Dead Space [rating: 5/5]

Many moons ago when I was playing on my PlayStation 1 I got hold of a game called Resident Evil, the original survival horror game of a series that would turn out to be one of the strongest franchises in gaming history. It was an eye-opening game that I could rarely play on my own due to the excellent edge of the seat, jump out of your pants moments of sheer terror that it instilled in me while playing.

Years later and times have changed, not so much time to spend on my PS3 anymore, instead much of my time is spent playing on my iPhone and up until this point I’ve not found a game that has generated that same sense of fear and trepidation that the original Resident Evil created. That is until now with the release of Dead Space (1.5), I say one point five as the story sits between the original Dead Space and the newly released Dead Space 2.

I’ve not played either of the Dead Space titles up to this point so I come to Dead Space on the iOS device without any baggage of what to expect.

The game starts with a great cinematic sequence that really sets the scene for what both the graphics and the story. The graphics are stunning, dark, moody and on a level that makes you stop and think whether you are playing on a mobile device or not!

The story is well told with well played audio that heaps more spoonfuls of tension on the already tense drama. You take the role of Vandal, a pseudonym for the mystery character you play, who’s an engineer on a space station. You solitary existence is only interrupted by the aliens or to more precise neromorphs, whose sole purpose it seems is to attack Vandal and make sure that your heart stay stuck in your throat.

While physically Vandal may be on his own the story, your missions are presented to you by various characters through your body suit and these missions come thick and fast. Obviously while you are completing these missions you will spend most of you time slaying the various aliens that jump out at you and the missions are more follow the instructions than puzzles.

The major problem with many similar attempts at these types of games is how to port the complex controls to the touch screen of the iOS device. This is not the case with Dead Space though and it’s control mechanism could become the standard for such games.

There are no virtual buttons in the game, instead the left side of the screen controls movement, walking, running and staffing left and right while the right hand side of the screen controls your look and aim. You are given the chance to work on these through the first few mission but before long they’ll feel as intuitive as any. The only down-side to the controls as that you can sometimes find your fingers are covering large parts of the screen.

The game gets EA’s premium pricing but $7 is a small price to pay for a game that will keep offering you more challenges even after you complete the game which took me a little over 5 hours in total game play. There are over 40 achievements to unlock and once you complete the game on Easy or Normal mode you can replay the game again on a Hard level that will really test your skills.

For the ultimate gaming experience you need to purchase Dead Space now, what are you waiting for, go and buy it now, no really, stop reading!

Pros

• The best atmosphere on an iOS device
• Cinemagraphic graphics
• Engrossing game-play
• Hours of action

Cons

• More action, less puzzles

$6.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Jan 25, 2011
Version: 1.0.1
1.0.1
Size: 291 MB
Languages: English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish
Seller: Electronic Arts Inc.
© 2011 Electronic Arts Inc.
Rated 12+ for the following:
Frequent/Intense Horror/Fear Themes
Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Frequent/Intense Profanity or Crude Humor
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

Gallery (Click image to enlarge)

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