Editor's note: It appears that Andy's watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers one too many times. When a scene in Dead Space reminds him of the movie's parasitic aliens, he starts to... well, you'll just have to read his story to find out. -Brett
Like many of us, I caught my first glimpse of Dead Space on The 1UP Show and it floored me. The game looked like the second coming of Resident Evil 4 -- set in space! -- and I couldn't wait to play it. When I finally bought it, I waited until I was alone in my house, then turned off all the lights, cranked the sound up high, and settled in front of my 32-inch HDTV. I was prepared to be scared.
Thirty minutes later, I turned the lights back on and waited for my wife to come home.
Before you write me off as a coward, let me give you some background. I'm not usually scared by things. I'm an avid scary movie buff, having been educated on monsters and other creatures by a father who loved to grab a stack of 1950s monster flicks from the dollar bin at Blockbuster to entertain the kids. I'm a student of the George Romero School of Undead -- slow, moaning, and terrifying in groups. I love a good alien movie, monster movies are my favorite afternoon snack, and I love the chance to sit on the couch all day long during a SyFy Channel movie marathon.
That said, the scariest movie I've ever seen, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, still creeps me out to this day.
Anyone familiar with Body Snatchers (check out this trailer if you're not) might get a hint why Dead Space so frightened me. The most terrifying movie I've ever seen is all about your body being taken over, duplicated, and absorbed by a horrific space race bent on world destruction.
The worst part is, at the end of the movie, (*spoiler!*) we don't stop them. The final scene of Body Snatchers shows our hero raving mad, screaming in the streets that "THEY'RE HERE!" as trucks of pods ready to snatch unwitting bodies roll into California. We lost.
So here comes Dead Space. Not too long into the game, I witnessed the death scene shown below (it's the first one in the video). The Necromorph does the same horrible thing I've seen over and over when watching Body Snatchers. It takes over the body of Isaac Clarke and makes him an extension of itself. This thing, this tiny creature, decapitates Isaac, then shoves itself down Isaac's neck and turns its head into Isaac's brand new head. And then... oh god, and then it straightens up and walks away with his body.
There is nothing scarier. Honestly.
Okay, at this point we've established that when it comes to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, I'm a total pansy. When it comes to Dead Space, I can only play with the lights on and a comforting wife near me.
But that isn't the whole story. This post is just the primer. The true horror of what an easily terrified joke of a man I can be comes tomorrow. I have to take some pictures at my office to fully explain the terror.
Why my office? Well, much like the people of F.E.A.R., I was visited by a great evil in my workplace.
I haven't seen Body Snatchers, but I had similar thoughts on Dead Space. I'm now looking forward to the end of your story.
Brian Shirk ,
October 27, 2009
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The more I hear about this game the higher it gets on my pile of shame. Everyone has to check out the conclusion of this story.
Lance Darnell ,
October 27, 2009
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That video of the deaths really makes me want to play this game.
David Matos ,
October 27, 2009
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I loved Dead Space. Damn game gave me savage anxiety as I went through it, but I couldn't stop playing!
Eric King ,
October 27, 2009
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Dead Space was excellent. Scared the crap out of my girlfriend. Surround sound + no lights was a great combination.
Patrick Williams ,
October 27, 2009
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I'd be curious to see Raychul's response to this article, in accordance to her Mobcast topic and brief mention of her disdain for Dead Space being considered a quality survival-horror game.
Jon Cole ,
October 27, 2009
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The original Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the best science fiction/suspense films ever made (the original Incredible Shrinking Man is awesome, too). While the fright did fade after a couple hours play, I seriously thought about not playing the game at all during those first sequences just before, and right after, getting the plasma cutter. I was seriously creeped out for awhile there.
Justin Allen ,
October 27, 2009
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Re: Jon Cole - It's as much horror as Resident Evil ever was. It gives enough jumps certainly, but I think of it more action and suspense than horror. But it's still a great game.
As for the videos, I always wondered if I missed out on part of the Dead Space experience by not dying enough. Now I know.
Chris Cesarano ,
October 27, 2009
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I never got around to playing that game, but it sure does look brutal. You're lucky you have a comforting wife. All I ever have are girlfriends telling me I'm a nerd...and sweaty palms
Nick Giunta ,
October 28, 2009
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I tried this game and didn't find it to my liking. Your description of that video tells me I was right to quit when I did. I don't want to see that - I'll never forget it.
The seventies version of Body Snatchers isn't bad by the way - Leonard Nimoy is in it!
Daniel Feit ,
October 28, 2009
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Well now... this just makes me want to play through the game one more time! Such a great gaming experience, Dead Space. Frightening and gratifying.
Playing that game while my wife watched was a bit like the Uncharted 2 commercial, except she knew full well that the game was a game. She still popped popcorn while I played and we watched with dread-filled anticipation of the next horrific gotcha and gruesome death.
Keith Schloemer ,
October 28, 2009
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Dude what version of the movie did you see? The one I rented had the main guy getting the word out to the army at the very end.
Kenn Quist ,
October 28, 2009
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@Kenn The original 1956 version I guess you could say he "got the word out," but it was fairly futile at that point. Even though some of the people believed him, the invasion was already too far gone. The final scene leaves you with the idea that the world is doomed. The pods had already gotten out of town and were being carried by the military, so they were unstoppable. The final scene is open ended. You never get the sense that the world will be saved.
Andy Phifer ,
October 28, 2009
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