Dead Space

Overview

Dead Space is a third-person science-fiction survival horror game that was created at EA's Redwood Shores studio. The story takes place on the USG Ishimura, an enormous Planet-Cracker-class ship, and Aegis VII, the planet being cracked. The player controls Isaac Clarke, an engineer attached to a small maintenance crew responding to a distress signal from the Ishimura. However, neither Isaac nor his team has any idea what is waiting for them aboard the ship. Creatures known as Necromorphs have taken over the ship and infected the entire crew. It is up to Isaac and his companions to grasp what has happened aboard the ship and, more importantly, survive.

Gameplay

Dead Space is a third-person action game that mixes those conventions with survival horror.

Isaac is not a soldier, so he is not always equipped with proper weaponry. He mostly uses repurposed engineering tools. The Necromorphs on the Ishimura are both more robust and faster than Isaac, so he must use his wits to take them out. Unlike other shooter games, if the player runs out of ammo, there is no fallback weapon. This means that players will have to use Isaac's heavy-duty mining boots and melee attack to stomp and smash his enemies, respectively. This encourages the player to conserve ammo and attack the Necromorphs' limbs to reduce their combat effectiveness. EA has named this strategic dismemberment.

Isaac's primary weapon, the plasma cutter, presents the player with multiple options for eliminating his foes, depending on the situation. For example, cutting off an alien's head will cause it to thrash blindly and become an easy target while going for its appendages might slow it down enough for the player to safely get by without using too much precious ammo. Early alien encounters are relatively easy, to begin with, but become increasingly complex as the player progresses through the game. Players will eventually encounter more advanced forms of Necromorphs, including pregnant Necromorphs, which tend to spew out hundreds of flesh-eating parasites, and discover that indiscriminate shooting is not such a wise idea.

Isaac comes across stores in many areas that allow him to purchase ammo, med packs, air canisters, and more. Additionally, he can sell items for Credits and even store items in a universal safe. He also comes across Power Nodes to upgrade his weapons and suit at tool benches throughout the game.

Story

Main Characters

Isaac Clarke

Isaac Clarke is the silent protagonist of the game. Isaac is a system ship specialist and engineer traveling aboard the Kellion to investigate and repair the USG Ishimura. He is also trying to find his girlfriend Nicole, who happened to be working on the USG Ishimura.

Kendra Daniels

Kendra is a technologist, and also a part of the team sent aboard the Ishimura to repair its communication systems. She is also the primary source of information and the main objective giver to the player throughout the game.

Zach Hammond

Hammond is the senior security officer aboard the Kellion. Even when all hell breaks loose in the USG Ishimura, he still insists on moving on with their mission. However, as time goes by, he gives up on that objective. He focuses on trying to get himself, Isaac, and Kendra off the ship.

Challus Mercer

Doctor Challus Mercer is one of the few survivors aboard the USG Ishimura, and he is a devout Unitologist. He also serves as the main antagonist of the game.

Terrence Kyne

Kyne is the Chief Science Officer of the Ishimura. He does not show up until later on in the game and asks for help from the surviving members of the Kellion team. He is somewhat eccentric, perhaps even downright crazy, but still offers to help Isaac stop the nightmare aboard the Ishimura.

Nicole Brennan

Nicole is Isaac's girlfriend and a medical specialist that has been assigned to the Ishimura. The game starts with a video message from Nicole to Isaac, asking him for help after the ship's infestation by the Necromorphs. Her fate is unknown until the climax of the game.

Chapters

In total there are twelve chapters in Dead Space.

• Chapter 01: New Arrivals
• Chapter 02: Intensive Care
• Chapter 03: Course Correction
• Chapter 04: Obliteration Imminent
• Chapter 05: Lethal Devotion
• Chapter 06: Environmental Hazard
• Chapter 07: Into the Void
• Chapter 08: Search and Rescue
• Chapter 09: Dead on Arrival
• Chapter 10: End of Days
• Chapter 11: Alternate Solutions
• Chapter 12: Dead Space

Note that the first letter of each chapter's name spells out "NICOLE IS DEAD."

