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Dead Space

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7.8 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 28 critic reviews
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Based on 137 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Redwood Shores

Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Survival Horror

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: October 20, 2008

Summary

In the bold and often-bloody Dead Space gamers step into a third-person sci-fi survival horror experience that delivers psychological thrills and gruesome action. Set in the cold blackness of deep space, the atmosphere is soaked with a feeling of tension, dread and sheer terror. In Dead Space, players step into the role of engineer Isaac Clarke – an ordinary man on a seemingly routine mission to fix the communications systems aboard a deep space mining ship. It is not long before Isaac awakes to a living nightmare when he learns that the ship's crew has been ravaged by a vicious alien infestation. He must fight through the dead silence and darkness of deep space to stay alive. [Electronic Arts]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GameSpy

Integrating some nice variety into one game while maintaining its decidedly action-oriented dynamics, Dead Space is appealing across a wide cross-section of gameplay styles. Wrap an engrossing plot that is a veritable warren of intermingling themes around this and you've got a game that is basically a guaranteed experience.

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Gamer 2.0

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.

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PTGamers

This is a highly recommended game for science fiction and survival horror fans, with its claustrophobic atmosphere and horrible creatures.

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3DJuegos

Dead Space is one of best Survival Horror releases in years. Tense, violent and incredibly aggressive; playing it at night with a loud 5.1 sound system can provide you the most spectacular scare moments of your life.

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Total PC Gaming

[Issue#13, p.54]

GameSpot

An incredibly atmospheric and disturbingly gruesome deep-space adventure that will haunt your dreams and leave you begging for more.

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Boomtown

I know that no game is perfect but I can honestly say I had no technical issues with Dead Space at all. It did what it said it would and scared the hell out of me on a regular basis. Dead Space is one of the best survival horror games I have played and I look forward with baited breath to the sequel.

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Gamers.at

Dead Space feels like an admittedly fetid yet refreshing wind to the old genre of survival horror. I’d certainly not recommend playing it by night or in total darkness unless you are of awesome health and gladly would give Alma a handshake without thinking twice about the consequences. Important advice: Play it to the end! If you dare. [Issue # 16]

Cynamite

The horror genre has a new king: Dead Space excels in all disciplines - whether it’s playability, atmosphere, tension or presentation. An absolute must-have for all horror- and action-fans.

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Thunderbolt

A good example of refinement over innovation.

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GameZone

An excellent new addition to the splinter group of action games centered around horror. I suspect they will make a sequel and I suspect it too will spawn a franchise. Dead Space gets it right when it comes to the scares.

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Absolute Games

This is what Doom 3 could have been if it were developed by creative designers - a stylish, relentless mix of nightmares, drama and visceral action. Wait until the sundown, turn up your speakers and turn off the lights. You will be impressed.

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PC Games (Germany)

Dead Space brings few innovations and a little too much gore but delivers an atmosphere that has no peer in recent action games. The best EA game in years.

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GameStar

Dead Space is great entertainments for adults, not only because of the amount of gore and horror, but also because of the enthralling story with some nice twists. It's impressive how well pictures, dialogues and sound work together to form a cinema-like atmosphere.

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IGN

Call it science fiction survival horror, but Dead Space does the genre proud with an engaging story; action that's tense, fast-paced and extremely violent; as well as atmospheric qualities that will get under your skin and make you jump.

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PC Gamer UK

Dead Space is solid, but it's not entirely smooth. [Dec 2008, p.74]

Computer Games Online RO

From a technical point of view, Dead Space is alright. It’s not great, but it holds its own, especially for a console port. The framerate is good, and the bugs are negligible.

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Meristation

Dead Space is a pleasant surprise, it takes the best elements of classic terror sci-fi films and combines them with some of the most notorious ideas of games like Bioshock, Condemned, Resident Evil 4 or Doom 3. Instead of an improved but unoriginal copycat, the team managed to give this mix a distinctive personality, making it a great experience on its own.

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Gameplanet

Dead Space was definitely a risk for EA and it's great to see they were willing to run with it, because it is a fantastic game. It looks and sounds great, is a lot of fun to play and oozes atmosphere.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

But Dead Space is a reminder that influence and convention, sharply focused, can become terrifically creepy.

