So far I'm a couple hours into Dead Space and this has to be the sleeper hit of 2008.  I had not heard very much about this game except that it was an new IP (intellectual property) from EA.  I then saw that it got some good reviews and some of the folks on the podcasts I listen to enjoyed the game.  When I saw it at target for $30 on the day after Thanksgiving I picked one up.

So what I've learned is that Dead Space is a 3rd person horror shooter game that takes place on a spaceship.  You are part of a team that so going to checkout a ship that has gone silent.  The ship is used to mine planets of their resources and is linked to a colony on the planet.  You plan an engineer that just happens to have a woman you care for that is on the ship.

I guess if I had to say what this game reminds me of is a mix of Doom, Event Horizon and Alien.  You are not a space marine so you don't have exposure to crazy weapons but instead you use a laser cutting tool to defend yourself.  You are exploring a space ship that is devoid of human life and there are corpses everywhere that clearly died horribly.  The ship is infested with low level alien life forms that seem only interested in tearing you apart.

I'm really enjoying this game so far.  It reminds me a lot of Doom since it's a lot of exploration of a dark unknown place were danger is just around the corner. There are video and voice recordings left behind by the people that used to inhabit the ship that helps you understand the confusion and horror these people faced.   I think I've completed the first three levels of the game and am looking forward to seeing how this tale end.  I'm curious to see if the game goes down some cliche ending or if the story is a unique.  I'm sure I'll be writing more about this game over time.