is well done, sounding like something from Alien or Event Horizon. To top if off Dead Space also has top notch voice acting, which is important not only from the characters Isaac meets but also in the many audio logs he will come across that helps to provide explanations as to what has happened.
VALUE (9) Dead Space took me approximately 16 hours to complete, not bad for an action game that really did not have any slow moments. Naturally the game allows you to replay it at harder difficulties, and for an extra incentive when you finish the game the first time you will be given some bonus items to use in your second playthrough.
SUMMARY - I haven't talked about the story since it really is something to experience for yourself. What is known from the start is that the mining spaceship Ishimura has lost communications and Isaac is part of a small crew sent to investigate. To add a little drama one of Ishimura's crew is Isaac's former girlfriend that he obviously still has some strong feelings for. Once Isaac's ship arrives near the Ishimura things happen very fast as something terrible is going on, and Isaac will be on a terrifying yet fascinating journey of survival. Needless to say the violence is extreme but if you are not bothered by this then I highly recommend this game to not only survival-horror fans but to anyone that enjoys action or shooter games as well.