Space provides an excellent backdrop for horror, not only because it is emblematic of the unknown, but because the sense of isolation, which is a prime ingredient of horror, is truly immense. A clanging noise drifts down from an over-head ventilation shaft. Is it just the sundry clanging one would expect to hear while aboard a deep-space mining vessel? Another possibility is that it came from a grotesque necromorph which is stalking you with the sincere intention of gutting you with its razor sharp talons and using your larynx as a bracelet. In space, no-one can hear you scream. Especially if your larynx is now a fashion accessory for a skulking brute. Better reload the pulse rifle; one can never be too careful. Click here to read more about Dead Space.

In terms of game mechanics and tone, Dead Space is effectively the space faring cousin of Resident Evil 4. It is a tremendously atmospheric, third-person survival horror game set on the stricken USG Ishimura, a ship which sunders and harvests planets for resources in the far reaches of space. After a cessation of communications from the Ishimura a relief vessel, the USG Kellion, is sent to investigate. The player adopts the role of Isaac Clark, the rescue team's engineer; Isaac has a personal interest in the mission as his girlfriend is stationed upon the Ishimura. After a impressive opening sequence and a near miss landing, the rescue team board the Ishimura. Things are a little quiet to say the least but the peace is not long lived. Within five minutes the danger aboard the Ishimura becomes apparent; most of the crew have been killed and have returned as savage, homicidal monsters. The story is simple and nicely presented throughout; the main elements are revealed through in-game events, and the plot is further developed through a number of audio and video logs, which can be found lying around the Ishimura. The atmosphere in Dead Space is perfectly honed; it is often so tense that I found myself jumping at the most innocuous noises, such as when your intercom crackles into operation. Fans of fear rejoice, for salvation is here!

One of the few occasions when I took the risk of capturing an image of a live necromorph.

His mate is just behind me...

Visceral Games have done a commendable job on the creature design. Many of these creatures are reminiscent of those seen in John Carpenter's The Thing; some are vaguely anthropomorphic, while others, such as minuscule crawling clumps of organic matter, bare little resemblance to that which they once where. Enemy variety is also excellent; I counted no fewer than fourteen different enemy types on my journey through the Ishimura. Sometimes necromorphs will face you head on, let out a blood curdling roar and charge, but they mainly try to get the drop on our poor Isaac by using the vents and attacking from multiple directions. This makes combat with them genuinely scary, as you never know how many are attacking at a given time. Dead Space implements a unique damage model called tactical dismemberment. Enemies are rendered less effective and take extra damage if their limbs are removed. This is a play on the idea that zombies are best killed by destroying the brain; but its certainly nice to see new, albeit macabre, ideas making their way into games.

Dead Space is fairly innovative in terms of its arsenal; every weapon, with the exception of the pulse rifle, is a mining tool. That being said, many of its weapons resemble more conventional fare; as the plasma cutter is effectively a pistol, the force gun, a shotgun and the contact beam, a rail gun. However there are weapons that have no equivalent such as the ripper, a remote circular saw. There are two modules, stasis and kinesis, on Isaac's heavily armoured suit which may be used in combat, as well as to negotiate the environment. Stasis allows Isaac to slow enemies down and using this attack becomes increasingly necessary as the game progresses. Stasis also allows the player to slow down moving objects in the environment to facilitate passage. Kinesis allows objects to be picked up and thrown, for the purpose of damaging enemies or clearing the path. One small flaw is that the game doesn't pause when you use your inventory. This can cause problems if you are overwhelmed and trying to use a stasis pack, as you are knocked out of your inventory when attacked.

The day of the vanilla shooter is pretty much over, at least for me. I don't want to pick up a weapon and be stuck with it as it is, or for my character to be no more potent at the end of the game than he was at the beginning: I want choice and the ability to development my character and armaments. Thankfully, Isaac's rig and weapons are all upgradeable. Even the humble plasma cutter, if upgraded, is highly effective in the later parts of the game. Upgrades are paid for with credits, which can be found on the corpses of monsters and tucked away throughout the ship. This additional strategic layer is most welcome, and significantly boosts the complexity and longevity of Dead Space; the game should take somewhere between 10-15 hours to complete if you are willing to look around and absorb its atmosphere.

Dead Space looks great, even on DX9.

There are a couple of interesting features in Dead Space, beyond those already mentioned. The various bars and digits which typically make up the HUD have been integrated into the suit and weapons. This isn't a major innovation but lends somewhat to the immersion. At certain points, through damage to the ship or the need to repair something on the hull, Isaac will find himself in an environment which has no oxygen or gravity. Trying to move around in three dimensions by gliding between surfaces while you oxygen supply slowly diminishes is no simple task; the environment itself is often as dangerous as the abominations which you will encounter. Furthermore, the ability to hear your enemies approaching, which is so fundamental to survival, is removed or at least severely limited in these situations. Finally, the creature concept for the final boss is stunning. Quite literally, I have never seen anything like it. The towering behemoth suggests to the mind the sort of creature H.P. Lovecraft might have envisioned when writing his excellent horror stories. It's almost a shame to kill it.

Fight for survival or grotesque love scene - you decide!

Excellent setting, creature deisgn and use of environment make this one of the most frightening games of all time. Coupled with a judicious use of nerve racking music, refined visuals and solid game mechanics, Dead Space is one of the finest game of its kind. A must if you enjoy action games and are a fan of horror, or sci-fi.