Review: Dead Space's Uniquely Familiar Feel

The following post contains spoilers for Dead Space.

I finished Dead Space several months ago and have been trying to write about it ever since. I enjoyed the game but was having trouble articulating what made it stand out. At first glance, Dead Space certainly seems to be stereotypical video game fare: space guns, space monsters and an armored space dude are not fresh elements within the medium.

Dead Space was a highly marketed game and has the kind of polish that puts it in the company of other blockbuster titles such as Halo and Gears of War. However, Dead Space is able to stand out in the crowd because of subtle rule-based tweaks and wise thematic choices. While it might not be revolutionary, Dead Space effectively utilizes design choices and story themes to transform stagnant conventions into novel experiences.

This theme of subtle novelty crystallized in my mind after hearing Jeff Gerstman's theory that "head-shots are ruining games." I think the theory has some merit: Many shooting-based games reward and incentivize accuracy through one-hit kill headshots to the detriment of combat variety. In many games there is little tactical advantage to targeting any other point besides an enemy's head and using any other weapon besides one that can deliver a precision shot. Jeff cited the latest Splinter Cell game as an example of how headshots work as a disincentive to experiencing the range of weapons and combat dynamics the game has to offer.

Dead Space addresses this problem by simply reversing the trend. The enemy "necromorphs" are most vulnerable to limb shots which makes fighting them vastly different to fighting most other video game enemies. The game's "strategic dismemberment" system rewards the player for experimenting with a variety of strategies and tactics: deciding whether to remove an enemy's legs to slow it down or whether to shoot off its arms to limit its offensive power quickly displaces the instinct to shoot for the head. The player must learn to study the enemy appendages, movement, and weapon vulnerability than simply finding the standard instant-kill spot.


The way combat is viewed and managed also differentiates Dead Space from most games. As I discussed last week, implementing a diegetic HUD helps create a convincing world while simultaneously blurring the line between the game's visuals and rules. From a usability standpoint, having on-screen health, ammo, and option menus are desirable elements, but they can often undercut a game's thematic coherence. Usually, the on-screen action is underneath a layer of meters and numbers that have no direct relationship to the game world. In Dead Space, ammo, health, and menu information take the form of holographic projections emanating from objects that both the protagonist and the player see. While Dead Space does not redefine the role and necessity of on-screen menus, it does justify the existence of a HUD rather than force the player to suspend their disbelief.


Dead Space's science fiction and horror motifs also help it deal with video game story-telling tropes. As is the case in many games, much of the story is told through found audio logs recorded by former inhabitants of the game world. In a game like Bioshock, the plausibility of both encountering recordings created by real people using Cold War-era technology and carrying the gear to listen to it is a contrivance that must be accepted in order to enjoy the game. As Star Trek taught us, sci-fi folks like recording their thoughts orally and liberally, regardless of their rank or vocation. Finding a bunch of recordings seems natural and, since Isaac's suit is a walking media center, listening to them while exploring is believable.

The game proudly carries on the tradition of both the sci-fi and horror genres with its plot. The secretive, alien-obsessed Church of Unitiology is an obvious stand-in for the real world Church of Scientology. This representation is about as subtle as the Klingon/Russian metaphor in the original Star Trek series, but it is done with the same purpose: by using familiar symbols and concepts, the game gives the player solid cultural landmarks that are then explored in greater detail. Sci-fi has never been particularly subtle with its metaphors, and by naming the protagonist "Isaac Clarke," Dead Space acknowledges that it is engaging with its lineage and with the knowledge players bring into the game.

At the same time, Dead Space is also brave enough to follow through on its horror themes. Isaac begins the game searching for his girlfriend, Nicole, who was on the necromorph-infected ship. As the game wears on, it becomes increasingly clear that Nicole is either dead or worse. Isaac and the player are kept in the dark until it is revealed that Nicole committed suicide rather than become a space zombie. This instantly cuts out the potential of the "save the princess" happy ending we still so often find in games. While this is depressing, the ending becomes truly horrifying when a necromorph-Nicole jumps out of the shadows and attacks Isaac right before the game fades to credits. Of course, the sequel will probably explain this little incident away, but as a self-contained package, it is the perfect ending to a bleak, futuristic zombie tale.

While Dead Space presents us with recognizable structures in terms of game design and story, it manages to present them as strengths rather than contrivances. Be it the combat, HUD design, or plot, Dead Space incorporates the best elements of established design philosophies and utilizes them to craft something unique.