Set far in the future, where mankind has started to colonise the galaxy, Dead Space centres around an engineer named Isaac Clarke. Isaac has been enlisted to help resolve an apparent communications breakdown aboard the USG Ishimura, a Planet Cracker-class spaceship which literally tears planets to bits for their precious minerals. During a seemingly routine mission, an artefact is uncovered, which coincides with the break in communications with earth. A reconnaissance team, which includes our main protagonist, is dispatched to find out what happened. Isaac also has an ulterior motive: his girlfriend is aboard said ship, but is she still alive?

Like all good (and some not so good) Survival-Horror titles, Dead Space attempts from the outset to scare the hell out of you, and succeeds by not doing the obvious. The Ishimura is overrun with a species called Necromorphs, but unlike some other titles, these ghastly creatures appear to have a modicum of intelligence about them. Some will attack head-on, but others will circle the player, looking for their chance to dismember them in a gloriously over the top manner. Additionally, coming across a crew member repeatedly smacking their blood-splattered head against a bulkhead or a woman crying and mumbling at a ripped-apart cadaver does as much to unsettle the player as any terrifying creature can.

The manner in which the developers have done away with the in-game HUD is ingenious. Health is represented in a segmented bar on Issac`s back, and his Stasis meter is a half-circle adjacent to the health indicator. Inventory, map and information is pulled up by pressing the select button, which leads into a Metroid Prime-inspired layout with a 3D interface which can be zoomed around, in and out of. Even communication with other NPCs is handled in a holographic manner, which does much to keep the player right inside the story, without any need for cut-scenes or the like.

While these elements are borrowed from other titles, it does so in a way that, instead of plagiarising them, makes them very much its own. Like a good cover-version of a song, it takes the best elements of the original and adds its own personal touch to proceedings.

Isaac has a real heft to his movements and is satisfying to control. Nothing ever feels clunky or awkward, unless it’s been designed that way. The fact there is no quick turn is an obvious concession to keeping the player on their toes, as it ratchets up the tension no end. The feeling of loneliness and the creeping despair that accompanies the player throughout, builds all the time, with only the occasional communiqué with another member of the rescue team to issue orders or update the player’s objectives.

To preserve the illusion that the main character isn`t some moronic Space Marine, the game encourages the player to use "Strategic Dismemberment". While the Necromorphs can be tackled with brute force, this isn't the most effective method: removing their limbs with one or two strategically placed shots from a line gun will dispose of them easily.

Instead of the usual assortment of pistols, machine guns and rocket launchers, Isaac uses the tools at his disposal, which are all equipment he might use on an everyday engineering assignment. To preserve integrity, he can only carry four at any given time, with any subsequent armaments being stored in a safe, which can be accessed at any of the stores dotted around the ship. The stores also provide a much-needed ability to purchase supplies, and they`ll be required, as things can get pretty tense, very quickly. Those who loved organising their inventory space in titles such as Resident Evil will feel right at home here.

To compliment the tools, there are two further abilities: Stasis and Kinesis. Stasis can be used to effectively control crowds by placing an enemy in a momentary state of suspended animation, and is also used to solve puzzles later in the game. Kinesis can move objects and switches either up or down, but is never really expanded upon, which is a shame as there`s real scope for development there. Never the less, the tasks presented to Isaac are convincingly grounded in his abilities as an engineer.

Throughout the game, power nodes can be collected, which can be used to upgrade either tools or the suit Issac wears. From extra damage to prolonged air capacity for space walks, it’s a versatile system which allows the player to decide exactly what to upgrade and what not to. The only slight downside is the sheer volume of nodes required to make a difference. Of course it`s designed for multiple play-throughs as all upgrades and tools carry across to subsequent games, but a more lenient approach would`ve reaped fairer results instantly.

The Ishimura provides a wonderful setting for this grisly tale to be played out upon. While some will bemoan the lack of anything approaching a colourful palette, the gigantic Planet Cracker is coherent in design and as the player progresses through the different chapters, they will be greeted with some astonishing sights. It`s this coherent structure that stops the game from being just another generic corridor-shooter.

To accompany the superb visuals, the audio side of the game is just as polished, with scraping sounds against surfaces, muffled chatter just out of earshot, and mixed with a classic, 'fingernails down a blackboard' shriek as the player is blindsided by a set-piece; it`s all rather glorious in its execution.

The Zero Gravity sections, especially, have a wonderful, atmospheric quality about them, and bring to mind the climactic scenes in the Ridley Scott film, Alien, as the main character, Ripley, fights with her nemesis. With only the sound of Isaac’s breathing and the muffled cries of an enemy falling by the wayside as their limbs are hacked away at, with no musical accompaniment, oxygen ever decreasing, panic starts to set in. It’s a glorious moment which leaves a massive impression on the player.

Dead Space should`ve been a run of the mill, copycat title destined for bargain-bin obscurity. As it stands, it`s a glorious introduction to a new game world. While owing a debt of gratitude to past glories, it makes what it borrows very much its own and revels in what it has created - making it utterly essential for horror fans.