Dead Space (2008 video game)

This article is about a video game. For dead space in physiology, see Dead space. For all other uses, see Dead space (disambiguation).

Dead Space
Developer(s)	EA Redwood Shores
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Designer(s)	Glen Schofield (Exec Producer/Creator) Bret Robbins
Composer(s)	Jason Graves
Engine	Godfather game engine
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Microsoft Windows
Genre(s)	Survival horror Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Dead Space is a third-person survival horror-action video game, developed by EA Redwood Shores for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows and released in October 2008. The player takes on the role of an engineer named Isaac Clarke, who battles a polymorphic, virus-like, alien infestation called the "Corruption", which turns humans into grotesque alien monsters called "Necromorphs", on board a stricken interstellar mining ship named USG Ishimura.

Gameplay

The player takes the role of Isaac Clarke (named after science fiction writers Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke), an engineer who must fight his way through a stricken mining ship infested by the Corruption, a hostile, virus-like, free-roaming alien DNA with the ability to reanimate the bodies of the dead, turning them into grotesque monstrosities called Necromorphs. The game features an 'over the shoulder' third-person perspective, similar to games Resident Evil 4, Dark Sector and Gears of War. The interface does not feature a traditional head-up display. Instead, information is relayed to the player via holographic projections, which hover over or in front of Isaac's weapons and armor and can even be part of his armor; much like the 'health meter' which is integrated into his spinal armor. An in-game store can be accessed where items can be bought and sold. The only menu in which the game is not still in progress is the pause menu and the save console menu (though the save console becomes inactive during cutscenes.)

Zero gravity and decompressed environments also appear in Dead Space, and Isaac can navigate through them using his pressurized suit and magnetic boots. Some levels even lead out onto the surface of the ship's hull. Floating debris presents a hazard, however, and Isaac can lose his footing and simply float off into space. Isaac's suit also has a limited amount of air while in airless environments, which can cause him to suffocate, forcing the player to move faster when in these situations. In keeping with Isaac's profession as an engineer rather than a soldier, weapons in the game are mostly improvised from mining tools, such as a plasma cutter, a hydrazine torch used as a flamethrower, and a force cannon emitting powerful shock waves, although a triple-barreled automatic military rifle is also available. Stasis can be used in the game to slow down enemies and objects temporarily, and a kinesis module allows Isaac to pick up and throw items. Text, audio and video logs can be found throughout the game which serve to explain some of the game's plot, and detail the crew's plight as the ship is attacked and overrun by Necromorphs.

The game's themes pay heavy homage to director Andrei Tarkovsky's famous science fiction film Solaris, and appear to have been especially included by the game producers. The player is constantly pestered by visions of his girlfriend, in exact parallel to the film (itself based on the homonymous Polish book by Stanislaw Lem), and all the inhabitants on the ship are similarly haunted and controlled by visions of loved ones, raising the theme of mind control based on emotional attachments in outer space. Furthermore, like Solaris, the alien planet the ship orbits is later discovered to ultimately be the source of the mind control and devastation onboard. Free will, the limits of human mind versus the heart, and how far the mind persists in hallucinations to recover the memory of loved ones are among the themes explored in this game.

The Necromorphs

The major antagonists of Dead Space are a species of violent aliens known as "Necromorphs", most of which are human corpses that have been reanimated by a strange alien infection known as "The Corruption". The exact origin and nature of The Corruption are unknown as of the events of Dead Space, but it is believed to originate in the subterranean hollows of the planet Aegis 7.

File:Deadspace1.jpg

Isaac battles the Necromorphs.

The main strategy employed by the Corruption is the rapid transformation of deceased humans into Necromorphs, a process called "Recombination". This is usually performed by an "Infector" type (resembles a large headless bat) that latches onto a corpse, penetrating the braincase with a sharp proboscis. An unknown process initiates a rapid mutation in the host body: with a series of violent convulsions, the spine elongates to accommodate a pair of grasping arms that burst from the abdomen; the shoulders are contorted, and long scythe-like bones extend from the wrists. Other mutations are largely variable, including short tentacles, large tumorous growths, and corroded flesh. This is the main form of Necromorph, but many others exist, including tentacled baby-like creatures and heavily mutated crawling variants.

