User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 547 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 54 out of 547

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  1. Karl
    Nov 7, 2008
    6
    Nice art, its all very cliche though. I would give this game a better rateing but it has terrible controls, The mouse, everthing actually, lags behind delaying your actions half a second. And the 3rd person camera angle combined with the field of view and offset pivot is nauseating. I would recommend you play a demo first, except that there doesnt seem to be one. So perhaps skip it for now, maybe pick it up when its in the second hand bin. Expand
  2. Terrman
    Oct 23, 2008
    5
    Great ingredients in an otherwise burned cake. Imaginative story, environment, and foes, but an overly complicated control system and a 3rd person perspective that made me motion sick. To bad, it had great promise.
  3. judas
    Oct 26, 2008
    5
    A good, but not great, game hampered by the usual half-arsed conversion. If I wanted a 'console controls' feel I'd buy a console. Mouse + keyboard are the de-facto standard for PC games and to release the game with such a poor control implementation just shows the contempt with which PC gamers are viewed by the likes of EA. Story-wise I was expecting better - it's little more than a mish-mash of standard sf/horror tropes. Expand
  4. gwarbob
    Oct 27, 2008
    0
    Literally Unplayable. The PC controlls are hideous. The mouse control in the menus is so bad I gave up trying to rebind the keys in frustration. After half an hour of trying to play this i finally uninstalled the game. The controlls would be barable for turn based combat, for an fps/tps this is a joke. Unplayable. Worse than Scarface.
  5. ColbyA.
    Oct 27, 2008
    8
    An enjoyable survival-horror. The graphics are good, the gameplay is fun, and I liked the weapons (which felt original) - however, and it is inevitable, there are a lot of unoriginal ideas. SPOILERS: The Necromorphs resemble the Halo's Flood - controlled by a gigantic hivemind, reproduces from dead bodies, etc. I do like the chosen focus on dismemberment, however. Honestly, the game was too easy on Medium, and some of the efforts at making the game scary fell a little short. The low sensitivity,,, wasn't really that sluggish and I quickly adjusted to it. But the storyline was interesting. I clearly see a sequel in the future, and will likely play it. I just still don't understand the ending. Expand
  6. JackB.
    Oct 29, 2008
    8
    I love it, Its a fantastic game for the PC, survuval horror at its best. Some parts get a little 'Ah i saw that coming' but otherwise it has been a great game so far. I am at mission 06 and its great fun nice and scary and the story is really fun. If you get the chance watch Dead space Downfall DVD and it gives you some backstory to the game. Overall 8/10
  7. AlexH
    Jan 19, 2009
    8
    Norman and Bryan: newfags can't disable vsync!

    The mouse controls are terrible until you do the above, and then they are fine. Great game, I already owned it on PS3 and I still had to have it for PC. You may want to make sure your rig can run it, but if it can, I highly recommend this game.
  8. ArshadS
    Dec 11, 2009
    7
    Scary at first since you will learn what to expect later on during the game. The game is way too short. Would be worth buying it on budget.
  9. PatrickG
    Dec 25, 2009
    5
    It is scary so that is a plus. The graphics are good. Terrible controls of a pure console port. VERY repetitive gameplay. Overall not something I would recommend unless you have played EVERYTHING else and can get this for $10 or less. An entirely forgettable game.
  10. JoelT
    Feb 15, 2009
    8
    Are you people serious? It is a fun game, don't get me wrong. Online, offline, it's still fun... For about 15 minutes. Then it just gets tedious and repetitive and stops being fun. It quickly becomes going through the motions and it isn't exactly that rewarding. There's no real point to the missions besides escape. There's nothing that makes it like the titles that are big today. No actual variety in weapons (GoW2) no moral dilemmas (Fallout 3) no deep storyline (bioshock) this game is only 1 thing. shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot, reload, shoot shoot shoot, get evacuated. Boring... oh, and do the characters need to say "reloading!" every 10 seconds? it really is annoying. Tell me I'm not the only one bothered by that. Expand
  11. Ikimono
    Feb 27, 2009
    1
    Extremely repetitive gameplay, extremely predictable monster points, and very bad controls for both the Xbox Version and the PC version (I played the Xbox and then played a friends copy on PC.) Half of the levels are straight out of Doom3 with the veins on the walls and corpses integrated into them. Several monsters are taken from the Alien series. The game was in no way scary and just felt stale, the very bad camera position not helping at all. They did do an okay job with sound though. That gets them 1 point. Expand
  12. nickp
    May 22, 2009
    2
    Hey come on ! EA Be honest , this games cannot be played on a pc . 30$ down the drain . the main caracter take up all the screen surface ( i could not believe it , you cant see a thing , the control of the caracter is ridiculous wasd like in the stone age of computer games . Not only that but the mouse as clearly a very big problem . i cannot beleive this was released in 2009 ( control over the caracter in half life is was so simple , right mouse walk left mouse shoot ) Is this a joke? . The games seem fun but was clearly not ment to be played on a pc . Dont buy !!! beware , we are in 2009 EA the mouse is the best way to control a caracter . I should always take the worste opignion of the users review they are generaly not far from the truth. Expand