Plot

Isaac Clarke works for a mining company in the 26th century called the Concordance Extraction Corporation (C.E.C.). The company uses large ships called Planet Crackers, which are used to tear planets open by extracting large sections of the crust, or corks, and mine the valuable resources they contain. The first Planet Cracker-class ship is the USG Ishimura, the largest planet cracker in service. Right before the events of Dead Space, the Ishimura was cracking Aegis VII. Isaac has a girlfriend, Nicole Brennan, who is a Senior Medical Officer aboard the Ishimura. Dead Space's story does not dwell on their relationship. However, it is revealed that Isaac and Nicole care deeply about each other. When the Ishimura transmits a distress signal, a crew of five is sent on the small USG Kellion to fix the problem. Isaac volunteers, along with Zach Hammond, Kendra Daniels, and two other unnamed members, go to the Ishimura. Another critical element to the plot of Dead Space is Unitology. Unitology is a religion whose members believe an ancient, possibly alien artifact called the Marker is the key to an eternal afterlife. Many of the USG Ishimura's crew members are Unitoligists. The Marker may have more influence on the USG Ishimura's mining mission than expected.

Isaac Clarke, Kendra Daniels, Zach Hammond, and two unnamed men are on-board the USG Kellion and are heading to the USG Ishimura to respond to its distress signal. Isaac is viewing a video log from his girlfriend, Nicole. As the Kellion is about to dock into the Ishimura, a malfunctioning magnetic field causes it to crash land. Everyone survives, and the crew enters the Ishimura. When Isaac checks the ship's status, creatures known as Necromorphs emerge from the air ducts and kill the two unnamed crew members. Isaac escapes but is briefly separated from Kendra and Hammond; they reconvene at a tram station a short while later. Isaac repairs the ship's tram system so Hammond and Kendra can go to the bridge to get more information. Hammond orders Issac back to the Kellion to prepare for takeoff. As soon as Isaac reaches the Kellion's controls, Necromorphs attack, and the Kellion explodes, trapping the three on-board the Ishimura.

Isaac begins to do tasks for Hammond and Kendra to improve the condition of the ship. First, he goes to the Medical Deck to get the deceased captain's R.I.G. From this, the three learn the ship's condition; overrun by Necromorphs, almost all of the crew were killed and turned into more Necromorphs. Kendra reveals the Necromorphs to be an alien lifeform capable of reanimating corpses.

Later, while meteors are bombarding the Ishimura, Hammond seals and releases a Necromorph in an escape pod. At this point, Isaac starts seeing cryptic messages from Nicole, saying, "make us whole again." Issac mans a turret to protect the ship from meteors while Hammond repairs its asteroid defense system. Afterward, it is revealed that something is poisoning the air, and the ship will shortly run out of oxygen. Meanwhile, Kendra grows suspicious of Hammond and his knowledge of what has happened on the ship.

Isaac returns to the Medical Deck to concoct a poison to destroy the oxygen blocker. Here he encounters the first significant survivor -- Dr. Challus Mercer. Mercer is a crazed Unitologist who believes that the Necromorphs are the successors to the human race and that the reanimation process is the only way to achieve eternal life. Mercer attempts to stop Clarke's actions by releasing an unkillable Necromorph on him.

Barely escaping, Isaac goes to the Hydroponics Deck to restore oxygen. Here Isaac sees Hammond barely able to breathe. Once Isaac defeats the giant slug Necromorph that was preventing oxygen production, Hammond disappears. Kendra (who keeps seeing her dead brother in hallucinations) sends Isaac to the Mining Deck to send out an S.O.S. beacon.

