Review: Dead Space

This is a new thing I'm going to attempt: I want to do a piece for every game I play though and book I read accompanied by a short review. So, this being the first I give you:

Dead Space.

Dead Space is a great game. It's a lot of things. Great story, solid game play, great visuals... it all comes together to make what I'd call this year's Bioshock. Speaking of which, I couldn't get past the feeling the developers were "inspired" by last year's hit. The main character looks remarkably similar to a big daddy, the feel of a lost colony that is now insane and "changed". The title also borrows heavily from Resident Evil 4's gameplay. I'm not critisizing the dev team for this. They obviously took the "right" parts and even improved upon some things (strafing and inventory).

The most amazing thing about this game is the UI (or lack of). Good job guys. You did it. Talk about immersing the player! It's all "in game", meaning it's like the charcter in the game is interacting with this stuff. We developers can learn a few things from this. It's a bold step and I can't wait t see the influence of this in future titles.

Another amazing revelation is this is an EA game! What? When did EA make not only a good game, but a new IP as well? You did it guys. I'm sold. Keep it up. See, you don't need hollywood. Us game makers have ideas too!

The only thing that felt off in the whole experience is my character not having a voice. He's silent the whole game. I understand the choice. It allows the player to immerse themselves in to the character. In Bioshock it makes sense, you're a Big-Daddy, a mindless thug. But it felt wrong for this story. A minor complaint.

I'd reccomend this game to anyone who loved Resident Evil 4 or Bioshock or the horror genre in general... or just damn good solid games.