Dead Space 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)

Visceral Games’ devastatingly effective survival horror series just won’t stay still. What started life as a broodingly atmospheric single-player scare-a-thon significantly ramped up the action for its sequel - yet somehow kept sight of the lurching terror at the core of the third-person horror series. Visceral is trying something new all over again with part 3, opening up the dark unknown of outer space itself for exploration. Protagonist Isaac Clarke can now drift between planets and ships, gathering resources and keeping the narrative ticking along. Even more interestingly, Dead Space 3 features a full two-player co-op mode which takes the new game’s single-player story and crafts a completely different experience out of it, with new objectives and deeper exposition for those players willing to play as a team. If Visceral can keep the terror taught, despite the constant presence of a companion, then Dead Space 3 could be something very special indeed. We’ll find out for sure when it arrives next February.