It’s odd that these missions require an extra person in co-op to access. These are actually some of the best parts of the story. Carver’s presence introduces new lines of dialogue and a bunch of great optional co-op missions that explore his tragic past. The game responds well to the addition of a second player, and in some of the tougher encounters the help is welcome, especially on higher difficulties. Playing in co-op erodes the sense of isolation, but the scares and the persistent sense of dread the series is known for remain intact (single-player purists can still play alone and enjoy a relatively faithful Dead Space experience). The addition of co-op moves the franchise from the fringes of core survival horror onto the mainstream stage of action thriller. Oh, and props to whoever chose Pelican’s “Ephemeral” for the credit roll. The voice-acting is high quality throughout, albeit a bit cliched. The music and sound design are top-notch as well, supporting the world class visuals with crunchy, unsettling noises, and a rousing score from Jason Graves and James Hannigan that traces lines between classic genre soundtracks from Brian May (The Road Warrior), James Horner (Alien), and Hans Zimmer (Inception). The haunting depths of space stretch out indifferently in a solar haze, channeling the spirit of ‘80s matte paintings and pulpy sci-fi and horror movies, while the ice-driven snowscapes of Tau Volantis reimagine the Antarctic terror from John Carpenter’s The Thing. Visceral Games’ highly modified Godfather engine handily renders everything in glistening, crystalline clarity (the game performs best on Xbox 360 and PC, with the PlayStation 3 version suffering some minor slowdown). Few games boast as rich an atmosphere as Dead Space 3. Isaac is joined by John Carver, the first playable co-op character in the series. This begins with Isaac heading off to rescue Ellie, his missing girlfriend who returns from Dead Space 2 with barely a mention about her missing eye (or busty chest makeover). Dead Space 3 follows the galaxy’s unluckiest engineer, Isaac Clarke, as he takes up the fight to protect the human race from the mysterious Markers and its Necrospawn.
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