It’s time for another Retro Ad Replay article! This is the series where we head backwards in time to reminisce and celebrate the anniversary of some of the most significant moments in gaming. If you find yourself wanting more content like this, be sure to visit Mandatory.com.
In this October 13 edition of Retro Ad Replay, we’re taking a trip back 12 years to when Dead Space first launched on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in North America. That’s October 13, 2008. Developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by EA, this sci-fi survival horror title put players into the shoes of Isaac Clarke, a spacecraft engineer who must adapt to fight off Necromorphs with well-placed shots to limbs, instead of going for the traditional headshot.
The GameRevolution Dead Space review awarded the game a score of 4.5/5, giving praise to the “stunning art and sound design,” “seamless in-game menu system,” and “multiple innovative play features.”
Here’s a snippet from the GR review:
To list every new and well-executed idea in DEAD SPACE wouldn’t just spoil many of the surprises waiting for you, it would also take far more time than this review permits. The whole experience lasts about 12 hours but you’ll have missed many things along the way that deserve revisiting on a second or third trip.
DEAD SPACE bursts into the holiday season with the pulpy cracking sound of someone being torn limb from limb. Its visual presentation, unique gameplay features, and emphasis on exploration show that this title’s coming into the ring swinging hard and will be a tough contender to beat. It’s an ambitious title that does so much right that it’s easy to overlook its shortcomings. Anyone who suspected that DEAD SPACE might be just another also-ran shooter this season was dead wrong.
Check out the Dead Space launch trailer below (hosted by rageddeath on YouTube):