Here Isaac encounters Nicole, who is alive and well. The beacon gets received by the military ship, the USM Valor. Unfortunately, the Valor also received the escape pod that Hammond sealed. The single Necromorph in the pod was enough to cause the Valor to lose control and come crashing into the hull of the USG Ishimura. Immediately after the crash, Hammond contacts Issac; someone was jamming his R.I.G.'s communication, but it stopped after the crash. In addition, Isaac also learns that the USM Valor was actually sent to destroy the Ishimura.

Isaac is sent aboard the Valor to get a part for an intact but unusable shuttle on the Ishimura. Another survivor from the Ishimura, Dr. Terrance Kyne, contacts Isaac. Kyne is a Unitologist who accidentally killed the captain. Kyne tells Isaac that an artifact called the Marker is on-board the Ishimura and is responsible for the Necromorph infection. He urges Clarke to return the Marker to the Aegis VII colony in a shuttle. Before leaving the Valor, Hammond is ripped to pieces by a Brute (mini-boss Necromorph) and dies. Kendra, while in doubt of Hammond earlier, is still greatly affected by this. She tells Isaac to follow Kyne's instructions but to be careful.

Kyne meets up with Isaac and tells him that the colonists unearthed the Marker on Aegis VII. A gigantic creature that controls the Necromorphs called the Hive Mind was also found. In this chapter, Isaac also can discover that the current mining operation is illegal and most likely financed by the Church of Unitology. Also, Clarke defeats the unkillable Necromorph from earlier, which prompts Dr. Mercer to allow himself to be killed by a Necromorph, an act he believes is the first step to achieving the second life that the Church of Unitology looks forward to. Isaac then retrieves the Marker and brings it to the shuttle for its return to Aegis VII.

As Clarke is about to leave with Kyne and the Marker on the shuttle, Kendra kills Kyne. She reveals that she is a government agent sent to retrieve the Marker. She also reveals that the Marker that was found on Aegis VII is an experiment and man-made. According to her, the Marker was based on another Marker found on Earth centuries earlier. The new Marker was a disaster and was buried, only to be unearthed by the Ishimura. Kendra then takes the shuttle and abandons Isaac on the Ishimura. Nicole makes another appearance to help return the shuttle. However, Kendra uses an escape pod on the shuttle to land on the colony below.

Isaac takes the shuttle to Aegis VII to return the Marker to its rightful place. When Isaac puts the Marker back on its pedestal, Kendra encounters him once again. This time she reveals that Nicole has been dead all along, and Isaac received hallucinations from the Hive Mind. Also, the large chunk of the planet being held above Aegis VII by gravity tethers begins falling. Kendra proceeds to take the Marker back to the shuttle. As she is about to leave, the Hive Mind emerges and crushes/smears Kendra. Isaac is able to kill the Hive Mind and quickly flees on the shuttle as the giant piece of the planet destroys the colony. On the shuttle, Isaac removes his helmet and views Nicole's message one last time; this time, however, he cuts it short willingly. As he turns his head, a terrifying vision of Nicole attacks him. The credits roll.

Logs

Throughout the game, Isaac will come across video, text, and audio logs that fill in the story of the USG Ishimura before and during the Necromorph infestation. A series of audio logs from an engineer on the ship named Jacob Temple are found in chronological order. In them, Temple documents his attempts to repair several parts of the ship during the Necromorph infestation. It is worth mentioning that Temple is not only similar to Isaac in that he visited the same parts of the ship, but he is also extremely resilient; he managed to traverse many sections of the ships without dying or being driven insane by dementia that was spreading throughout the ship.