The origin of the "Corruption" is an artifact excavated from within the planet you orbit. As stated above, the exact origin of the infection is unknown except that it first infected the colonists on the planet below and one of the creatures that re-animate the dead snuck on board a small spacecraft which later boarded the main ship. The object is simply known as "The Marker" and is worshipped by Unitologists. The reason for this is it is exactly like the "Black Marker" that the religion revolves around, causing it to be seen as a gift from the space-gods. The Unitologists also believe that the Necromorphs and the Corruption are the next stage in human evolution. Most of this information is gained from the animated prequel "Dead Space: Downfall".

Combat in Dead Space becomes complicated when Necromorphs do not simply "die" after receiving a certain number of gun rounds. In fact, depending on how they are wounded, Necromorphs can adopt new stances and tactics, even sprouting new limbs and giving birth in the process. To defeat the Necromorphs, Isaac must use "strategic dismemberment," the methodical severance of specific limbs or sections of the Necromorphs. A prime example of this is the Necromorph nicknamed 'Pregnant'. Shooting this Necromorph in the stomach will release a swarm of small parasite-type aliens, pieces of another Necromorph type or several of the aforementioned baby-like creatures. Dead Space's executive producer, Glen Schofield, has said that "the primary theme of Dead Space is dismemberment," and early previews of the game noted the high levels of gore. Most of the weapons in the game are designed specifically for this purpose, including a plasma cutter and a projectile buzzsaw.

Different types of Necromorphs

• Slashers - The most humanlike of the Necromorphs, the Slasher is a mutation of a human that has recently been infected. As well as being the first type of Necromorph that Isaac encounters, they are the most diverse- the exceptionally fast-moving Twitcher is classified as a Slasher and the standard Slashers can be of male, female or enhanced variety. Females can spit explosive acidic spheres and have a distinct appearance. Infectors can create Enhanced Slashers when they infect a dead corpse- as well as having a far more intimidating black appearance, this subtype has increased vitality and armour, moves faster, deals more damage and can spit acidic spheres. Some of them will start out crawling along the ground with no legs. The Slasher is the most common of all Necromorphs. They can block melee blows unless caught off guard.

• Lurkers - Lurkers are infants that have been infected. They are quite agile and can move along walls and ceilings. They usually dash around Isaac's current area until they suddenly halt and allow their three tentacle-like appendages to rise out of their back, signalling that they are about to perform their ranged projectile attack. This consists of launching a barb from the end of a tentacle. They can also leap onto Isaac and initiate a damaging action sequence. Lurkers and Leapers are the only standard enemies that can be encountered in a zero-g environment. Lurkers also have an enhanced form.

• Leapers - A crawling variant of the Necromorphs, the Leaper faintly resembles a legless Slasher. In place of legs, the Leaper has a long and sharp tail which it uses for balance in their signature long-range jumps and for violent attacks. Their mouth is further mutated to be spread wide open and have sharp mandibles and they retain their powerful arms. All of these features are used to attack and help propel the Leaper at high speed towards an opponent by crawling or jumping. Lurkers and Leapers are the only standard enemies that can be encountered in a zero-g environment. Leapers also have an enhanced form.

• Pregnants - A Necromorph that resembles an infected pregnant person. Their speed is a slow pivoting type of motion, due to its obese size. They look similar to the Slashers, but their stomach area is enlarged and is hanging over their legs, although they can't spit acid like the female Slashers. Pregnants will initiate a sprint when they are about to get close to their prey, and when they are close to their enemy they will attack with two powerful arms similar to Slasher blades. When their womb has been damaged, their torso will split open and unleash tiny Necromorphs known as Swarms. They start giving birth to two Lurkers or Divider parts as you progress through the game. Despite their appearance, they can be female or male. It is possible to kill a Pregnant without releasing the Necromorphs within by carefully dismembering limbs and not damaging the stomach.

