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Shooters are undoubtedly the most common flowers that dot the landscape of gaming, but there are a select few that can truly stand out. Dead Space is one of these rare orchids and has plenty of thorns that could scare off some of the most daring gamers.
Health (Along Spine) & Inventory Displays
Dead Space offers near total immersion into its world. Missing from the screen is the familiar static heads-up display. Instead, your health and ammo counters are integrated directly into the protagonist's armor and weapons, but are always visible and keep the experience seamless. Inventory pages and maps are also displayed in real-time during the game. There’s no refuge from the gory action, unless you opt to press the start button. That won’t necessarily keep you from dying when you jump back into the game, however.
Its rich story and world only add to the grand immersion of Dead Space. A good chunk of the story is delivered through audio logs and text logs much like the Bioshock series. Constantly keeping you interested in what’s to come, its rich story and world enhance the horror lurking in the shadows of Dead Space.
Sleep surely won’t come easy to players unfamiliar with the horror-survival genre. Tight, claustrophobic spaces and moody lighting are definitely abused for scares and work with great effect. You’ll often find yourself battling for your life in dimly lit, cramped corridors and rooms. Sometimes you’ll come to believe you’re safe thanks to presence of light, but don’t let that fool you. You’re never truly safe. There’s quite a bit of variety in spaces to keep you interested as you traverse the necromorph-laden ship.
The audio of Dead Space only serves to compliment its visuals and won’t pull you out of the experience. The sound of clanging metal, crawling in the vents, sparks flying, and churning flesh are some of the sounds that will grace your ears in Dead Space. Moments of silence will pique your paranoia, setting you up for thrills. As you enter the vacuum of space, sounds become muffled and inaudible. This is the sound design of Dead Space and it is top notch.
The level of immersion offered by Dead Space alone sets itself apart from other shooters and it’s a welcome feature. Coupled with intuitive controls, frightening environments, and excellent audio design, Dead Space is one of the Xbox 360’s more unique shooters and quite possibly the best. It will have you salivating for the sequel.