Is Dead Space a Zombie Game?
Dead Space is a franchise of survival horror video games. Most Dead Space video games are set in science fiction environments, such as spaceships and space stations. Dead Space video games have been praised for their atmosphere, gameplay and storyline. The original Dead Space video game, Dead Space (2008), was developed by EA Redwood Shores (later Visceral Games) and published by Electronic Arts. Dead Space video games are survival horror video games, and in this sense, their gameplay and overall experience is directed to scare the player, in line with its genre of horror video game. Considering that survival horror video games often present monsters in order to scare gamers, players who have not yet played the Dead Space video games may wonder whether these video games feature zombies or other types of monsters, and whether Dead Space video games could be considered zombie video games.
Dead Space games are zombie games, as they prominently feature zombies throughout most of the gameplay. The zombies of Dead Space are called necromorphs, which are faster and tougher than most zombies of other video games.
The Necromorphs of Dead Space
The main threat throughout Dead Space video games are necromorphs, a specific type of zombie seen in these games. Unlike most zombies in traditional horror video games, which are generally quite slow and even predictable, necromorphs of Dead Space are quite fast and tough. Some necromorphs are able to move quite fast and jump, and they are not only quite strong, they also possess certain bodyparts that act as weapons, such as blades, for example. For this reason, necromorphs of Dead Space are quite different from typical zombies which would only push against doors and walls. Dead Space's necromorphs are capable or moving very fast, jumping and moving through ventilation systems of spaceships and space stations. Thus, encounters with necromorphs of Dead Space tend to be more fast-paced than encounters with zombies seen in other traditional horror video games. The ability of some necromorphs to crawl through vents, and move at the same time quite fast and quietly, greatly adds to the suspenseful atmosphere of Dead Space video games, because one may never be sure of where the necromorphs are. This unpredictability of the enemy is also seen in another sci-fi survival horror video game, Alien: Isolation (2014), in which the main enemy of the video game, the alien, is also able to move through vents and be quite unpredictable, especially in higher difficulties, and does not make much noise during movement. Unpredictable enemies, such as seen in Dead Space (2008) and Alien: Isolation (2014), are a great feature for a survival horror video game, because they greatly add to the suspenseful atmosphere and replay value of these video games. Indeed, over time players may get used to certain patterns of attack of certain enemies, but players will never be able to find ways to completely counter the silence of a quiet and unpredictable AI enemy in video games.
Necromorphs are also quite unique in the sense that there is a variety of necromorphs which possess different strenghts and weaknesses. These variations in types of necromorphs influence how fast they move, their pattern of attack and other characteristics, which not only present variation in the type of threat they present to the player character, but also in the best methods of fighting and defeating these hostile zombies in the encounters throughout the Dead Space video games. Some necromorphs are able to jump large distances, while other necromorphs are more adapted to running quite fast, being able to pursue the main game character if necessary. Especially in some zero-gravity environments of the Dead Space video games, the versatility of the necromorphs, and also how quiet they can be, can be a real challenge and add to the suspenseful atmosphere and to the horror video game experience, also being one of the unique characteristics of the Dead Space video games in the horror video game genre. While Dead Space video games present very well-made and unique sci-fi environments, these video games are also praised for the uniqueness and versatility of the necromorph enemies present in these video games, which are often remembered by fans and horror video game players.
Dead Space's necromorphs are not only fast and tough, they are also scary, which is quite important for survival horror video games such as the Dead Space video games. Necromorphs are not only capable of fighting, moving fast, and moving quietly, these enemies are also quite scary due to their unpredictability. Necromorphs may engage the main game character through a variety of ways, in a variety of directions, and they are generally smarter than the zombies seen in traditional horror video games. While zombies in traditional horror video games generally act mindlessly, Dead Space's necromorphs will often act as predators, seeking the most effective ways of engaging the main game character. For this reason, even for players who are experienced with traditional horror video games with zombies, the necromorphs can be a scary threat in the Dead Space video games.
There is a variety of necromorphs appearing throughout the Dead Space video games. Within each game, different types of necromorphs engage the player, and besides these more common necromorph enemies, there are also necromorph bosses throughout the Dead Space video games, which are generally either tougher, faster, or both. Each variation of necromorph in Dead Space video games possesses unique strengths and weaknesses, and being able to identify these unique characteristics is of essential importance for players looking to play these video games, especially in higher difficulties. In the Dead Space video games, such as in other survival horror video games, health items and ammunition can be quite limited in higher difficulties, and being able to strategically use these resources in the most effective way is an important strategy for playing in the higher difficulties. In order to achieve this, it is important the player observes and learns the unique characteristics of the different variants of necromorphs encountered throughout the Dead Space video games. Moreover, the necromorphs are one of the unique characteristics of Dead Space video games, and they complement the survival horror experience of these video games.
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