• Infector - A distinct Necromorph that does not conform to the characteristics of standard Necromorph mutation but causes the infection to worsen. It crawls on the ground and will fly short distances to get closer to a target. When a corpse is spotted, it will fly or crawl over to the corpse and inject a long proboscis into the head or the chest of the cadaver. When close enough to Isaac, it will initiate a grapple sequence in which it will try to inject its proboscis into the head of the player. If the player is noticed by the Infector and there are corpses nearby, the Infector will ignore the player and infect the bodies. They create Enhanced Slashers.

• Swarm - An individual Swarmer faintly resembles a small three-legged lump of clay. They are created from a clump of dead cells. Their method of attack is to latch onto Isaac creating a 'real-time' grapple sequence where you can still shoot and otherwise fight other Necromorphs whilst slowly losing health dependent on the amount of Swarmers on Isaac's back. They are thrown off in the same method as any other grappling enemy. A single Swarmer is easy to kill in a single hit. However, as the name suggest, this type of Necromorph tends to come in a large Swarm which is capable of killing Isaac easily if they all latch onto him. Using their small legs to roll around, they are slow and easily dispatched if caught from a distance. They can be found wandering in a large horde or can be released from an incorrectly killed Pregnant.

• Divider - A curious mutation, this Necromorph has the ability to seperate itself. It is taller than an average Necromorph and slightly more resilient. Every dismembered part of this Necromorph, however, has the capability to become a fast-moving individual organism that causes small amounts of damage but is very difficult to target. When the head is seperated, it is capable of causing a grapple sequence where it will lower Isaac's health until you throw it off.

Other types of Necromorphs can be found here, as well as more information about them.

Plot

Characters

• Isaac Clarke - The main character and protagonist of the game. Isaac is a systems engineer traveling aboard the shuttle Kellion to investigate and repair the USG Ishimura, accompanied by three security personnel and a computer specialist. Unfortunately for them, they are thrust into the middle of the nightmare that the USG Ishimura has become. Clarke is also trying to find his girlfriend, Nicole, a medical specialist assigned to the ship, whose fate is unknown at the start of the game. Throughout the game, Isaac stumbles across a conspiracy involving the Church of Unitology, the government and the realm of possibilities. Through logs activated after clearing the game we learn that Isaac's father, Paul Clarke, left for space when he was just a child and the anguish of losing her husband made his mother, Octavia Clarke, into a devout Unitologist, who gave all her money to the church rather than finance her son's education. He went to a lesser-known college than the one he strives for but graduates with high honors, taking after his father and becoming a system engineer.

• Kendra Daniels - Kendra is a technology expert and part of the team sent aboard the Ishimura once the ship goes silent. She helps the player through the Ishimura in many ways, giving directions and assisting through areas of the ship that would otherwise be inaccessible. She frequently expresses distrust of Hammond, but turns out to know more about the situation than anyone previously thought. In a log after clearing the game, it is stated that she was hand picked for the mission by higher-ups.

• Zach Hammond - The senior security officer on board the Kellion who travels with both Isaac and Kendra to the Ishimura. Hammond's initial desire to complete the original mission and not immediately abort puts him at odds with Kendra, who finds this suspicious. Throughout the game he works to fulfil their original mission, but as time goes on, he becomes more disillusioned and focuses instead on getting himself and the rest of the surviving team off the ship. In a log after clearing the game it is revealed he asked for the information for both Isaac and Kendra, though the reason for this inquiry is not revealed.

• Dr. Challus Mercer - A doctor aboard the USG Ishimura and a devout Unitologist. In the wake of the calamity that has gripped the Ishimura, Mercer has become a religious fanatic, attempting to convince the crew of the Ishimura to commit mass suicide. Mercer often works to bar the progress of Isaac and even attempts to kill him outright, sending a "prototype", regenerating Necromorph nicknamed 'Hunter' after Isaac several times throughout the course of the game. To Mercer, everything that has happened is God's will; he insists repeatedly that Isaac should die and allow their "children" to take over.