Weapons

There are seven weapons in Dead Space. Each weapon's damage, ammo capacity, speed, and reload can be upgraded. Also, every weapon has an alternate fire mode. The weapons are:

• 211-V Plasma Cutter

Initially, a tool used to cut rock and other objects, the Plasma Cutter is essentially Dead Space's pistol. It holds ten shots, to begin with, but can be upgraded to hold 20 shots. It shoots on a vertical plane, but its alternate fire mode flips the gun so that it shoots on a horizontal plane, which is useful for dealing with wider enemies or cutting legs. After fully upgrading the Plasma Cutter's damage, it becomes one of the most powerful and versatile weapons in the game, as a fully upgraded Plasma Cutter can cut through almost any enemy limb with one shot, ammo is reasonably abundant, and the ability to switch the firing plane allows for easier dismemberment. Moreover, the range of the Plasma Cutter is as good as the Contact Beam. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Tool Time' achievement/trophy. Additionally, using only this weapon on a single playthrough will unlock the 'One Gun' achievement/trophy.

Statistics: Initial Cost: 0 Shots Per Sec: 1 Damage: 10 Ammo Capacity: 10 Ammo Cost: 1200 (6 shot)

• SWS Motorized Pulse Rifle

The standard assault rifle used by marines and security personnel. Unlike most of the other game's weaponry, the Pulse Rifle is an actual weapon and not a tool that Isaac uses as a weapon. The gun works on essentially the same principle as a rail gun. It uses magnetic induction coils to shoot a round at high speed. It initially holds 50 shots but can be upgraded to hold 200. Its secondary fire is a 360-degree bullet explosion, useful when you are surrounded. Focused fire on limbs can sever them but at the cost of more time. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Autofire' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 7000 Shots Per Sec: 0.20 Damage: 5 Ammo Capacity: 50 Ammo Cost: 1250 (25 shot)

• PFM-100 Hydrogen Torch Flamethrower

The flamethrower is your standard flamethrower. It is excellent for torching the Necromorphs and works well in close-quarters. Since the Necromorphs' limbs are fragile, the flamethrower can dismember foes. Its secondary fire is a straight flame projectile with limited range. The projectile consumes ten rounds of ammo when fired.

Additionally, both firing modes can set a target ablaze, which causes it to burn for a few seconds dealing damage over time. The major downsides to the flamethrower are its high rate of ammo consumption, scarcity of ammo pick-ups, and the inability to use it in vacuum environments due to the lack of oxygen. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Live with the Hot Ones' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 11000 Shots Per Sec: N/A Damage: 0.75 Ammo Capacity: 125 Ammo Cost: 1000 (25 unit)

• RC-DC Remote Control Disc Ripper

Another tool that Isaac turns into a weapon, the Ripper, is essentially the game's chainsaw. It initially carries eight blades, that when fired, leash onto the gun and can be used to plow through foes. The secondary fire of the Ripper shoots a saw-blade powerfully straight ahead. The game also seems to favor ammo drops for this weapon. So having it in your inventory with the Plasma Cutter will ensure that at least two of your four weapon slots will be sufficiently stocked with ammo for large-scale enemy encounters. The Ripper is also very thrifty in terms of its ammo consumption. Both the primary and secondary fire modes both consume one round of ammo.

Moreover, you can also use Kinesis to grab a saw blade after the tether disappears after firing the weapon in primary mode. You can then shoot the saw blade using Kinesis to get even more use out of that one round. Getting 30 kills with the Ripper will unlock the 'A Cut Above' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 8000 Shots Per Sec: N/A Damage: 8 Ammo Capacity: 8 Ammo Cost: 1800 (4 shot)

• IM-822 Handheld Ore Cutter Line Gun

The Line Gun is a super-powered Plasma Cutter, except it only has a horizontal shooting plane. It also has a wider range than the Plasma Cutter and is much more powerful. The ammunition has explosive capabilities, and the gun holds five "line racks" when first acquired. Its secondary fire launches a single ball of mines in a straight line, which has a delayed fuse. The Line Gun's secondary fire can blow Necromorphs to pieces and, at its max level, can even kill Isaac if used in a confined space.

