In its third installment, EA and Visceral Games are currently putting the final touches on the Dead Space franchise. A leader in the survivor-horor genre, Dead Space 3 is planned for a February 2013 release date and will answer many open questions about the franchise. 
 
Dead Space 3 may be the third title in the series but it has a lot of new and exciting content for players. The location this time around is entirely new, a frozen and terrible ice-hole named “Tau Volantis”. This planet is far from hospitable, during EA’s presentation at E3 2012 this year, the company let gamers take a first glance at this frozen deathtrap. The planet itself is home to completely new monsters and Necromorphs as well. A key element to the ‘survival’ half of this game is the environment itself. EA has stated that lead protagonist Isaac will need all of his engineering experience in order to survive the planet’s frozen surface. To do this, Issac will have to scavenge for supplies or materials as he makes his way to new locations and encampments throughout the game.
 
Fans of the series already know about the Unitologists, a religion in the game based on the first interaction with a known marker and Michael Altman. Although Unitology is a major component in the title, learning about its secrets and meeting its members is a rare and special occurrence. That is why fans should be excited to know that a special sect of Unitologist soldiers are also on the planet with Isaac, though their exact mission is still a secret.
 
These are just some of the mysteries that Visceral Games will allow players to uncover in this installment. The origin of the markers, one of the largest and most controversial subjects in the Dead Space universe, will also be revealed. This dark secret will expose the mystery behind the hallucinations and the first outbreak of Necromorphs, finally bringing all of the bizarre chaos together.
 

 
Outside of all the secrets, there are a ton of new gameplay features included in Dead Space 3. Co-op is one of the largest new components that Visceral Games has added to the series. You of course will be able to play through the entire game solo, adding a layer of loneliness and much needed fear to the horror game. Though this time around players will also have the option to team up with their friends, via an online co-op session. The mechanic is a “drop-in/drop-out” feature, players that choose to do co-op can tackle specific instances to unlock exclusive story details. In order to provide the co-op experience, Visceral Games has added a new character to the Dead Space universe, a co-op companion named Carver. EA has stated that Carver is a current soldier, still serving after a Necromorph attack killed his wife and son. Carver is fueled by anger and thoughts of revenge. Co-op missions will allow players to watch new cutscenes and the new dialog between the two companions will offer insight into the story and lead to new details that won’t be able available to solo-only players.
 
The planet’s surface adds a new gameplay mechanic as well, open skies and exploratory landscapes aren’t typical to the Dead Space series. Previous games have taken place on ships and on space-stations, offering crowded rooms and narrow passages. The open scenery is where Isaac will have to find the raw materials needed to build and customize weapons, find secrets and scavenge for survival tools. The entire game doesn’t take place in this environment however, EA has promised ‘underworld cities’ that players will have to explore as they make their way through the game. Side missions will also be in the game and although EA did not go into detail, it is understood that completing them will help you on your quest for answers.
 
Dead Space 3 is currently scheduled for a February 2013 release date on the PS3, PC and Xbox 360, the game currently comes in a standard edition for pre-order.