• Doctor Terrence Kyne - The Chief Science Officer of the Ishimura who appears later in the game and asks for help from the surviving members of the Kellion team. He seems to be a bit eccentric, perhaps deranged, but offers to aid Isaac in stopping the nightmare that has gripped the Aegis System and the Ishimura. Kyne attempted to relieve Captain Mathius of duty during the crisis on the ship but instead seems to have been complicit in the captain's death either in whole or in part. He regularly interacts with his dead wife, an apparition caused by the Marker that can't be seen by the player. He is one of the main characters of Dead Space: Downfall, which confirms rumors that he is a Unitologist. Downfall also shows that Kyne was the cause of the engine's shutdown in an attempt to crash the ship into the planet to return the Marker.

• Nicole Brennan - Isaac's girlfriend and a medical specialist assigned to the Ishimura. The game starts with a video from Nicole, asking for help after the ship's infestation, establishing one of Clarke's reasons for coming to the Ishimura. He both sees and hears her as he moves through the ship and she repeatedly asks Isaac to "make us [them] whole again." For the majority of the game her presence is questioned and her true fate is hinted at several times. She may also appear in the animated movie Dead Space: Downfall where the main character finds a young-looking woman similar in appearance to Nicole in a room and asks her if she wants to see her boyfriend again (possibly referring to Isaac).

• Jacob Temple - Jacob is an engineer on the USG Ishimura who is, like Isaac, trying to find his own girlfriend, Dr. Elizabeth Cross. The player finds audio logs left behind by him throughout the game as he traverses the ship, especially in Chapter Three, where Clarke must travel to engineering. Clarke finally encounters him in the crew quarters, where he is being held prisoner by Dr. Mercer, who subsequently kills Temple in an act of devotion to the extreme Unitologist beliefs he has come to hold.

• Elizabeth Cross - Originally assigned as a horticulturalist aboard the Ishimura, Elizabeth Cross's experiences after the arrival of the Marker can be heard, like her boyfriend Jacob Temple, through the various audio logs the player finds in many areas of the ship, particularly in hydroponics. While her death is not explicitly shown, it seems that she was captured by Dr. Mercer along with Temple, as a female body, with the same wound as Temple can be found next to him after he is murdered by Mercer. This body also has duct tape across it's mouth. It is assumed this is Dr. Cross.

• Corporal Chen - Pilot of the shuttle which crashes onto the USG Ishimura, and one of the security troopers who comes aboard under Zach Hammond.

• Corporal Johnston - The co-pilot of the USG Kellions shuttle. Johnston is also under the command of Hammond.

• Captain Benjamin Matthius - The captain of the Ishimura. Matthius was revealed to be a Unitologist who is strong in the belief that the Marker belongs to the church. His fate is shown in a video log found on the in Chapter Four. He redirected the ship to collect the Marker and was experiencing dementia like so many of the other exposed crew. He is relieved of duty by Dr. Kyne, but killed during this event when Dr. Kyne accidentally stabs him in the eye with a hypodermic needle (which is shown to contain a sedative in Downfall). He is later resurrected into an Enhanced Slasher by an Infector, and is the first of that particular class of monster the player fights in the game. He is one of the main characters of Dead Space: Downfall.

Spaceships

• USG Ishimura - Massive Planet Cracker-class ship where most of the game is set.

• USG Kellion - Small long-range craft on a repair mission to USG Ishimura.

• USM Valor - Military vessel in the area that has been waiting for the Ishimura to transmit its coordinates but later crashes into the hull of the ship after the crew has been killed by Necromorphs.

• USG Ishimura Executive Shuttle - The shuttle previously used by the higher ranked personnel of the Ishimura but later commandeered by Isaac to travel to the Aegis 7 colony.

Summary

Set in the 26th century, Dead Space revolves around Isaac Clarke, a space engineer who works for the Concordance Extraction Corporation (C.E.C.), a company that operates giant mining ships throughout the galaxy. When the C.E.C. receives a distress call from the USG Ishimura (a “Planet Cracker”-class ship that mines continent-sized pieces of a planet's crust in order to extract valuable ore), Isaac and four other C.E.C. employees set out on the USG Kellion to rendezvous with the Ishimura in orbit above Aegis 7. Isaac is first shown watching a video from his girlfriend Nicole, who is a member of the Ishimura crew. Their assumption is that a mechanical failure is the only problem. Whilst attempting to dock with the Ishimura, the Kellion crashes and is badly damaged.