  13. NormanH.
    Dec 10, 2008
    0
    I had high hopes for this game. I got it for the PC. The thing is unplayable. The mouse drifts like crazy and the controls are if you plan to use the tried and true mouse + keyboard setup. After only 15 minutes of playing I was so frustrated I uninstalled the thing and threw it away. If you are a PC gamer avoid this game like the friggen plague. EA seemed to go out of their way to ruin the PC port of this game. Expand
  14. Duckman
    Dec 18, 2008
    8
    I don't usually care about what other people say about a game, but today, I will make an exception as I have to use all my power to destroy Bryan T. and his ridiculous comments about this game. I am not criticizing him for not liking this game because everyone has different taste. But to give a completely inaccruate response about the game just made him a liar as he probably never played this game at all. Quote: "I don't know about you, but I wanna be able to aim AND side step at the same time. This same problem ruined Resident Evil 4 for me." Are you sure you were playing dead space? You CAN MOVE AND SHOOT AT THE SAME TIME LIKE SPLINTER CELL DAMN IT.. If you have problems with the reticule not moving fast enough, YOU CAN CHANGE THE MOUSE SENSITIVITY IN THE MENU OPTION YOU IDIOT. But even with that said I do agree the control is a bit sluggish and the third person camera angle is a bit wonky expecially when playing this game in a standard 4:3 monitor. I suggest playing this game with a widescreen monitor, I believe the game is designed with that in mind. Now, my opinion. The story for this game borrows heavily from many all too familiar sci-fi horror movies in the past but still manage to make it entertaining and it is decent. The graphic is superb. The environment of the ship is absolutely gorgeous to look. The monsters are so hideous to look at and the animation really made them feel relaistic and they will haunt your dreams for the next couple of weeks. It has all the ingredients for a good survival horror and Dead Space delivers all of them at a high level. Really worth checking out for anyone who like a good scare in the middle of the night. Expand
  15. BryanT.
    Dec 4, 2008
    3
    I played the game for an hour. As soon as I saw that the game was 3rd person, I knew it was gonna be a failure. The only thing 3rd person does for a game is kill the realism and cut your viewing area in half. When I was able to move around the game got much worse. Picture Resident Evil 4, but with more sluggish controls. If it wasn't for the slow-mo ability you get, you would never be able to shoot the legs and arms off of the enemies like you need to. Don't even bother shooting them in the chest. You will instantly realize how bad the control is as soon as you load up the game and try to navigate the mouse on the menu screen. The only pro I can see with this game is the graphics and the engine it uses. Not sure which engine it is, but it runs smooth with high resolution just like Call of Duty 4 did. I don't know about you, but I wanna be able to aim AND side step at the same time. This same problem ruined Resident Evil 4 for me. That was a perfect game aside the controls. Trust me when I say, this game is not fun to play. 3 is given since it's 'playable'. Expand
  16. DanielJ.
    Jan 21, 2009
    8
    This is a really great game! However, at first I was rather dissappointed with the noticeable amount of mouse lag and the third-person over-the-shoulder-camera-view where the main character blocked a significant portion of the view. But after switching off vsync and changing to a widescreen resolution, both of these initially quite annoying problems almost vanished and allowed me to discover what a thoroughly enjoyable and suspense-filled, atmospheric sci-fi "horror" shooter it really was. The "strategic maiming" sets it apart from many other games and is actually rather fun. It can be quite challenging at times - you need to aim both well and quick since you are often ambushed by several creatures at once. All in all highly recommended for fans of the genre! Expand
  17. ChristopherW
    Oct 25, 2009
    5
    Nice graphics. Very clean looking. I like idea of no HUD and how the character responds to the environment, but at least make the view better. The character should have been centered in the screen so the player can see what attacks from either side. It's the equivalent of playing with one eye closed. Some people like that RE4 view,(which is crazy to me) so there should be a view like that only when you aim down the sights of the gun. Controls were bad as well. Couldn't move and look around too well. Camera and control ruined a potentially awesome game. Expand
  18. Nath
    May 14, 2009
    8
    Great game, but the controls are terrible without a pad. Really wanna give it a 9, but it lacks that certain something which i cannot quite place.
