When Bodies Hit The Floor

Dead Space has all the ambiance of a blockbuster scifi horror flick: A ship left adrift in the cold heart of space, crew that may or may not be alive, grotesque creatures intent on eating human flesh, and plenty of false creaks and groans to keep hairs on end.

With all this atmosphere (and cool mechanics), why does Isaac trundle through dead bodies like they are nothing more than fluffy snow banks? Even if the scary things lurking inside the near-abandoned hunk of ship were not horribly reconfigured humans, would you really want to traipse through monster guts? At the very least, crushed skulls and oozing bits provide little traction. At the most, the bodies shouldn’t simply be brushed aside like puffs of dandelion seeds. The protagonist may be suited in an engineering rig that can withstand the vacuum of space, but he is no super-powered Master Chief.

Apparently it all comes down to technology. To make the scattered remains of enemies behave realistically—like rag dolls—they must lose all sense of matter once lifeless. I appreciate the artistry. I like that the bodies don’t instantly vanish. I like that Isaac can kick dismembered limbs around like soccer balls. But when you’re suddenly wading through corpses, it turns even the most terrifying encounter absurd.

Dead Space is still creepy. I’m only two hours in, and am enjoying myself mightily. But the dead nothings certainly kill the mood. I’m now on the look out for herds of mutant manatees flopping about the floor. Spotting a school, I’ll crack a smile—right before something else kills me.