31 days of Horror: Dead Space takes us on a scary quest
Tis the season to be spooky, but for hardened Hallowarriors, sometimes you need something special, something stellar. Often, we look to specialized subgenres to add a little extra flair to spook season, and space provides an entire galaxy of novel and takes on even familiar scares- Jason X (2001) takes our favorite slasher out of Crystal Lake and into the final frontier, much like Leprechaun 4 (1996), and those are just franchises features which looked to the stars for new ideas (with interesting results). Our curiosity and dread of outer space has spawned countless silver screen specimens, such as Life Force (1985), Event Horizon (1997), and- do I really need to say it?- Alien (1979). And other mediums such as prose and, naturally, games are just as, if not even more enmeshed, in outer space. Sagas such as Alien: Isolation or Prey take space horror to the bleeding edge, and no game series has ever done horror in space quite like Dead Space.
Released in 2008 for the Play Station 3, XBOX 360, and PC, Dead Space took horror gaming into the stratosphere of terror, and its influence remains strong on even modern games. Developed by EA Rockwood Shores (which changed its name to Visceral a year after release), Dead Space took familiar Survival Horror concepts (taking greater influence from the more action-packed era of Survival Horror, namely Resident Evil 4) and adapting them to a uniquely terrifying environment in distant stars. The game follows Engineer Isaac Clarke, who becomes trapped on the USG Ishimura, a massive planet-cracking ship which has been overrun by mysterious, multi-armed monsters. What results is a game uniquely adapted to one purpose, from its gameplay and aesthetic to its primary protagonist: making you scream in space.
Trapped on the damaged derelict, Isaac must survive not only the dangers posed by the derelict’s damaged systems and space in general, but also the danger of lethal abominations called Necromorphs. These freaks are fast, sneaky, and bladed to the nines, making them far scarier and more scarring than your average zombie. Unlike the shambling dead, shooting necromorphs in the head is about as effective as throwing rocks; instead, players must use a variety of futuristic industrial tools such as levitating sawblades, spikes, and the ever-reliable plasma cutter to dismember the Necromorphs. Removing their limbs has various effects: cut off their legs, and they’ll crawl towards Issac; cut off their arms, and they’ll still rush Issac to try and batter him to death; cut off the head, and they become berserk battering rams with blades. It takes a lot to put a Necromorph down, and Isaac is always scrounging for ammo and supplies, as well as necessary resources to improve both his weapons and his RIG (a hardened space suit meant to stand up to just about anything short of unholy terrors). As Isaac moves through the tight corridors and futuristic facilities, and you’ll never be sure when a Necromorph might pop from a vent behind you or scuttle out of a side-path. And with the Ishimura damaged, players must guide Isaac through pockets of vacuum and massive malfunctioning machinery, meaning they never feel completely safe.
Dead Space’s aesthetic design not only reinforces this, it sharpens the effects to a razor’s edge both with a realistic and sturdy visual design which makes the Necromorphs particularly alien, while the sound design lingers on the mind and has you second-guessing every sudden shriek and squeal. Despite the far future setting, the visual design of everything from the Ishimura to Isaac’s Rig and even the UI feel plausible enough that verisimilitude never varies. By rooting it in reality, designers made the Ishimura feel like a mobile mining town which has hit hard times and is falling apart at the seams after a calamity. This in turn makes the bizarre body-horror of the Necromorphs aggressively unsettling, and the sheer amount of gore and horror coming at the player informs us in no uncertain terms that every step down a darkened corridor takes Isaac deeper and deeper in. Added to this is not only sound effects and music which enhance the atmosphere (or lack thereof; the sounds are muted whenever Isaac is in a vacuum or outside the hull) and prove that Jason Graves, on Until Dawn fame, is on par with Silent Hill’s Akira Yamaoka.
Once they can conquer, or at least control, their fear of the dark, Dead Space’s protagonist will have players feeling like a certified spacer bad-ass. Despite RE 4’s influence on the game, Issac is no Leon Kennedy. He’s more of an Ash Williams, but less of a schmuck. Like Ashy-Slashy, Isaac is an engineer, a talented and skilled professional who uses his knowledge to solve problems. Whether its returning power to a section of the ship, repairing a vital reactor before it explodes, or dismantling Necromorphs, Isaac handles it all with engineering ingenuity and a healthy dose of percussive maintenance. While players might never feel safe, they will feel a visceral thrill as Isaac hacks and crushes his way through his foes, using his stasis beam to slow enemies down and to navigate puzzles and hazards. And like Ash, Isaac is driven not just by survival, but by romance (sort of.) Isaac's primary goal on the Ishimura is to find his girlfriend Nicole, a medic on the Ishimura. This quest will take him into the darkness of what has afflicted the ship, and like the “Chosen One,” his sanity might not make the trip with him. Fans of horror, and Evil Dead, especially, will find something to relate to with Isaac, and that makes the horror all the more immersive in Dead Space.
This Halloween, if you are looking for someplace no one will hear you scream, trying a different kind of ‘morph won’t steer you wrong, as Dead Space will have you and any friends, neighbors, or innocent bystanders screaming “stay the hell away from the vents!” And once you’ve survived the first game, there’s a sequel which is even better, as well as a variety of spin-offs which include a gorgeously-done animated movie which tells us what happens before Isaac reaches the Ishimura. (There’s only a third game if there’s a third Halloween movie.) So, check your oxygen and stasis, watch for power cores, and remember, there's no help coming.
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