  19. MarcC
    Jun 13, 2009
    1
    This is a waste of time and money. Its bad enough that metascore give it a 86. If you like that you should try to play other games druken, its the same feelin. The smooth and soft mouse-control sucks the last bit of fun out of this... Game... and the 3.-Person view is nothing i need for a shooter. Again a EA-Fail.
  20. RichardDenton
    Aug 15, 2009
    5
    Console damaged. Control configuration on the PC is too limited. No one seem to have notice that there are people who use the left hand for the mouse. Save points. I'm now bored to run trough some ventilation system for the n'th time only to be eaten by little creeps in the end. Aim mode. *sigh*. Ok. The game is scary, but in a DOOM3 kind of way.
  21. ElginM.
    Dec 21, 2008
    8
    Good: immersive environment, tactical combat (versus mindless blasting), diverse array of enemies Bad: you feel like an intern (Isaac, fix this...Isaac, bring that schematic to me), dreary and cramped environment the entire time, startling rather than scary.
  22. EarthtoEA
    Nov 15, 2009
    0
    I would rate this game a negative if I could. It's an FPS without the FP or the S, and a horrible, inavigable, unintuitive, unplayable console port, with draconian DRM to boot. Not that the 3-install limit will matter to you after you gouge your eyes out and uninstall the game to stop the searing pain of trying to play it, but you won't even be able to return it for your money back. I had the headache and nausea I typically get after suffering through a 12+ hour nonstop HL2 marathon on maximum volume, a mere five minutes into this game. I had to go outside and get a breath of fresh air before the ten minute mark. I uninstalled it when I got back. As a long-time PC gamer who actually enjoys atmospheric horror games like Doom 3, I found this game unforgivably insufferable. Can't return it due to SecuROM. Will burn in the fire pit instead. Expand
  23. May 28, 2011
    7
    Your player move like Hulk Hogan, but also reminds me of the Jason from Friday the 13th. Chaos Legion theme alike. No leaning left or right, no crouching & jumping. 6 to 8 weapons to choose from. No military grenades, nothing like the game F.E.A.R. or Rainbow Six Vegas 2. Almost like half RPG, FPS & arcade like, no great war sim here. Far more enhanced inventory & map systems than the Resident Evil games, and it could buy and sells things with the ATM sized store. A bit scary but not too scary. It's the limited view angles close up to the back of the player stressed me or what has scared the hell out of other players, but once I learnt how to turning side to side in the door to get a pre-peek in the next room, it's no more stress, all I've to do is to sprint through the room to the next door & quickly looked back, should never stay too close to a wall, 'cos that limited even more viewing angles. Either the free-look speed is too fast or the gun's aim-look is too slow, either way I can't have both, I tried them with 2 mouse, 1 of them proved that the max look speed is about 50% too slow, as the other mouse is a real fast one & that make the look speed too fast and the shooting view just right. Pick-uppable inventory items on the ground has pop-up signs too big & too tall, blocking shooting-views from time to time when I stands near them, as most of them are near the walls. I wished the signs were made shorter and small just enough to tell me where the pick-uppable items are. The multiple items all in one place should be shown with small icons lining up the top of the HUD/screen like Windows' taskbar, each showing number of 1 to 9 & small icons, so to choose which item to pick-up it's to press the hot keys of like Shift + 1, they won't do that because this game originated from a console, & TV screens are too old & poor reso for smaller icons shown clearly on top of the screen. It's not worth the PC port as they don't want to put any more works into it. This game is rather short, replaying it is unlikely for me. The graphic is very good for a console game. I think they should be making a Windows than a game as they've put too much worked into the inventory and many extra capabilities of the play in the place where there should be leaning left/right, crouch and jump. Well, if you've played BF2, then you should know how much "MS Work" they've done for a game. Expand
  24. Sep 8, 2012
    0
    I didn't enjoy this game much.. I've only played about half an hour, but already I can tell, this is a terrible console port. Enemies aren't very difficult, and nearly all of the challenge in the game is due to the sucky controls. The actors and dialog are just plain stupid. The woman is such a drama queen. The FOV is hideous and nauseating. The 3rd person view gets in the way most of the time, and the protagonist fills about half the screen. Turning around takes several seconds due to the laggy mouse controls. Give this one a miss.. there are many far better games out there. Expand
  25. Mar 13, 2011
    0
    POS Port. I found the controls unplayable on the PC, which prevented me from going any further than 10 minutes into the story line, which didn't seem to have much depth. Waste of 10 bucks.

