Dead Space (XBox 360)

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting..." These poetic words from Edgar Allen Poe were used to introduce the N64’s fantastic Eternal Darkness, and for some reason we feel inclined to use it to introduce you into Dead Space. The two games are completely different in content, but they share and accomplish the same thrilling motive: to capture their audience, keep them in suspense and make them jump out of their skins in fright. Of course, no one gets scared by games these days (ahem), but to be startled so much as to gasp on occasion is good enough for us, and Dead Space achieves that effortlessly. From Resident Evil to BioShock, Dead Space draws influence from the best and fuses them together into a unique sci-fi shooter. One of the first things that will grab you is the intuitive interface. Dead Space opts to display everything either on the back of your suit or on your weapons themselves. Not only does this feel more immersive, it keeps those informational aspects we’ve grown accustomed to intact. But that’s just the beginning. Virtual flat screens are the epitome of style. They are displayed in front of your character to show vital intel that would usually take you out of the experience. From viewing your inventory to navigating a live 3D map, you never have to pause the action. Dead Space is generally very slick all round. Not so much for the modelling, which is impressive and shiny, don’t get us wrong, but more for the lighting and atmospherics.
Read More: http://www.360magazine.co.uk/games/dead_space/dead_space.html