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Dead Space is a hotchpotch of horror, shamelessly stealing bits and pieces from past masters of the genre to create a sum that’s greater than its parts. Creator Glen Schofield even spoke to Wes Craven and Eli Roth in the hope of picking up a few pointers.
Digital Gigolo thought it would be fun, in the lead up to the release of Dead Space Extraction on the Wii, to make a list of the films and games that most influenced the developers:
Event Horizon
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Resident Evil
There’s a bit in Dead Space where you’re walking down an empty corridor. All is quiet, too quiet, and then SMASH! A pulsating red tentacle bursts through the wall. It’s a proper brown-pants moment and an obvious homage to Resident Evil and that unforgettable dogs-smashing-through-window set piece. The camera, peeking over Isaac’s right shoulder, and the control set up is heavily influenced by Resident Evil 4.
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Carrie
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And check out the Dead Space box art. The image is reminiscent of Carrie’s own battered claw reaching to the heavens.
Blair Witch
The grainy, green night-vision videologs that lie scattered throughout the ship hark back to the groundbreaking hand-held shaky-cam horrors of Blair Witch. Brilliant voice acting means these concise soundbites are never a chore to sit through. And they heap on the atmosphere in spadefuls.
Bioshock
The claustrophobic, corpse-strewn space ship you explore in Dead Space is, in essence, exactly the same setting used in Bioshock’s underwater city. Audio logs are also used in both Rapture and the USG Ishimura to progress story and flesh out the background to your situation. Both protagonists are also a dab hand at telekinesis.
Constantly upgradeable power suits, the sublime 3D map and the sexy neon lights are all present and correct.
Star Wars
The military suit you’ll unlock upon completion of the game bears an uncanny resemblance to the amour worn by the storm troopers in Star Wars.
Blair Witch
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Bioshock
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Metroid
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Star Wars
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There’s also a secret achievement called ‘Don’t get cocky kid’ that can be unlocked if you survive the ADS Cannon with over 50% shield strength remaining. It’s a line used by Han Solo in Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope after Luke Skywalker blows up his first TIE fighter:
Luke: Got 'im! I got 'im!
Han Solo: Great, kid. Don't get cocky.
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