Was Dead Space too intense? Probably the closest thing you’ll find to an 8 hour horror movie, Dead Space was arguably one of the most visceral gaming experiences of 2008. It wasn’t the sales success that Electronic Arts had hoped, but in a crowded holiday season of excellent titles, the mature and brutally cinematic game might’ve been too much for the average consumer to take in.

Now a year removed, and Dead Space hasn’t aged a bit. Retailing for $19.99 (PC, Xbox 360, & PS3), and with Halloween around the corner, you owe it to yourself to check out what I personally considered one of my most traumatic experiences in the last few years. If you consider yourself a fan of horror, think of Dead Space as an interactive assault. Terrifying throughout the entire 8 hour campaign, Dead Space is one of the few games that got an honest emotional reaction out of me. You’re isolated on the U.S.S. Ishimura, and the violence that you inflict is so deliberate and gruesome, that it becomes revolting. Seriously. I really want to give a full spotlight review of this year old game, but I believe that the attached Dead Space: Top 5 Deaths video I found on YouTube (thanks Bitmob) says it better than anything I could type.

If fear excites you, get ready for an adrenaline rush. Dead Space is a gaming-cinematic masterpiece, and the gap between movie and interactive gaming is paper thin. This is a Hollywood production through-and-through. In this tough economy, 19.99 is one of the most compelling arguments around to pick up one of the best games you’ll play this year….or ever.