Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 4

Use British English much?

They sure are and this game will be GOTY! You should at least be able to enjoy the animated comics. They're great! Wish they were all out...

Yes. And? So?

I agree I do like this style as well, it takes a bit to get used to. Not sure how familiar you are with comics, but INVINCIBLE, by the writer of The Walking Dead, is doing something similar on itunes. Its pretty cool.

Agreed but let's hope the game lives up to the same standards of scripting and voice acting. Some depth to the characters would be nice too.

The art style of these animated comics remind me of The Surrogates.

Correction: Viruses do have some enzymes/proteins, but they are normally very limited. Some kind of super virus maybe? I still like weaponized Ebola.

Doesn't have to make sense... Remember... Mushrooms don't make you bigger either. Even if you might feel different after taking them

I'm only commenting on because when you put together an origin story, I feel like it's a cop-out to wave around DNA and just assume everyone will go with it. I have no problem accepting zombie-ism, I just would rather have no explanation than a half-assed one. The whole DNA-thingamajiggy concept is so frequently abused as an explanation that it gets old. I'm hoping that now that they've opened that door, they follow through with a semi-plausible explanation, but I wouldn't be surprised if they just left it at that. Only time will tell, and it won't really keep me from playing the game. The fear might still keep me away, but not the logic.

I understand what you mean. It seemed as though she was only just starting to explain what's going on though. So it looks like they will explain more. Did you play Parasite Eve? They explained what was going on with the DNA through the whole game. But I was 10-12 when I played and couldn't really grasp the whole idea so well. That's a reason I've been hoping for a remake or new game of the series.

I never played it, but apparently you wished hard enough, for it appears there will be a sequel.

I SAW! That's the greatest luck I've ever had! I'm really happy now =D

You've caused me to read through the whole history of the novel/games on Wikipedia. Pretty compelling story, and definitely not a half-assed attempt at an explanation (though the bit about sperm mitochondria is a bit off, as they are not incorporated into the developing embryo and are actually of maternal origin as well). I can always get down with a good evolution-gone-awry story. Nevertheless, it sounds like a cool story and yet another reason to break out my PSP!

Sorry that I made you read =P But it was a great game and I loved the gameplay. So I'm hoping it won't change too much. I don't have a PSP at the moment but I'll have to get one now.

How do you know so much about genes and mitochondria and all that fun super interesting stuff?

Well clearly it does affect living bodies, since it was making people depressed and psychotic, however its only able to properly express itself and replicate or whatnot in dead flesh.

6 years and counting of biochemical/medical education.

Impressive! This will be my GOTY whether it seems like a viable story or not

Like I said before, these comics have transformed this from just another horror game into a pretty cool story, so hopefully I can overcome my fears and get into it, because it looks fun. I definitely won't be playing it with all the lights off in the middle of night, that's for sure. I wonder how the save system will work though, since I feel that this is responsible for a lot of the tension in scary games. Games like Bioshock can't be scary because dying doesn't matter, but hopefully it won't be as annoying as the RE typewriter system.

Further correction you would be bio nerds. Viruses do not carry anything accept for a genetic sequence that is either in the form of RNA or DNA. The viral proteins are produced after the viruses infects a cell and hijacks the hosts biochemical machinery.

As for the reanimation of necrotic tissue its possible that a virus that infects dead tissue could cause a genetic mutation that would cause the dead to rise. Though the biochemical processes through which this would work would be weird to say the least.

Viruses such as HPV are even though to be responsible for some types of cancers. This is due to the virus' ability to incorporate its genome into a hosts genome. This can sometimes lead to a mutation that makes the cells begin to divide at a cancerous rate.

In short what I'm trying to say is that Dead Spaces' explanation within the animated short for the dead rising could, at least in all theory, be possible.

I'm sure that the save system will be solid. I felt the same way about Bioshock also. It really did ruin the intensity of the moment. With how they've done the HUD (or lack of) I imagine the save will be creative and done properly.

And I love survival horror games late at night alone with lights off. You get the affect the game was made to give. Did you play Blue Stinger? I bet you money that Ludwig owns it and loves it!

Before you post a correction, make sure you are right. Viruses (retroviruses specifically) carry one very important protein: reverse transcriptase. Without this, they wouldn't be able to produce DNA from their RNA-based genome, and thus would be unable reproduce (since they would not be incorporated in the host genome). This is what I was thinking of when I said that viruses do carry some proteins, and so it is not impossible for them to carry other ones as well (we just haven't seen it yet).

And I still argue that dead tissue (especially long dead, such as the suicide victims) would have no ATP left with which to translate DNA (host or invader) and would not be able to get anything done (genetic mutation or not). If the virus' capsule contained an enzyme to turn proteins into acetyl-CoA and were thus able to restart the citrate cycle and the ETC (though how the acetyl-CoA would get across the mitochondrial membranes without functioning ATP-fueled transport proteins I don't know), they'd also need a source of oxygen in order to transfer the reduced electrons off the end of the ETC. So maybe with a little CPR, we'd have a functioning virus.

I think what would really need to happen would be infection by an anaerobic bacteria-virus symbiote. The bacteria would have to be a chemotroph, not needing oxygen to survive, and thus capable of providing ATP to the host's cells so that the virus could then hijack a functioning molecular production line. This would be especially useful in space were there might not be a steady supply of oxygen, and perhaps the bacteria could even be incorporated into the host's cells (similar to how mitochondria were incorporated long ago), acting as the new power supply for the cell. This would also explain the zombies constant hunger, as the chemotrophic bacteria would need a constant supply of carbon (or something, sulfur or whatever) in order to continue functioning. How's that for a scientifically-based explanation?

Sounds scientific.... But I don't know anything about that stuff. If you have any questions about Apple Warranties, I'm your man!