Dead Space 3 | The Concept of Horror

Visceral Games’ Dead Space franchise is one that has terrified its players since 2008. With lots of sudden graphical surprises, intense scenarios, and daunting music, it’s clear that these games were built with that very purpose in mind. In a recent blog post by Patrick Lipo (a developer on the Dead Space 3 team), the concept of this “terrorize the player” game design is examined from the studio’s point of view.

Lipo explains:

Horror comes in more flavors than dark, dripping corridors.  The true horror of space comes from the underlying fact that humans are trapped in tiny bubbles, separated from cold, airless death by a thin shell of metal.

The wind and cold, the cracking ice, and the blinding snow hiding terrors just out of sight… that’s what Tau Volantis provides.

That concept is what drives players further into the darkness, through the wreckage of forgotten ships, fighting for their lives against creatures that dodge between the shadows. The fear of what might be around the next corner is one of the most compelling aspects of the Dead Space gameplay.

Fortunately for those who prefer having a partner to watch their back in these darkened hallways, Dead Space 3 features co-op campaign mode for the first time in the series’ history. There are situations that you and your companion will end up in that require coordination and teamwork in order to get through alive. Either way you decide to play the game, there are tons of explorable areas for you (as a solo-survivalist, or as a team) to discover.