    Consoles are killing the PC gaming industry with flub like this...
  26. Jan 6, 2011
    8
    This game is and will always be for a specific niche. I own it on the xbox and the PC (friends can be generous) I definitely think the console is the way to go just due to the use of 2 sticks rather then a mouse. however I have seen so many complaints about mouse lag, if you experience mouse lag you disable vsync. the game was made for the console but its still quite playable on the PC. many people will find the games psychological story to be much better then the horror side of it. games today have come to be dumbed down versions in not just controls but story as well. seeing that dead space has a rich lore and history was a nice fresh experience. most of the ships and characters armor are very gothic in styling, while weapons are all improvised from a mining ship. damn good game, scary credits Expand
  27. Koo
    Mar 16, 2012
    6
    A good game overall, Dead Space is hampered by its clunky controls. When moving the character you play, he moves faster when looking along the horizontal (X) axis than the vertical (Y) axis. Also, you look around in a lurching or reeling way rather than smoothly as in other third person shooter (TPS) or first person shooters (FPS). If you're worried (as I was) that if you play this game you won't be able to sleep at night, put your fears to bed (pun intended - ha!). I would describe Dead Space as an atmospheric game, not a scary one (Amnesia: The Dark Descent, on the other hand, IS a scary game). While I like this game overall, I can't rate it better than a 7 due to the motion sickness I experience from the camera movements. The feeling of nausea it produces prevents me from rating the game higher than a 6. Try the demo. If you don't feel sick (literally) playing it, this game could be a 9 for you. For me, it's a 6. Expand
  28. May 8, 2011
    6
    This game is neither good nor is it bad. It has some fun elements but allot of flaws. For being a Survival Horror TPS game it's not hard to survive (even on the hardest difficulty) and it's far from a Horror. Today's standard of horror is doom 3 and that is why all horror game suck in that matter. When playing through it I constantly ran and never got surprised since a game with bright lighted rooms and a BFG and monsters who can't take **** for beeting kinda takes away all horror. See it like this, I would be scared ****less if I was put in a cage with a starving lion without any means of defence. But if you put me in the same cage, put me in a Metal armor suit, hand me a mini-gun and heavily sedate the lion it's suddenly not scary anymore.... Dead space is the later example. The transition from Console to PC when it comes to controls are HORRID. Worst mouse movement I have ever encountered in a TPS game, apart from that it's a rather nice game in it's own way. I would not say it's a waste playing it. But borrow it from a friend of buy it cheap cause anything more then 5-10 $ and it's a bad deal. Collapse
  29. May 9, 2011
    8
    Dead Space is a fun horror scifi game where alien meets fear meets a bit of mass effect. While it does have some flaws there is plenty of fun to be had here. The PC port is rather bad comparatively. For all the users who have given the game a 0 or low score due to the established issues with this port (spinning camera, laggy mouse movement, Windows cursor appearing ingame) try using google and your brain. It would make me respect you more then watching the froth come out of your mouths. I am sorry you wasted your money but here is a secret... it's not wasted if you fix what's wrong. I had every one of those issues and solved them all with about 5 minutes of online research. That being said, yes... EA loses rep for such a bad port. But with everything working well the game is scary, fun, pretty to look at with all graphics cranked up to High, ambient occlusion turned on @ 1920 x 1200 rez. My PC is no beast and it handles this game extremely well.