Whilst investigating the Ishimura, looking for a way to repair the Kellion, Isaac and the rest of the crew are separated when they are unexpectedly attacked by a Necromorph. The security members and pilot of the Kellion are quickly killed off, leaving only Zach Hammond, Kendra Daniels and Isaac. It soon becomes clear that most, if not all, of the Ishimura's crew are dead, or have been converted into Necromorphs. The Kellion is then completely destroyed and Hammond, Kendra and Isaac begin looking for alternative escape methods. A large amount of the game then involves Isaac attempting to find ways to escape whilst under constant attack from the Necromorphs. Isaac also has numerous encounters with Dr. Challius Mercer, a scientist aboard the Ishimura who is completely insane, and talks about the Church of Unitology, and their desire to bring The Marker back to earth.

Over the course of the game it is revealed that when the Ishimura arrived on the planet Aegis 7, they found a strange object known only as The Marker. Once The Marker was onboard the ship, many of the crew began experiencing a strange mental disease, which would usually result in suicide or murder. After opening up the planet the Ishimura came into contact with the Necromorphs which quickly overran the ship, killing or infecting most of its inhabitants.

Eventually Isaac, Hammond and Kendra manage to launch an asteroid into outer space with a distress beacon attached. It is intercepted by the military ship USG Valor. However, before they can speak to the Valor, they receive a message from them revealing they picked up one of the Ishimura's escape pods. Realizing this pod contains a necromorph, Kendra attempts to warn them, but they are too late. The now overrun Valor crashes into the Ishimura. After Hammond reveals they can use the Valor's power core to fly a shuttle within the Ishimura, Isaac and Hammond set out to retrieve it. Hammond is killed en route, but Isaac makes it out with the core.

It is at this point that he meets Dr. Terrance Kyne, who shows Isaac video of an enormous Necromorph known as the Hive Mind, which controls all of the Necromorphs. Dr. Kyne claims that The Marker was placed on the planet as a way of suppressing the Hive Mind and the Necromorphs. He tells Isaac that if he can repair the shuttle, he should use it to fly The Marker back to Aegis 7. He also explains that the Unitologists worship The Marker and wish to bring it to Earth, which he believes would lead to the destruction of the human race. Isaac then works with Kyne to repair the ship. When the ship is repaired, he boards it with Kendra and Dr. Kyne, with the intention of returning The Marker to Aegis 7 and then returning to Earth. Before they leave however, Kendra kills Dr. Kyne and reveals the truth; The marker found on Aegis 7 was a replica, reverse engineered by the government from one found on Earth. They had placed it on Aegis 7 to monitor it's effects unfortunately when C.E.C mined Aegis 7 they disrupted the experiment. Kendra's assignment had been to retrieve the marker and bring it back to Earth.

Isaac is abandoned on the Ishimura and left to die, however Nicole appears and helps him recall Kendra's ship, and fly the Marker back to Aegis 7, where it brings the Necromorphs under control. Unfortunately it also causes interference with the gravity tethers holding a large chunk of Aegis 7 that was removed by and was still being carried by the USG Ishimura. Isaac attempts to flee the impending destruction of the planet by heading back to the shuttle, but Kendra removes the marker and begins to try to bring it back to Earth. She tells Isaac that he is as demented as Dr. Kyne, and urges him to watch the final half of Nicole's message: her suicide. It is then revealed that the Marker used an image of Nicole to get Isaac to return it to Aegis 7.

Just before Kendra lifts off, the Hive Mind rises out of the crater and kills her, at which point it then attacks Isaac. He defeats the Hive Mind and manages to lift off the planet just as the cracked chunk of Aegis 7 re-enters the atmosphere. Though the impact is only briefly shown (replaced quickly by a blinding flash), it is suggested that Aegis 7 was destroyed. After the flash subsides, Isaac removes his helmet, as Nicole's original message begins to play on its own on the console in front of him. Isaac turns it off just after it begins. He deactivates the ship's holograms and simply stares out into space. Something catches his attention to his right, and he turns to see a Necromorph that resembles Nicole. The Necromorph attacks him - followed by a quick cut to the credits.

