There seems to be a generational difference when it comes to defining just what the popular horror genre means to people. A good example would be George Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead zombie mall masterpiece and its 2004 remake by action director Zach Synder. One only need to look so far at Romero’s slow, plodding undead to Synder’s fast-paced and relentless versions to see how interpretive the idea of scary can be to different people. Another example would be the original space creeper Alien, whose fundamental criteria for face-hugging chills and thrills was perfectly augmented with its (first of many) action-oriented sequel.

EA’s attempt to mine the survival-horror genre, so closely associated with the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, follows the latter examples of both films for one of the company's most enjoyable packages in some time. With a plot that heavily borrows from any number of sources (most notably System Shock 2) and gameplay mechanics from anything within reach, Dead Space manages to use its kitchen sink approach to gaming as an advantage, carefully mixing in proven attributes from its more successful inspirations while managing to invigorate the genre with a few surprises of its own. While its certainly not a perfect package, its one that so often hits the mark and so well that fans of a hellish good time will find much to love.

The game’s silent protagonist Isaac Clarke (fittingly, an amalgamation of science-fiction writers Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke) bears more resemblance to Half Life’s Gordon Freeman than most action heroes, and should provide even more engineering hero worship for engineers everywhere. Although he never utters a word, his skill with a variety of weapons and corpse-dismembering foot stomp speak far more effectively than mere words ever could. While we learn bits and pieces about our hero throughout his romp through the many layers of the doomed spaceship Ishimura and his battle against the curiously aggressive Necromorph creatures - hideously disfigured and reanimated corpses of the crew that'll stop at nothing to slice 'n dice you into zero-gravity sushi.

The most interesting aspect of the game’s dedication to total immersion is the absence of any standard HUD system, instead integrating any necessary menus and status bars into Isaac’s suite and holographic display system. While this has been tried before with little success, Dead Space nails the concept so successfully that I wonder how long it'll be before other games standardize it. Everything from health and ammo status is handled in-game, with the only real menu being Isaac's holographic inventory system (admittedly, a bit cumbersome). Say goodbye to quick pauses to down some health replenishing medi-packs, as you can bet that creature waiting to rip you apart won't be so patient. Along with the various video updates and mostly-optional back-story events, integrating the small details in with the real-time events really helps turn up the intensity levels nicely.

The bulk of gameplay may look and feel similar to any number of Gears of War/Resident Evil clones, but its how its handled here that separates Dead Space from the pack. Say goodbye to headshots and hello to strategic dismemberments - a feat made infinitely more enjoyable thanks to Isaac's stasis and telekinesis powers, which allow him to slow down or toss items, respectively. Causing a charging monster to suddenly slow down, while picking off a few limbs and whatnot, is immediately satisfying and almost too much fun. Watch for dismembered enemies to keep up the attack, as they'll take new stances or methods to attack you relentlessly until they're finally good and dead. Whether that takes a few well-timed shots or a good boot-stomp to the face, there's a surprising amount of strategy to the battles that helps liven things up a good deal.

Also worth mentioning is the use of the in-game virtual map, which like Fable 2's 'breadcrumb' system makes mission-mapping and objective completing a snap. Actually, it pretty much renders the game's amazing 3D map (second only to Metroid Prime's, in my opinion) nearly obsolete, and while lazy gamers will appreciate how easy it helps move things along will undoubtedly cause consternation among the more 'hardcore' types. But the game never forces it upon you, and to be honest during the game's various anti-gravity moments it can be more troublesome than helpful. Aping Resident Evil 4's in-game shopkeeper ("What are ya buying?") was a good idea, and allowing gamers to purchase/modify new weapons and inventory throughout helps break up some of the feelings of isolation that could've notched things back a few points.

Technically speaking, the game’s a stunner. The floating corpse of mining ship Ishimura is among the most densely layered, richly detailed environments ever seen in a game of this type. The design staff certainly did their work, taking full advantage of the claustrophobic feel of being trapped in such closed-in locations, and in nearly every nook and cranny we can appreciate the effort to practically make Dead Space a textbook example of how a next-generation game should look. Isaac himself is particularly well rendered, as are his fellow shipmates and the various (and increasingly hideous) Necromorph living-dead nasties scattered throughout the ship. A bit more variety across the board would have been nice, but there's no denying what a tight, solid visual package this game really is.

As impressive as the visuals may be, its the game's audio that truly sets the mood and could be considered the single-most frightening thing about the whole package. From Isaac's screams of terror and suffocation to the creep Necromorph's subtle background sleuthing, much of what makes the experience so terrifying isn't what you see - its what you hear. The soundtrack is even better, with modulating tempos and cacophonous explosions of noise when things get tough, really bringing the hairs on the back of my neck to full attention and my heart racing. That such attention was made to the overall aural experience says volumes - literally - to why the chills are genuine and very real.

As much as I loved the first half of my plodding through Dead Space's creepy adventure, there's still a few points that keep the whole package from unseating any of the current horror champs out there. The claustrophobic dread of outer space, while utilized well, gets a tad crusty and bleak about midway through and should never have been as extended as it was. The same goes for the various objectives, which start to feel awfully familiar by the umpteenth time Isaac is asked to flick this switch, or start that reactor. Traversing through some of the larger areas to accomplish a few of the more simple tasks never feels as epic or as terrifying as it should, especially when enemy attacks become predictable and the lack of variety among them starts to fade. In a world of black and white, there's only so many shades of gray.

When Dead Space veers off the ‘kitchen sink’ approach and marks its own territory the results are among the most satisfying and atmospheric horror in modern gaming. Its technical achievements have been so thoroughly polished and meticulously plotted that – despite pockets of repetitive gameplay and some thumb-numbing backtracking - EA should be applauded for creating an entirely original property that manages to at one time feel familiar, yet strikingly innovative at the same time. Although the single-locale gameplay lasts entirely too long to keep the scares genuine, there's much to appreciate here and the bar for any possible sequels (count on it) has definitely been set fairly high.