Moreover, the primary fire can kill enemies without even dismembering them when shot at the enemy's center of mass. The blast from the primary fire is also capable of cleaving through multiple targets with one shot, so try to group the enemies appropriately when using it. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Eviscerator' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 9000 Shots Per Sec: 0.5 Damage: 16 Ammo Capacity: 5 Ammo Cost: 2000 (2 shot)

• Handheld Graviton Accelerator (aka Force Gun)

The Force Gun is a pushing tool. Likely used by the miners for breaking into rock, the gun can be described as having "shotgun-like" qualities. It is extremely powerful, but only at close range. At longer distances, the gun's primary fire does little to no damage at all. The weapon's secondary fire compensates for this by turning the Force Gun into a makeshift grenade launcher. The force bomb that it launches is capable of detonating on impact with an enemy. If the bomb fails to hit, it will roll around on the ground for a short period before detonating. At its maximum damage level, the primary fire can shear off the limbs of a Necromorph at close range, and the secondary fire can blow an enemy to pieces on impact. The gun holds eight shots when it is first acquired. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Pusher' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 11000 Shots Per Sec: 1 Damage: 20 Ammo Capacity: 10 Ammo Cost: 900 (3 shot)

• C99 Supercollider Contact Beam

The Contact Beam is one of the final two weapons attained by the player, the other being the Force Gun, about halfway through the story. The Contact Beam is analogous to a sniper rifle. The primary fire has a short charge duration. However, when fired, it unleashes a hellish beam that destroys most enemies in one blast that can traverse the length of a room or corridor with ease. The ammo for this weapon is costly.

Moreover, the initial ammo capacity is only four rounds. Its secondary fire works sort of like a jackhammer, and it creates a powerful blast of energy that shoots through the ground, damaging all nearby enemies. It is likely that when fully upgraded, the Contact Beam is the most powerful weapon in the game. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Full Contact' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 9000 Shots Per Sec: N/A Damage: 100 Ammo Capacity: 4 Ammo Cost: 2000 (1 shot)

Modules

There are two unique modules in the game that Isaac acquires early on. These modules help greatly in traversing the ship and defeating enemies.

Stasis

Acquired in chapter 1, the stasis module allows Isaac to drastically slow both Necromorphs and inorganic objects' movement speed. An object or enemy hit with stasis turns a blueish color and is dramatically slowed down for a while. (The amount of time something remains slowed down can be upgraded). Stasis is used throughout the game to slow down hazardous moving parts. However, it can also be used by Isaac for Necromorph crowd control.

Kinesis

The kinesis module is given to Isaac by a dying woman in chapter 2. The kinesis module allows Isaac to grab objects from afar and move them around, similar to the Gravity Gun in "Half-Life 2." Through upgrades, the distance that Isaac's kinesis module reaches can be upgraded. The kinesis module is used primarily to solve environmental puzzles, clear debris, and manipulate large pieces of equipment on Ishimura.

Common Enemies

Unitology: Alien Language

The glyphs scratched and written in blood along the walls of the Ishimura are not random, but are in fact, a runic alphabet created to enhance the game's atmosphere. There are two locations in the game (Chapter 1 and Chapter 6) that offer a fuzzy glimpse of the alphabet's rosetta stone. After completing the game, a few final words dissolve from English to Unitology, giving players a crisp starting point for translating the words. For interested players without that kind of patience, much of the work has already been done. (Article contains full spoilers!)

Phrases also appear floating among the menu screens before starting the game itself. There is even a hidden meta-game that directs players to an Electronic Arts webpage to unlock a code that can be entered with the controller. Fully unlocking the code requires finding a secret symbol in each chapter.

Bonus Suits

EA offered a preorder bonus to players purchasing the game through GameStop.

Scorpion Suit (pre-order suit)

GameStop's description: The strongest in the game. It offers increased toughness and inventory slots above what lower level suits provide. Hold off the Necromorph onslaught for longer, and hold more items and weapons. While supplies last. This suit is also available on the PSN Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.

The Scorpion Suit has 25% Armour, and it has the maximum inventory slots.

Console-associated Suits

Each console is given one exclusive rig, picture right, to match the associated console themes.

