games. I feel that horror action games have fallen into a rut that combined cheap scares with limitations on controls or movement along with other bits of awkwardness that turn what could be a fun, thrilling experience into a tedious one.

The trilogy continues with the previous protagonist, Isaac Clarke, but this time joined by a partner: John Carver. Going into this I was extremely worried about EA's contribution as publisher to Visceral Studios. I had some biased feelings being burnt by Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age II already.

Dead Space 3 is a pretty good addition to the franchise and, while it tries to respect the core of the series, quite a few of its additions don't really hit their targets, like the scavenging component or the co-op, to some degree.

+Still a good survival shooter; +Co-op is a good addition; +Fleshes out the Dead Space universe

-A lot of backtracking; -The scavenging and crafting can get boring; -Awkward mini-games

The combat system and the world Visceral has crafted in Dead Space 3 is so expertly built and well-wrought, I found myself consciously overlooking my main criticisms, because I love playing it and spending time with it.

Incredibly realized world; Fantastic sound design; Tight; unique combat

Forced story; Too many errands; deja vu moments

Dead Space 3 has had a difficult lead-up to launch. James Cullinane weighs up whether this game's more action-oriented direction marks a new dawn for the series, or an ignominious end.

High production value occasionally shines; Crafting system is huge and flexible; Cooperative play is immensely satisfactory.

Microtransactions break the fourth wall; Drop-in, drop out coop is problematic; Action trumps horror.

There are certain things that gamers associate the Dead Space series with, and Dead Space 3 does its best to bring all of those elements back a third time around. Players still control engineer turned mental patient turned disturbed loner, Isaac Clarke.

Dead Space 3 is one of those games that, at first glance, I would usually avoid as I am easy to scare. That said, I have played both of the previous titles and loved them both; the second especially for forever embedding the eye and needle scene into my nightmares.

Beautiful visuals

- Not as scary as the previous titles in the series

Dead Space came out of nowhere. It proved that in the days of Call of Duty and the other mega franchises, there was still space for a genuinely new and exciting series of games.

Graphically stunning; action packed; gun creation

Repetitive; not scary

The third installment of the Dead Space trilogy is upon us. We have journeyed along with Isaac Clarke and seen his horrors, both real and perceived, and how his fragile state of mind has been the cause of much of his anguish.

Controls will be familiar to Dead Space gamers; Music and sound effects set the tone perfectly

Less horror than in previous instalments; Linear gameplay for the main story

I wonder: with the threat of the Necromorphs theoretically dealt with, is the Dead Space franchise itself now just as dead? And should we be content with three games in a series, or do you want more?

Strong graphical style and detail; excellent combat; good resolution to the story

Annoying save system; routine boss battles; charges for cheats