In addition to buying items, old equipment can be upgraded with Nodes at the Upgrade Benches. The upgrade screen for each item is mapped out in a traditional skill-tree, forcing you to choose which attributes will be most useful for the dangers ahead. Do you want more damage on the line cutter, or an improved reload for those frequently inconvenient moments? Then again, perhaps you should consider raising your suit’s defenses or air supply (hint hint).

Previous, vague speculations regarding the upgrades had numerous forum-crawlers crying “BioShock rip-off,” but A) I love BioShock and B) Dead Space probably does it better. My issue with BioShock is that you begin as an average Joe, but end the game with a carefree, god-like potency. From what I could tell from chapters 1, 2, & 6, Dead Space’s upgrades are only there to give you a fighting chance – the way survival-horror should be.

As unavoidable as it is, I hate to compare Dead Space to other games. Flipping through a small sample of the thousands of pieces of concept art, it’s apparent that the team was out to create something visually unique. You can see the attention in everything from the lack of a H.U.D. (the light bar on Isaac’s back is his health) to the magazines, advertisements, and other visual remnants of society on the Ishimura. What really struck me was the color permeating every surface. Even in the bleakest depths of the ship, hints of red, blue, and green crisscross the darkness. It certainly is a nice change from the shades of black and brown suffocating other mature titles.

The one thing that worries me is the prospect of longevity. There are 150 scripted events that happen with or without you in real-time, collectable crew logs, and hidden areas to find throughout the 15-20 hour journey. Still, the game seems to be a very linear adventure with a distinct lack of non-combat-related choices, no multiplayer options, and there has been no mention of modes for repeat playthroughs. Although such factors aren’t necessary to enjoy a good tale, they certainly are good selling points.

Perhaps such things will have to wait for the sequel, which was never confirmed, but repeatedly alluded to. Whatever happens, Dead Space is shaping up to be the most frightening game of Halloween, if not this generation. And just for the record, yes, there is a pause button.

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