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PC Zone UK

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]

PC Gamer

This would have been a much more compelling horror game if not for the bizarrely sluggish mouse movement, which feels strangely slow and floaty. [Holiday 2008, p.68]

PC Format

Not without epic moments, but even they can't shift the 'lazy console conversion' feeling that permeates the pant-soiling atmosphere. [Christmas 2008, p.90]

2404.org

A fine and very playable horror game, and while the relatively linear story line and straightforwardness of the battles don’t combine to offer much replay value, it’s still worth the price of admission.

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LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Wait for the sunset then try this “Resident Evil of Space”. Soon you will cry for light. An unusual (especially for EA) horror game that stands out in design and atmosphere in permanent fear. [Nov 2008]

Total Video Games

Too much repetition and the occasional dip into unoriginality does make it a grind in places, but the story did just enough to pull us through.

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Gamer.nl

Dead Space has enough new elements to make a memorable experience out of it. The lack of a HUD, the use of telekenetic powers and the original weapons all contribute to that. Even the setting, a spaceship, is done so well that there is enough variety in the environments. The controls could have been a bit more direct, but Dead Space is still a perfect way to have a few scary nights.

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PC PowerPlay

Despite its by-the-numbers storyline, the game grabs you into its sucking chest wound of a world and keeps you there until the last chitinous spike has been blasted from the final suppurating torso. [Dec 2008, p.67]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 137 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Felix L gave it a10:
Scary, damn scary. Well designed game. Yea. Just scary. Worth buying. Yea, I like it, sound is simply awsome, and visuals are what you'd expect. The over the shoulder thing is just a part of the game play. They've made it work really well, the menu interface and interaction is novel and works well with the overall them. Did I mention it's scary, if you like the horror games, this is a must for your collection.

Brilliant Person gave it a9:
The story seems as though it came out of a horror video game making machine. The weapons are too overpowered. But the developers added something I haven't seen before that I thought was pretty cool: the no gravity areas where you could jump from any surface. The game itself is only scary if you expect it to play out like a Barbie game, and though it did give me the jibbers when an alien that I thought was dead took a decent chunk out of myu neck, I stopped being surprised by it after the 3rd one. But all of these criticisms I have for it I found easy to overlook because it played so well. I bought this for PS3 but also played it on PC at a friend's house, They are exactly the same, but it does play6 easier on the console. Both ways, the best way to kill aliens was to chop off a leg and stomp it to death.

R C gave it a9:
I'm a PC gamer, but I had a 360 lying around so I bought this for console instead. First off this is a console game...not PC. So crappy controls are going to be a definite on a console import. However, this is how all games should be crafted. This game has been in development for years and EA spent over a million dollars on developing this game. First off the story is great. The game is actually scary, and it succeeds at making you piss yourself. Voice acting s good, hell everything except bad PC controls are good. My only complaint is that EA should of developed good PC controls, but otherwise buy it it's worth the money. 9 out of 10.

Sudravirodhin gave it a9:
The users who rated this game down because of slow mouse control obviously don't know how to use google. Hardware V-sync, rather than software v-sync, fixes the problem, and it's not that big a pain to do in the first place. Of course, if you're an impatient layperson then it's quite difficult indeed, so I don't blame them. Regardless, if you're an intelligent PC gamer and can change an option in video settings, you should be satisfied with the scariest FPS on the PC since Half-Life 1. The only complaint to be had is infinitesimally small plot holes that, if overlooked, still leave the player satisfied after round 1. Round 2, here I come!

Dale C gave it a10:
My favourite "next gen" game for pc, better than crysis warhead, far cry 2, Left 4 dead, you name it, awesome hard core sci fi story, scary as hell, satisfying weapons and the upgrade system makes it even more personal to play and you can keep the upgrades for a second and third playthrough. After finishing the game i immediately played through another 2 or 3 times because this game has some serious single player replay value.

Marc C gave it a1:
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.

Marco F gave it a10:
This amazing Horror-Science fiction action packed adventure takes you out of dull crap games and adds meaning too HORROR! If your bored or just plain scared i recommend this game. At first i thought i was going to be laughing in the game(actually putting me that i am 17) and giving this review a 6-7 i was wrong it has an amazing story line with an ending to shock your mind. here is my email(pls forget that my user name on email is my high school email address so forget the name).

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