It's difficult these days to get good scares out of a game. Most horror games might get an initial jump or two out of players each time a new monster appears, but it can be near impossible to hold on to that for a full twenty hours worth of gameplay. Dead Space doesn't keep players frightened non-stop for twenty hours, but it does a fantastic job of using a combination of lighting and sound to keep players in suspense as the game builds up to its big moments. A great deal of the scary atmosphere comes from the development team's incredible attention to detail and environments that include zero-gravity and no air. There's no sound but that of your own breathing and heartbeat in airless environments, so you can't hear creatures sneaking up on you. Most weapons in Dead Space are actually heavy duty construction tools given a futuristic sci-fi twist and repurposed for killing, which maintains a sense of believability. Players also have limited inventory space to hold different types of ammunition, so conservation becomes a very important factor to survival.

One of the most prominent features in Dead Space is the use of strategic dismemberment. Practically all necromorphs have sharpened limbs or deadly tentacles. Shooting off their arms/tentacles reduces their ability to attack, blasting out their legs cripples their movement, and cutting limbs off bosses reveals their weaknesses. This is where the precise mouse and keyboard controls come in very handy (although using an Xbox 360 controller is an option). Response is a tiny bit sluggish, more noticeably when navigating the game menus, but overall more than adequate for literally cutting off oncoming monsters by the legs.

The off-center, over the shoulder, camera takes some getting used to, especially when running from enemies. Sometimes you'll try to turn a corner and end up running into a wall for a second or two. Although we understand the necessity of a save point system in a survival horror game, it doesn't make them less annoying. Fortunately, save game panels are frequent and easy to find (they're marked on the map) and the game autosaves your progress as you enter major key areas and before boss confrontations. Otherwise, there's not much more you could ask for from Dead Space. The game includes a locator beacon that points players in the right path, which ensures players won't get lost or end up running around in circles. The function is especially helpful in Zero-G areas, where players can easily become disoriented when jumping from wall-to-wall. There's also a near HUD-free style, where information like health, ammo, oxygen and stasis power are displayed on the character, which keeps players focused on the environment as they explore and fight through the ship. Dead Space has excellent sound design that has you checking your back every time the ship creaks or peeking around corners for nasty surprises ahead.

Dead Space delivers great scares, tension, and plenty of gore to keep just about any horror gamer jumping at their own shadows.

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