Dead Space 3 launches, "disturbing" DLC gets a March date

The long-anticipated Dead Space 3 video game officially launched today in the US.

The title is quite similar to its predecessors. Meaning, it is designed to feel eerie and frightening, with players traipsing through dark and foggy corridors where hostiles are frequently jumping out of the shadows.

The folks over at CNET spent some time playing the video game, noting that the latest installment in the franchise feels much more like a Hollywood movie, as it effectively abandons the mystery associated with the main character.

The game offers cooperative campaigns, along with single-player mode. And yes, the necromorphs are back in this installment, providing familiar foes to battle. The game also boasts a number of suit kiosks and weapon benches scattered about where players can modify their armament load out. One of the big changes between the third game in the franchise and the others is that players are forced to gather elements and tools from their environments to facilitate the creation and modification of weapons.

Visceral Games has also announced the first download content expansion pack, which is dubbed “Dead Space 3 Awakened” and goes live in March. The download content will be offered for $9.99 or 800 Microsoft points, and is slated to hit the the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

“With Dead Space 3 our goal was to evolve the franchise bringing in innovative new features like drop-in/drop-out co-op, weapon crafting, and an engaging atmosphere while still retaining the incredible suspense, horror, action and sound that the series is known for,” explained Visceral VP Steve Papoutsis.

“Gamers are going to be thrown in and out of space, taken to a violent new ice planet and allowed to explore several different abandoned spaceships and caves. But we’re not stopping there. In Dead Space 3 Awakened, gamers will experience some of the most disturbing content they have ever seen in a Dead Space game — they are going to love it.”