Nicole's fate is no more fully explained beyond Kendra's assertions that she is in fact dead, although if one takes the first letter of the title of every chapter (in sequence), it spells "Nicole is dead", implying that she was either a corpse on the Ishimura, or has become a Necromorph. Isaac's fate is deliberately left ambiguous; the implication that Nicole was dead before his arrival suggests that the Nicole-Necromorph which attacks him could be either a hallucination or an infected Nicole who followed him on to the shuttle. No word has yet been given on whether the fate of Isaac or Nicole will be explained in any further Dead Space media.

Development

Electronic Arts first announced Dead Space in September 2007. The game was developed at their studio in Redwood Shores, California, whose other titles include The Godfather and The Simpsons Game. The game's executive producer, Glen Schofield, said that the team aimed to create something 'darker and creepier' than their previous titles: "We are all such huge fans of the horror and sci-fi genres; we wanted to create the most terrifying game we could, and keep the player on the edge of their seat the entire time." The design team reportedly spent time analyzing a wide variety of horror films in order to find inspiration for in-game scares.

Previews of the game have universally drawn attention to the high levels of gore and violence in the game, in particular the tactic of "strategic dismemberment" when battling the Necromorphs. The aliens cannot be subdued by a single shot, rather they have to be incapacitated by shooting off their tentacles and appendages. A series of developer diaries released for the game had featured one episode about the system, in which developers mentioned that using conventional tactics, such as aiming for the head or torso would only serve to aggravate some of the Necromorphs. In order to make the corpses look more realistic, the development team studied photos of car crash victims.

Audio

Dead Space’s credits refer to two different people for the music composition. To be more specific, Dead Space Audio Director Don Veca was quoted in an interview saying “The music credits read ‘Music Composed and Conducted by "Jason Graves". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help) in Association With Rod Abernethy.’ Early on, Rod was involved in initial brainstorming, but Jason actually composed, conducted, and arranged all the music.”

On November 11th, 2008, Amazon.com and iTunes released the soundtrack to Dead Space for download.

DRM

The PC version of Dead Space uses the same SecuRom Copy Protection scheme as Spore and Mass Effect, which requires online authentication and limits the number of times a user can install the game to five. Dead Space has received mixed reviews by gamers because of its DRM. As of December 13, 2008, out of 77 reviews, it has an average rating of two and a half stars on Amazon.com. The game's inordinately low score when compared with other published reviews is attributed by user reviews to public protest against the copy protection used in the game, which restricts the usability of purchased software.

Marketing

Electronic Arts and Image Comics announced a comic book series based upon the game on February 21, 2008. Illustrated by Ben Templesmith and written by Antony Johnston, the six-book Dead Space comics are a prequel to the game. Set on Aegis 7, the planet that the USG Ishimura is orbiting, the deep space mining colony pulls an ancient artifact called "The Marker" from the planet which begins to affect everyone in the colony. The first issue was released on March 3, 2008. However, a limited edition version of issue #1 with exclusive cover art was made available at WonderCon 2008 to the first 25 people who went to the convention each day.

Electronic Arts and Starz also announced an animated movie, Dead Space: Downfall, a prequel to the events of the game, taking place after the Necromorphs invade the USG Ishimura. The movie, developed by Film Roman, was released on October 28, 2008.

Electronic Arts released an Ultra Limited Edition of the game limited to only 1,000 copies. The package includes the game, the animated movie Dead Space: Downfall, a bonus content DVD, the Dead Space art book, a lithograph, and the Dead Space comic. People who also bought the game within the first two weeks of the release could also download exclusive suits: the Obsidian Suit for the Playstation 3 and the Elite Suit for the Xbox 360.

Italian horror director Dario Argento lent his voice to Doctor Terrence Kyne character for the Italian release of the game.