    I am not a huge fan of horror games but I am enjoying the atmosphere and the gameplay very much. It says a lot when I turn the lights off and play in the dark when I sit down to run thru some Dead Space. You will have fun providing you can work through the aforementioned bugs in this PC port. It may not be fun to do but it's not hard either, take the time and you will be rewarded with a better experience then the console because, despite what people say... any fps game will be served much better by using a mouse/keyboard then a controller. Even this one, which is obviously riding the line with it's 3rd person view. Overall a good solid game experience. 1 point off for the bad port.
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  30. May 12, 2012
    8
    I'd start off by saying that Dead Space is nowhere near as scary as Penumbra or Amnesia, and neither is it as good of a third-person shooter as the likes of Mass Effect 2, but it's a pretty fun game nevertheless. The game takes place in outer space, on a derelict spaceship, where savage monsters have overrun it completely. The game definitely has some unexpected moments popping up every now and again and there is an intense atmosphere present, but I won't say that the game is over the top terrifying or anything. In fact it feels more like an action shooter than a horror game. Perhaps the thing that I liked the most about Dead Space is its very unique weapons which you use to kill the monsters with, weapons such as the Line Gun, that shoots a thin slice of energy to cut monsters' limbs off; the Ripper, that brings out a rapidly spinning saw disk to propel through anyone who comes too close; the Force Gun, that shoots a powerful close-ranged shockwave that knocks everything out of its way, and some others. The game also utilises some RPG elements, in that you get to pick up special power nodes throughout the missions and then you get to use the futuristic work bench to use these nodes to make your weapons and armor suit stronger. So I'd say these are the major strengths of the game - unique guns, some RPG elements, intense atmosphere. There is a bit of a story as well, but it sort of always stays on the background. Lastly I'll just mention that I came across two in-game bugs which forced me to have to reload from a previous save point, and that was only in a single playthrough and was sort of annoying. And another slightly annoying thing was that some of the puzzles were a bit too bland. From what I've heard, Dead Space 2 is supposed to be better, so I hope they've fixed some of this game's shortcomings. Expand
  31. Jan 31, 2013
    1
    I am boggled at how this game has been praised by so many with such a high score. The controls is a gigantic turd. It didn't seem to be very intriguing story wise. I read about dead space, watched a anime on it and thought it was a neat idea, but the game just feels like it wasn't even trying. It was the same "scare" tactic used way too many times. "Oh look, a alien/creature, I wonder if it will get up once I walk by. Oh there is a vent too, wonder if I should worry." It was repetitive after the first 30mins of play. It also expects you to feel something about the guy you are supposedly running around as. There was no build up to he background, just a picture and a ship log? Something bad happened? You walk into a room on the "problem" ship with 2-8 people that are armed, and you are doing something that happened to corner you off from them and they all die(except for 2 people), but you are to do better and somehow survive with primitive tools compared to them? Why is he still alive after that? The aliens/creatures feel bad for him? What kind of crap story is this so far? The whole room was killed off except for 2 people and you. After that and trying to give it a shot still I just stopped. I bought a bundle pack and have both ds1 and 2 but didn't even try 2. Compared to other games this one doesn't shine at all. The only thing scary about this game is the amount of praise it gets. Expand
  32. Oct 9, 2011
    0
    The PC version is unplayable. First, moving the mouse around in the menu is so floaty, it takes effort just to click on a menu button. Second, you cannot change the controls to arrow keys, a necessary task if you're a lefty. So, I had to close down the game, download a modified control scheme that allows lefties to play. Bad start, but I've dealt with worse.
    Loading up the game, the contro
    ls are so god awful floaty that it takes 2-3 seconds to turn around with mouselook, even with sensitivity maxed. I have never experienced such a system in many years of gaming. Apparently the designers stated that you have to use a gamepad to play, eliminating any of the benefit of having the game for PC.
    If I wanted a console FPS gaming experience, I'd buy the game for the PS3. But I like having actual control over my actions with a keyboard and mouse, so I don't.

    Without a doubt, my last Visceral Games purchase ever. I wish I could get my money back.
