Dead Space: Downfall (2008)

 

You might be wondering why a videogame needs a prequel, but in the case of 'Dead Space' this actually isn't such a bad idea. The idea behind this horror/survival game is that a vessel known as the Ishimura is overrun by weird lifeforms that mutilate humans and turns them extremely hostile and you have to discover what went wrong. This animated feature literally ends with the beginning of the game, yet gives people unfamiliar with the franchise some much needed background information.

It's also gory as all hell, which is nice. They truly didn't pull any punches. 

On a distant planet, a massive object is found, known only as a 'Marker'. It is believed by members of a church (Unitologists) that these objects show the path to enlightenment and eventually God. The captain of the Ishimura brings the marker on board, but as soon as it was discovered, strange events start to happen. People are increasingly violent and suddenly there's a spree of murders that no one can explain. 

It transpires that something has been unleashed on the planet's surface and thanks to a panicked employee this lifeform has made it on board of the Ishimura, infecting corpses and bringing the deceased back as Necromorphs. Into all this walks Chief of Security Alissa Vincent, who is trying to figure out just what the heck is happening and why so many people are turning up dead. Eventually she figures out it has to do something with the marker, but chances are it is already too late... 

Of course this franchise takes a lot of inspiration from 'Alien' and other outer space horror, and that is just fine. What is really surprising is that they could have sleepwalked their way through this one, but the feature is actually pretty engaging. Sure, some of the dialogue is rather hokey and you can predict the beats to which the story marches, but this is not some cartoon for children. Not only do our characters drop F-bombs galore, but the blood and guts are shown in explicit detail and it is gory as all hell, just as a story of this type should be. There is also no predicting who will survive and this ramps up the tension. 

Okay sure, the story is told in a flashback, so you know Alissa will be around until the end, but the actual ending is fittingly bleak and actually quite horrifying, considering you know what is going to happen next. 

Does it stand on its own? I'm inclined to say yes, as I am not that familiar with the game on which this is based. What you are left with, is an enjoyably gruesome scifi/horror that ticks the right boxes for the fans and also is good enough that anyone with a penchant for animation and horror will get their kicks. It's better than one might expect.