I managed to get my hands on a copy of Dead Space yesterday and put it in the drive as soon as I got home. Forever the skeptic since Doom 3 and F.E.A.R., I was expecting a decent game but nothing that really scared me.

I watched the opening trailer and decided that the hair texture wasn't going to keep me from enjoying the gameplay. After all, who really needs hair, anyway?

I made my way through the first level learning about my abilities with stasis and telekinesis, and practiced slicing off limbs with my weapons. Did I mention a flame thrower? Oh yes. 

I sat there playing, waiting for things to pop out trying to scare me - expecting them. I wasn't let down. "Oh hey, look, I opened a door and something fell out of the ceiling... yawn." But then it started to really happen. Instead of having things dropped in front of my face, they would happen behind me, or to my side. I would miss things falling from vents, only to hear bone and flesh hit the floor behind me. My innards were theirs for the taking.

The camera works well - A win!

The creatures are disgusting - A win!

You can kick decapitated heads around like a soccer ball - A definite win!

Sure, I've read some things that have said this is a game with nothing new added - Just another space shooter. So far, I've had to solve problems using my given abilities, kill things with a laser cutter by aiming for specific parts of the "body", had the crap scared out of me 3 times in a row and played soccer with more than a couple of heads. I don't recall being able to do all of that in any other games, so far.

Granted I haven't played enough to give a full on review but those are my first impressions and I'm sticking to them.

The onslaught of games has begun. I need better time management skills. This whole work thing and that sleeping thing is not conducive to my gaming time.