No Known Survivors

On August 22, 2008, No Known Survivors was launched, a website similar to an alternate reality game that provides an opportunity for visitors to explore the narrative world of Dead Space. The site depicts two stories, each divided into four chapters and using 3D animations, voice acting, original video, Papervision 3D technology, and various other interactive components. The first, Misplaced Affection, tells the story of an organ replacement technician who falls in love with a capable P-Sec officer and slowly loses his sanity as Necromorphs attempt to break down the door to his shelter. The second, Thirteen, follows a sleeper agent who "makes the wrong decision for the right reason." set after Isaac launches the distress beacon. The site is less like a typical alternate reality game and more like a PC adventure game, such as Myst.

The site is based around a hub featuring nine severed body parts, each of which represent a content release. The week before a content piece was released, its assigned body part would mutate, finally evolving into a mature Necromorph part. Starting on August 25th and ending the week of the PC release, a new Necromorph part became active every Monday, allowing visitors to continue the stories featured on No Known Survivors up until Dead Space's release. Following the release of Dead Space, ninety third prize winners were awarded a copy of the game on a platform of their choosing, while nine second prize winners were awarded the limited collector's edition of the game and one grand prize winner was awarded the limited edition of the game in addition to a life-sized replica of Isaac Clarke's level three Rig helmet.

Reception

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
1Up.com	B+
Computer and Video Games	9.1/10
Game Informer	9.25/10
GamePro	5/5
GameSpot	9.0/10
GameTrailers	8.8/10
IGN	8.7/10
PC Gamer (UK)	86%
PC Gamer (US)	81%
X-Play	4/5

According to EA Dead Space has received critical acclaim. Xbox World 360 awarded the Xbox 360 version a 91 out of 100, stating the game was a "nail-biting experience," driven forward by a "film-worthy" script and "inspired" setting, and that it was "Rapture in space [a reference to the underwater setting of hit game BioShock]: every bit as disturbing, just as meticulously designed and easily as believable." PlayStation World awarded the game 9/10 and a PSW gold award, stating that Dead Space is the "world's scariest game", saying "This is bold, bleak gaming from the haunting opening credits to the pulse pounding finish." IGN rated the game 8.7/10, saying it was "visually striking, everything from the holograms to the Necromorphs is incredible." Game Pro awarded the game a 5/5.

1UP.com gave the game a B+, saying that it is "incredibly polished", but slightly repetitive. Eurogamer gave the game a 7/10, saying "Dead Space easily delivers on that promise, but fails to turn its polished production values into something truly memorable over the long haul." GameSpot rated Dead Space at 9.0 out of 10 claiming, "An incredibly atmospheric and disturbingly gruesome deep-space adventure that will haunt your dreams and leave you begging for more." Game Informer rated the game at 9.25 out of 10, saying "Although the reasons for most missions are mundane, the game always falls back on its great gameplay and atmosphere." The Guardian gave Dead Space four stars. X-Play has also given Dead Space four stars out of five. Game review site Giant Bomb gave Dead Space 5 out of 5, saying it was extremely atmospheric and very good on the technical side of things as well. Gametrailers.com gave it 8.8 out of 10, praising the audio, the atmosphere, and the dismemberment, saying that "it was interesting to unlearn the head shot". Its main criticism was a lack of enemy types, and no hot buttons for certain items, but claimed that the item problem only amplified its already frightening atmosphere. Initially, Dead Space community manager Andrew Green stated that China and Japan had banned the game.

Awards

IGN Best of 2008

• Best New IP (Xbox 360)

GameSpot Best of 2008

• Best Atmosphere
• Best Sound Design

Gameinformer

• Game of The Month

Sequels

A sequel to the game is in development as well as a possible movie release to 'bridge the gap between the two games'. The alien texts decorating the walls of the Ishimura and the colony allude to Unitology and the mausoleum ships that its believers are constructing to house the bodies of the deceased faithful when translated. This has set off much speculation that the sequel may be connected to these events, especially when it is taken into consideration that Unitology is one of the games main 'mechanics'.

External links

• Official Dead Space website
• No Known Survivors
• Official Dead Space: Downfall website
• Dead Space Wiki, an external wiki