Electronic Arts is looking to prove themselves as a major contender in other genres outside of sports and licensed games of the past. New to their lineup is the sci-fi horror title, Dead Space, which EA claims will be one of the scariest games of 2008.
If EA wants to create the scariest game of all time, they are going to have to master the art of immersion, making the gamer feel as if he or she is actually in the environment of Isaac Clark, the game’s protagonist. This immersion is what has made games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill so popular, both of which have spawned theatrical movies of their own. EA understands this concept and appears to be working it into the title.
If we’re somewhat decent at mathematics, we’ve come to the conclusion that instense pressure minus an escape equals heart-pounding adrenaline. Imagine playing a game such as Silent Hill or Resident Evil and instead of pausing the game to heal yourself, you have to do it in-game while hordes of zombies chase you? Suddenly the gameplay and atmosphere just took a different route. This is what EA is thinking about doing with Dead Space, implementing most of the basic menu options into an in-game menu. The concept is simple but genious. Isaac Clarke brings up a holographic panel projected directly in front of him. From here, the player may heal him or herself in addition to many other basic menu options. This is all done in real time while you are still vulnerable to attack.This means that you will have to search for a safe place, away from possible threat before you can perform such action, just like in real life.
The whole concept certainly sounds quite intriguing and hopefully the rest of the game will turn out just as innovative. Dead Space is currently slated for a late 2008 release on the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 platforms.