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  33. Jul 25, 2012
    7
    I remember once saying that Amnesia The Dark Descent is probably the scariest horror game ever made; although I do admit that I hadn't actually played any other horror game before. Unfortunately for Dead Space fans, this game hasn't changed my mind. The game takes place in space and follows yet another emotion-less mute Issac Clarke. On a positive note, the game is very well put together and I'm sure gore-hounds will probably love the frequent dismemberment and violence. The combat is quite satisfying and the upgrade system feels fluid. However, being a console port, Dead Space is not well-optimised for the mouse & keyboard, with a weirdly floaty mouse and disjointed sensitivity. The biggest problem I have with Dead Space though, besides the controls, is that it's not even that scary: gory yes, plenty of it, but only the first 10 minutes were genuinely terrifying for me. Once you get your mittens on the weapons though, the game just becomes a series of action sequences with occasional padding and tedious repetition. The game just lacks any form of subtlety; the monsters will eagerly display themselves at every opportunity, bringing an orchestral jump every time they appear. Even after a glitch making the difficulty to jump from Easy (don't judge me) to Medium, the weapons are quite overpowered and the levels start to stretch themselves. So in conclusion, Dead Space is a Survival Horror game that slipped up over the whole horror aspect, so it's essentially just a survival action game. Just to be clear though, Dead Space is not a bad game at all; it looks great, sounds great and is still quite entertaining. A popcorn game I'd say, if you're looking for proper survival horror then Google "Slender"; if that doesn't scare you, nothing will. Expand
  34. Nov 1, 2012
    8
    Im writing this review as of nov 1st 2012. From my experience, its a good game, fun, nice upgrade system. The only problem i have is that the first gun you get is pretty much the best for the rest of the game, for a fps fan this isnt cool....storys like a doom 3, characters are fine, voice overs are ok, nothing special. Its scary for the first 10 mins you play, untill you realize how easy it is to kill anything that comes your way. I played in normal difficulty, and it was quite easy, plenty of ammo, you should be upgraded fully by chaper 7 which doesnt take long aslong as you only upgrade 1 gun, the first gun, which is the best but otherwise, graphics were good, gameplay good (i hear people had problems with this pc port, i didnt so no comment on that) anyways, all in all it was a fun, was a well done game, id reccomend it to anyone who likes horror fps....The fact that the first gun u get is the best ( yes i tryed them all ) kinda ruined the fps factor for me, but it was still fun. Oh and some said the hude character in the screen blocks everything, its true for the first bit, but after a few hours you dont even pay attention to it and its a fps, atleast i thought so. Expand
  35. Sep 8, 2012
    5
    Horrible port. When you start up the game you are immidiately greeted by a clunky main menu that is clearly not designed with PC players in mind. The controls and camera are just awful and the graphics are very average. The saving grace of this title is its superb story and unique gameplay elements. Dismembering enemies in order to kill them is a very fresh experience and the story kept me wanting to play to find out what happened next. Overall it's not very scary and the port job is quite bad, but if you're a fan of video game stories, then you should take a look at this game. Expand
  36. Dec 1, 2011
    5
    Bought this on special from Steam, the graphics are really good, and the atmosphere and immersion are unreal, but unfortunately the otherwise decent gameplay is let let down by awkward controls as a result of a fairly average console port.

    My other major gripe is the game mechanic of using the same resource for upgrades as you use for health and ammo, since every time you play out an enga
    gement less than perfectly it pretty much gimps your character for the future, and with the clunky controls this happens quite a bit. Add to this the fact that the savepoints are fairly far apart and it can make for a very frustrating experience. I'm just over halfway through it and the story seems very cliché and unoriginal so far. If you've already played through any of the Doom or Half Life series (or a dozen other games for that matter) there's nothing really new or interesting that this offers story wise.

    If you see this on special for XBOX or PS3 it might be worth a look at but I wouldn't recommend it for PC.
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  37. Jan 7, 2012
    7
    At first I hated it, but then I read on some forums to disable V-sync. Wow, that made a massive difference. Goodbye mouse lag. Overall was a fun game. Was satisfied with the length of it. The story was extremely linear and predictable. I didnt find it scary either. It was mostly just the music blaring when stuffed popped out. No real terror like Silent Hill or Amnesia. I really enjoyed the weapons. I would have liked Isaac, the main dude, to have a bit more of a character. He didnt really talk...like....ever. Overall: weak story, not scary, slightly clunky controls, awesome weapons and action, good graphics. Overall, above average, but not amazing. Oh, and would it have killed them to put in a quick turn ability! I hope Im not just a noob and never figured out how to do it. Expand
  38. May 9, 2012
    6
    For me, although I got used to the controls (they are bad, I could not even change bindings), for me the more glaring problem is the tediousness in the middle section of the game as you go over the same route (or very very similar route) again and again after solving one plot objective, only to be told, oh no, now blah blah is broken so go back and fix that. It is redeemed by good graphics, nice feel, and I quite liked the end as well, so the story at the top level holds up well, just the detailed stories as objectives does not. Buy it for $10 or less, it's worth it for about 10 hours of play, similar to the first DOOM3 and RE games. Was enjoyable enough for me to want to play DS2 at any rate. Expand
  39. Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Scary as hell when you cant see anything because character fills half of the screen. Turning and moving around is slow and controls suck big time. I know its wrong to give points without playing the game through but for me game was unplayable and that gives me reason to say what I think in here.
