Every bit of information you need to know about Isaac-how much ammunition he has left, how severe his injuries are, where he needs to go next-is displayed as part of his mining suit. It does so formally, internally, via its mechanics and interface. The game’s particular strength is the way it reinforces Isaac’s solitude and helplessness. Slaying these creatures requires forgoing the headshot and concentrating on blowing off any and all limbs, in what the game’s marketers refer to as “ strategic dismemberment.” Within the largely changeless march of video-game combat, dismembering space zombies was something of a revelation.īut Dead Space’s innovations extend beyond the capability to hack up enemies one arm at a time. Unfortunately for Isaac, the ship’s crew has been transformed into space zombies-necromorphs, in Dead Space parlance. The first Dead Space has a lot going for it, most notably its hero, Isaac Clarke (so named for the giants of science fiction, Asimov and Arthur C.).