• Playstation 3 - The exclusive suit for PS3 players is the "Obsidian" suit. It features a full black suit and a blue visor light to match the PlayStation brand's associated colors.
• Xbox 360 - The exclusive 360 suit is the "Elite" suit. It features the white-ish color of the stock 360 with a green visor light to match the Xbox brand's associated colors.

The Obsidian and the Elite Suits both have the maximum inventory slots. The Elite Suit has 10% armor and the Obsidian 25% armor.

Downloadable content

The following downloadable content has been released for both Xbox 360 and PS3 in their respective online stores. It was initially released on the Xbox 360 Marketplace and PlayStation Store Europe on Nov 13th, while the US and the rest of the world on PlayStation Store received the content on Nov 20th.

• Astronaut Pack: Adds a new Astronaut Suit and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper.

Price: $3.00 / 240 MS points

• Big Gun Pack: Adds the Steam Punk Force Gun, the "ultimate in Necromorph-killing destruction" gun.

Price: $1.00 / 80 MS points

• Heavy Damage Pack: Adds increased firepower and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Contact Beam, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper.

Price: $3.00 / 240 MS points

• Hot Rod Pack: Adds flame graphics for the Flamethrower and Pulse Rifle.

Price: 1.00 / 80 MS points

• Military Pack: Add a new looks and enhanced power for all 7 weapons.
  $4.00 / 320 MS points

• Pedestrian Pack: Adds new looks for the Contact Beam, Plasma Cutter, and Ripper.

$1.50 / 120 MS points

• Scorpion Pack: Adds an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun, all decorated in an new red Scorpion Skin.

$4.00 / 320 MS points

• Scorpion Weapon Pack: Add faster death-dealing Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun in new red Scorpion skins.

$2.25 / 180 MS points

• Speed Kills Pack: Adds faster-firing Force Gun, Line Gun, and Plasma Cutter.

$2.25 / 180 MS points

• Tank Pack: Adds an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Flamethrower, Force Gun, and Line Gun, all covered in Unitology script.

$4.00 / 320 MS points

PlayStation 3 Exclusive Packages

• Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack: Adds weapon skins in jet-black PLAYSTATION 3 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle.

Price: $1.50

• Obsidian Pack: Adds an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle, all in jet-black PLAYSTATION®3 colors.

Price: $3.00

Xbox 360 Exclusive Packages

• Elite Weapon Skin Pack: Adds weapon skins in Xbox 360 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle.

Price: 120 MS points

• Elite Suit and Weapon Skin Pack: Add an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle in Xbox 360 colors. The suit was originally available as a free download for a limited time.

No Known Survivors

In August 2008, EA launched NoKnownSurvivors.com, a weekly updated interactive website that filled in story about Dead Space before release. The site features 3D animations and voice overs that tell stories of fellow crew members aboard the USG Ishimura.

Misplaced Affection

This story tells an organ replacement technician, George Greggs, who falls in love with an officer named Jane Gauthier. Gauthier and her squad were helping fight an apartment fire. As Gauthier tried to escape the building, the front door closed on her hand, severing her middle, index, and ring fingers. Gauthier is then sent to Greggs for replacement fingers, which is when Greggs falls for Gauthier. George and Jane are scheduled to go on a date, but before they can, the Necromorphs attack the USG Ishimura.

Development

The game's executive producer, Glen Schofield, and his long-time co-worker, Brett Robbins, had been dreaming of making a sci-fi horror game for a long time. They were given a chance to pitch their idea to Paul Lee, the former president of EA. Lee was extremely impressed and asked what they needed. Schofield responded, "Let me hand-pick a team, put me in a corner, and leave us alone." Lee agreed, as long as they had something to show within six months. After the time had elapsed, Schofield and the crew had a playable demo ready. The demo was given to all the higher-ups at EA, including then COO John Riccitiello. They were amazed by the game and instantly gave the project the green light, and tagged it as a possible trilogy.

