Dead Space (2008 video game)

This article is about the 2008 video game. For the mobile game, see Dead Space (mobile game).

Dead Space
Below the game logo, a severed lower arm in armour floats against a backdrop of a ship and debris in space.
Developer(s)EA Redwood Shores
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Director(s)
Producer(s)
  • Chuck Beaver
  • Steve Papoutsis
Designer(s)Paul Mathus
Programmer(s)Steve Timson
Artist(s)Ian Milham
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Jason Graves
SeriesDead Space
Platform(s)
Release
  • NA: October 13, 2008
  • NA: October 20, 2008 (PC)
  • AU: October 23, 2008
  • EU: October 24, 2008
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Dead Space is a 2008 survival horror game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows as the debut entry in the Dead Space series. Set on a mining spaceship overrun by deadly monsters called Necromorphs following the discovery of an artifact called the Marker, the player controls engineer Isaac Clarke as he navigates the spaceship and fights the Necromorphs while struggling with growing psychosis. Gameplay has Isaac exploring different areas through its narrative, solving environmental puzzles and finding ammunition and equipment to survive.

Dead Space was pitched in early 2006, with an early prototype running on Xbox. Creator Glen Schofield wanted to make the most frightening horror game he could imagine, drawing inspiration from the video game Resident Evil 4 and films including Event Horizon and Solaris. The team pushed for innovation and realism in their design, ranging from procedural enemy placement to removing HUD elements. The sound design was a particular focus during production, with the score by Jason Graves designed to evoke tension and unease.

Dead Space debuted to slow sales but eventually sold over one million copies worldwide. Critics praised its atmosphere, gameplay, and sound design. It won and was nominated for multiple industry awards and has been cited as one of the best video games ever made. The series spawned two numbered sequels (Dead Space 2 in 2011 and Dead Space 3 in 2013), several spin-off titles, and other related media, including a comic book prequel and an animated film.