Dead Space

What helps make it even more accessible is the fact that the action is really tight. The controls are far more responsive than in any other horror game I've played. Just like a proper action game, you pull the left trigger to aim and the right one to fire. Also, the default sensitivity of the controller's been tweaked to a perfect level, which is a big boon since adjusting them manually can be a real pain in the backside. To make the action even sweeter, the right shoulder button allows you to execute a stomp with your heavy iron boot that helps dispose off fallen enemies swiftly.

This would normally have been an awesome addition to Isaac's arsenal, since the only way to kill the enemy infesting the Ishimura (known as Necromorphs) is to shoot off their limbs, making them supposedly easy targets to thump your boot on. My only complaint is that in spite of having them crawl towards you somewhat helplessly, it's difficult to stomp them since the angle at which your boot comes down is pretty vertical, meaning that enemies in front of you are really hard to kill in this fashion – you'll miss most of the time. It's a real shame, since the feeling of crushing the squishy Necromorphs is one of the most satisfying melee attacks I've experienced in any action game. The fact that it's really hard to execute makes it more rewarding, but frustrating too at the same time.

The game's action is so well-designed and executed that it acts a double-edged sword. What I mean to say is that every time you encounter the enemy you know they're not all that hard to dispose of, so it makes the game far too easy, hence less scary. If you've had a good share of experience with action games, you'll find the default 'Medium' difficulty far less challenging than desired. This, coupled with the fact that ammunition is available in heaps throughout the game, nullifies the dread of the Necromorphs to a large extent, making the game stray from the 'survival-horror' genre and into action territory. I strongly recommend all experienced shooter players to stick to the 'Hard' difficulty setting in order to truly enjoy the game.

The plus side of having such perfectly crafted action in a horror game is that it makes the gameplay heaps of fun. Unlike other horror games that knowingly make disposing off creatures unusually difficult, Dead Space makes killing the enemy fun, making you crave more encounters rather than despise it. While this isn't the best design idea from a survival-horror developer's perspective, it works really well for Dead Space, since once you start playing you'll refuse to put the controller down. Also, thanks to a great upgrade system that lets you beef up guns/armor, there's that extra RPG element in the gameplay that compels you to hoard items to sell, so that you can buy 'power nodes' to upgrade your equipment.