It was revealed by Warren Ellis that much of the structure and narrative of Dead space was penned by himself. Ellis announced the following on his "Bad Signal" mailing list ( http://mailman.flirble.org/mailman/listinfo/badsignal)

Oh, I got released from an NDA the other day, so I can finally say that I wrote a bunch of the groundwork, backstory and structure on the forthcoming EA videogame Dead Space, which recently got a comic prequel from the hands of Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith. I believe there was at least one other writer on the project, but I’m sure there’s some of me in there somewhere.

Ellis’ has revealed two previous game contributions: Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising (2001) Cold Winter (2005).

Multimedia

Dead Space is being turned into a multimedia franchise by EA.

Anyone who wants to learn more about Dead Space's plot can check out a six-issue comic book mini-series published by Image. The comic is written by Anthony Johnston (Wasteland) and is illustrated by Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night). All issues are now available in stores.

An animated Dead Space movie, Dead Space: Downfall, was released October 28, 2008, on Blu-Ray and DVD.

In July 2009, EA announced that they, in partnership with Temple Hill associates Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, plan to pitch a Dead Space film to studios once they have chosen a script and creative direction of which they approve. They have already appointed D.J. Caruso to the position of director.

Developer Diaries

After E3 2008 EA started releasing developer diaries in order to get more information out to the masses and also to show case the unique aspects of Dead Space and its production process. So far there have been eight developer diaries that have been released.

• Dev Diary #1 - Getting the Greenlight - YouTube
• Dev Diary #2 - Developing the Story - YouTube
• Dev Diary #3 - Audio - YouTube
• Dev Diary #4 - Strategic Dismemberment - YouTube
• Dev Diary #5 - Creating Horror - YouTube
• Dev Diary #6 - Zero G - YouTube
• Dev Diary #7 - Animation - YouTube
• Dev Diary #8 - Art and Necromorphs - YouTube

Animated Comics

EA issued an animated version of the Dead Space comic series (6 issues) that has been running since March of 2008. The animated version was for generating hype as much as it was making it easier for people following the game to see the events leading up to Dead Space.

• Animated Comic #1 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #2 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #3 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #4 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #5 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #6 - Gametrailers

Dead Space: Martyr (book)

A book released in 2010 by science fiction writer B. K. Evenson called Dead Space: Martyr served as a prequel to Dead Space. It tells of the origins of the Church of Unitology and introduces geophysicist Michael Altman as he investigates a strange signal and the original Black Marker. The story also tells of Altman's martyrdom to the Unitologist religion, and the Red Marker's origin found on Aegis VII.

Cheat Codes (PS3)

Dead Space on the PS3 comes with cheat codes, which can be entered on the Pause Menu. The following codes can only be used once during a single play through:

• 1000 Credits - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Square
• 2000 Credits - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle
• 5000 Credits - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Square, Triangle
• 10000 Credits - Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Square,Square, Triangle
• 2 Nodes - Triangle, Square, Square, Square, Triangle
• 5 Nodes - Triangle, Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle

These codes can be used any number of times throughout a playthrough.

• Refill Oxygen - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
• Refill Stasis - Square, Triangle, Triangle, Square, Triangle

Note: Players can use these codes and still earn trophies on that playthrough.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Dead Space was released on November 11, 2008 and was composed by Jason Graves.

PC System Requirements

• These are the system requirements for Dead Space (found on the back of the box):
• OS: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Vista
• CPU: 2.8 GHz Processor or better
• RAM: 1 GB or more for XP (2 GB for Vista)
• DISC DRIVE: 1x or faster DVD-ROM drive
• HARD DRIVE: At least 7 GB
• VIDEO: 256 MB or more memory card (NVIDIA GeForce 6800, ATI X1600 Pro, or better)
• SOUND: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

Xbox 360 Game Installation

Dead Space requires 6.97GB of space to install on an Xbox 360 HDD. Dead Space can be downloaded through "Games on Demand" on the Xbox Live Marketplace for $14.99 USD.