Ineffective horror situated against a final act that steadily unravels into an unsatisfying and deeply unimpressive ending. Climactic it ain't.

But the combat holds up really well! Tearing pieces off a smorgasbord of zombies is just as fun as it was 12 years ago. The weapons are so good that I wish they'd more actively push the player to experiment. Why would anyone use a "Force Gun" in a game all about dismemberment? (dope gun, you should use it)

It's a solid world with slightly too-familiar roots, though original storytelling is probably not why you're playing Dead Space. The game itself is a few hours too long, but the traversal—even retreading old ground—feels surprisingly organic. Despite an over-reliance on the tram system (which I assume is a technical limitation), they manage a really strong pace on the back of level design alone.

Even as the story comes to a screeching halt and slowly suffocates in the vacuum of space.