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Dead Space (October 14)

The Scoop: Dead Space; Genre: survival horror; By: EA Redwood Shores; From: Electronic Arts; For: PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360; Rating: Mature

Info: Stranded on a derelict mining ship swarming with "necromorphs" that look like the barf-bag aliens in John Carpenter's The Thing, players battle in zero-gravity conditions wielding bolt cutters, stasis fields, and primitive energy weapons.

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Matt: Paranoid-conspiracy plotter and sometime comics writer Warren Ellis recently admitted that he had helped with Dead Space's plot, which should tantalize fans of Ellis's particular brand of weird. On the other hand, Ellis had nothing to do with the game play, which looks to mimic Resident Evil 4's with its third-person camera and monsters popping up like jack-in-the-boxes. The folks behind this title have a mixed track record (The Godfather, The Simpsons Game), so don't expect something amazing--you'll be that much happier if it is.

Darren: I'm going to be completely, 100 percent honest with you here. When I first heard of this game, I was less than impressed. It sounded like a Doom 3 knockoff, or worse. Even going into this year's E3, I wasn't expecting much. Then I saw Dead Space in action. Horror/action fans will like the otherworldly bloodletting, but I genuinely appreciate the approach. What I've seen firsthand reminds me of ubercreepy sci-fi flicks like Event Horizon and the first Alien. Yes, the makers are liberally lifting from games such as Resident Evil 4--but at least they're doing that in intelligent ways. You're never pulled out of the experience (not even when you're sorting through your inventory), and the cut scenes are a little more interactive. I've got my money on this title becoming a surprise hit.