  40. May 20, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 'This is not the best FPS horror game ever, but it does have nice atmosphere, weapons and shooting model and graphics. I probably won't forget the moment, when the first corpse surprisingly jumped at me. Sadly enough the scary moments get stereotypical and soon enough you will find yourself expecting most of them before they actually happen. Still, overall feeling of the game is nice and I had a pleasure playing it, which doesn't happen too often lately, at least not with new production.

    Just a note for people, who didn't play yet. You can actually destroy the green boxes on the ground, I have added new level of difficulty to my game by not knowing that leaving me short on ammo most of the game. I found it out pretty close to the end of game when I accidentally shot into one of those. =)
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  41. May 25, 2012
    4
    I picked this up ages ago on a steam sale after checking the reviews here. Naturally in my enthusiasm for a bargain I ignored the negative comments. It couldn't be that bad, these people are just whingers I thought. What a fool I was. Just in case it's popped up again for $5 and you're wondering if its worth a cup of coffee, listen to the poor reviews. Yes, this game is aesthetically nice but the fact is the controls are teeth jarringly bad even with a lot of tweaking and the perspective is obstructive. You'll discover what a horrible mistake you made literally within 30 seconds of installation. Expand
  42. Jan 27, 2013
    7
    El juego provoca algo que muchos intentan y pocos logran: terror. La mecánica del juego es muy fluida, y permite maniobrar con facilidad, lo que hace que la narrativa se desarrolle mas fluidamente, permitiendo vivir a pleno una historia bastante interesante.
  43. Jun 22, 2012
    8
    DeadSpace1 (PC Version) is a great game, not as good as DS2, because of the gaming control. Watching left and right is not as sensitive as up and down, I wasn't able to fix this. The "console" feeling doesn't matter at all. Overall you have an interesting story and many shocking events. If you like the movie "Event Horizon" you will love Dead Space!
  44. May 31, 2013
    9
    This game is tremendous. It has issues running on Windows 7 but some kind soul figured out the correct setting files to fix its issues and posted it on Steam. So aside from that technical issue I can say that: -Voice acting is solid -Plot and narrative is well constructed -Its quite gore filled and creepy so expect a strong horror vibe and its not for a weak stomach -The weapons and game play are FANTASTIC
    -Great opportunities to customize weapons and your suit
    -Incredible sound and graphics

    I just can't recommend this game enough if you like shooters that require thinking and wise resource use. Its a challenging game but very well crafted and is so enjoyable to play. I would say to look for it on sale got mine with DS2 for $10. $5 for this game is such a complete steal. If you missed the earlier sale I am sure that Steam will put it on sale again. Would be worth $30 easily as I am 7 chapters in of 12 and have played for 13 hours and expect to play for at least another 10 hours.
    Expand
  45. Oct 12, 2012
    5
    Bad camera,environment and the game isn't scary at all,unless for a couple of scene where monster pop out from wall. only few models of weapon, you can modify them at the shop but it only increases dps. good thing is introduction with the cinematic,story and the last level; also boss fight is too easy.
  46. Dec 11, 2012
    7
    Plays out like Resident Evil 4 in space but with more focus on horror and less QTEs. Scarce ammo, fantastic atmosphere from the amazing sound design & environmental effects, and the isolation & vastness of space fuel this modern survival horror adventure. The most impressive immersion element for me was how they handled the "HUD"; instead of on-screen indicators, your health bar and energy are on your back with ammo on your gun. The only problems with it are port issues (you need to disable v-sync to use a mouse properly), the funneled levels, and a general lack of difficulty. Expand
  47. Dec 14, 2012
    0
    The scariest thing about this game are the controls. You hear a monster approaching and need about 10 seconds to scan the area around you, because it's just not possible to move the mouse at a decent speed.

