When it was first unveiled at E3 2012, the scariest part about Dead Space 3 wasn’t the frightening creatures, moody locales, or disgusting dismemberment — it was the revelation that the series would be adding co-op play. Dead Space, a series focused on leaving a lone engineer in the direst of circumstances with absolutely no help, was now giving ultimate loner Isaac Clarke backup? While EA initially did little to assuage gamers’ fears, our recent hands-on time with the game yielded a surprising revelation: the addition of co-op may actually make the gameplay experience even more frightening.

In order to get a feel for the different experience that co-op play provides, we first played a section of an ice-ridden planet solo. Even though we were outdoors, tight croppings of rock formations made navigation just as tense as traipsing through the USG Ishimura. Encounters with a new brand of Necromorphs that approached with staccato, stop-motion-inspired movements were made even more intense by the veritable blizzard obscuring our vision. Once inside the nearby space station, things went relatively calm until a final encounter at a locked door ushered in a new wave of Necromorphs during our escape attempt.

They may be partners, but Isaac Clarke and John Carver won’t be spouting pleasantries to each other on the battlefield.

When then we joined up with the mysterious John Carver, we at first felt more at ease with a buddy by our side…until we realized our new pal seemed a little off. Carver’s combat repertoire equals Issac’s — he can shoot, slow down time, stomp enemies, take cover, and perform quick avoidance maneuvers — but with a brutal Necromorph attack haunting his past, our new pal gave indicators he wouldn’t be as reliable as we’d figured on.

Our first indication that Carver might have a few screws loose in his RIG came when we encountered our first co-op–only section. After clearing the outdoor area by teaming up to perform stasis-gunshot combos on enemies, we came across a door that required two players to open. Entering this new room revealed Visceral’s ingenious implementation of cooperative fear: while Clarke saw a nondescript room that barely differed from the rest of the building, Carver saw a wall lined with nutcracker-like toy soldiers.

Isaac will collect gun parts, instead of nebulous nodes, to upgrade his weaponry.

A little later, the wheels on Issac and John’s partnership completely came off as the duo approached a door that had previously signaled a Necromorph onslaught for Clarke in singleplayer. As we laid waste to the alien menace as Clarke, we soon realized we had no help from Carver. Instead, he was clutching his head in pain during this pivotal movement — and a glance at our co-op partner’s screen proved it wasn’t a simple incapacitation. The other player was fighting through a flashback as he futilely attempted to save his family from the creatures that killed them.

We expect online co-op to be filled with surprises like this — moments where you’ll nervously wonder if your partner will be around to help you. That’s the stuff horror games should excel at — here’s hoping Dead Space 3 keeps on delivering this level of anxiety.

A never-ending supply of Necromorphs are joined by Unitology fantatics in Dead Space 3.

PUBLISHER: EA • DEVELOPER: Visceral Games • MULTIPLAYER: Yes • RELEASE DATE: February 5, 2013 • FOR FANS OF: Teamwork, hallucinations, mistrusting your partner