    Even with "fixes" like upping the mouse sensivity and disabling Vsync, it's basically unplayable. I bought this for 3$ on Steam sale and yet I feel robbed by Visceral Games and EA (o
    nce again), especially because any half decent developer/publisher who care about their customers would have this fixed asap. Expand
  48. Dec 22, 2012
    8
    Really, really good. Dead Space. That's such a name, isn't it? The game, once opened up, has a very tense menu, then, the introduction is intense too, showing off beautiful shading, and polygonal detail. There are hundreds of models, from cables on the walls, benches and Pipes, to little paper cups, this game has the detail of a real architectural design. The sound design is fantastic, as you hear echoey chiming and something scratching in the walls, and the graphics are quite well shaded, but once a light gets too bright on a texture or something small, it looks... watercoloury... The game is intense, gut wrenching and addictive, however feeling slightly stiff. The game is only slightly short, but secrets make you play again and again. :D Smile! Expand
  49. Feb 3, 2013
    8
    I usually don't like survival horror games like resident evil or silent hill but dead space was probably one of the most tense and enjoyable games I've played in a long time. It has such an amazing atmosphere that sucks you in with fantastic sound design which can scare you just as much as the horrifying monsters. The gun play is great as it limits you with scarce ammo but is rarely frustrating. The main problem that stops me from giving this game a nine or ten is that late in the game the game starts to lose its creepy atmosphere and starts to focus on combat which leads to some frustrations as fighting large groups is awkward. Overall though the game is insanely atmospheric and the world sucks you in and proceeds to frighten the crap out of you. I'd say this and its sequel are the best horror games on modern consoles possibly ever! Expand
  50. Feb 6, 2013
    8
    The original and the best. Better than Dead Space 2 and 3. This is the scariest game in the series. The dark and gloomy atmosphere aboard a ship in space which has been overrun with infected creatures causes me to become stressed when I'm playing but in a good way. I had to scrounge around for ammo and medkits because resources are scarce. Great game still today. Highly recommended if you seek a game with a tense atmosphere, soundtrack and premise. 8/10 Expand
  51. sft
    May 22, 2013
    7
    Dead frustrating

    Okay, let’s get the bad out of the way first. The controls for the PC version of this otherwise good game are the worst I have ever encountered. I won’t go into detail but they’re so awkward they almost spoiled the game for me. Almost. (There are also some truly annoying problems with camera and viewpoint angles, but don’t get me started on that!) But what about the goo
    the good? DEAD SPACE succeeds, despite the aforementioned problems, mainly because it oozes atmosphere. This is a very claustrophobic game that sucks you in and really does induce anxiety. You will jump many times, trust me. The story is okay, within the usual limitations of such games, the voice acting is uniformly convincing, and the graphics are good but not outstanding. Where this game excels is in the way it draws you in; immerses you in it’s dark atmosphere. This is a game that makes your palms sweat, which is exactly what it’s supposed to do. Expand
  52. May 28, 2013
    9
    This survival horror masterpiece is truly frightening. The space ship that Issac is in feels lonely and certainly creepy, because of the zombie-like enemies that always surprise players in the most quiet moments and in the most uncomfortable situations. This game has a creepy atmosphere, that succeeds creating tension.
    But, what's wrong with this game resulting a score of nine? Well, it's
    the slightly complicated controls, nothing else. Dead Space is an amazing game that I highly recommend, especially for the survival-horror fans. Expand
  53. May 24, 2013
    0
    Unplayable on PC in my opinion. The camera is really akward, it makes the game very unpleasant to play. It's very difficult to aim properly, frustrating.

    I can't believe it's a 2008 game, looks like a 1999 game, terrible graphics. I have a i7, 8GB RAM, Nvidia 560GTx, etc, no it's not performance issues, the game really sucks.
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 28
  2. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. This is a highly recommended game for science fiction and survival horror fans, with its claustrophobic atmosphere and horrible creatures.
  2. Overall, Dead Space is an extraordinary game with tons of shock value and action to whet any fan's appetite for some time, and with a campaign that lasts a steady 10-12 hours, that’s plenty of time to get lost aboard the Ishimura.
  3. Dead Space is a potentially great game that's hamstrung by an attempt to completely ape a console controller with a mouse and keyboard. [Dec 2008, p.58]