Cooperative play has come to the Dead Space franchise. Issac Clarke returns to battle the Necromorph scourge in Dead Space 3, and this time he has brought a friend along for the wild ride. How does the new buddy system impact one of the most beloved survival horror franchises of this console generation? Find out it our Co-Op Review.

Last week there was a bit of a hullabaloo concerning microtransactions in Dead Space 3. Players can now spend real life money on in-game digital resources. It was as if EA had never charged players for better items in a Dead Space game before (they have). Not only has EA charged consumers for advanced weaponry and skins, people seem to love it. Most Marketplace items have at least a four star rating --and we all know the Xbox Live Marketplace star ratings are infallible. Or not. The point is, people have been paying for Dead Space extras for years.

In case you haven't heard, Dead Space 3 launched on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC today. You know what that means? Obligatory launch day DLC announcements! Isaac Clarke is using the buddy system in his latest foray into survival horror, bringing a hardened soldier, John Carver, along for the ride. The frozen planet of Tau Volantis may hold secrets of the Necromorph menace and a host of other dangers, but the story doesn't end there. 

The Dead Space 3 launch date is slowly creeping toward us. EA is throwing their marketing weight around with a launch trailer that has appeared during almost every single commercial break I've seen since posting it three days ago. It was cool on Monday, but Isaac's "angry face" is starting to get to me.

The Dead Space 3 launch trailer is here, and boy, is it pretty. In case you've been ignoring all Dead Space-related news since last summer's E3, you should know that this is the first time the sci-fi survival horror title will support cooperative play. Nick and I recently played through the now public cooperative demo, and we both were impressed by the game.

The Dead Space 3 public demo is available now on the Xbox 360. It will be available later today when the PlayStation Network receives its regular update. Nick and I played through the demo cooperatively last week and offered our impressions here. You can co-op the demo yourself with on online partner. I don't mean to tell you your business, but you should probably check it out. It was good enough to inspire me to start playing the original Dead Space again. 

Dead Space 3 is less than two months away. The space horror franchise will feature a cooperative campaign, a first for the series. Today we found out the game will also be compatible with the Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral. Don't worry. You won't be forced to defend yourself from Necromorphs by flailing around like a maniac. Dead Space 3 will use the Kinect's microphone for simple voice commands such as, "Find partner, Fire stasis!" and "Attack enemy!" 

Today we have some new screens from the upcoming buddy survival horror game Dead Space 3. Ok, "buddy survival horror" might not be a real genre, but Dead Space 3 is most definitely bringing co-op to the franchise. Many of these new screens show off Isaac Clarke's and John Carver's fancy suits and weapons. There's even a nice group shot of potential Necromorph fodder. 

Dead Space 3 is still about four months away from launch, but yhat's not going to stop EA and Visceral Games from promoting it. New pre-order bonuses have been announced for Isaac Clarke and his new BFF, John Carver. If you pre-order Dead Space 3 you'll automatically be upgraded to the Limited Edition. This will grant you access to two new suits and two extra weapons.

A few days ago I mentioned the new weapon crafting system in Dead Space 3. Players will be able to take parts to a work bench and create a wide variety of tools of destruction. Think of it as a much more elaborate, high-tech, sci-fi version of the duct-taped combo weapons from Dead Rising 2. You can get a feel for the system by visiting the Dead Space website.

The new Dead Space 3 trailer is live, well, sort of. The action takes place on a derelict spacecraft, most likely orbiting over the frozen planet, Tau Volantis, depicted in the E3 demo. The video offers a tense glimpse of the dangers in store for Issace Clarke and his new co-op partner, John Carver. It's even got that repetitive, foreboding audio tone, so you know it's about to get real.

We didn't get to play Dead Space 3 at E3, but we did get to watch a pretty sweet video. As I mentioned in our preview, we got to see the main character, Issac, interact with NPC/potential co-op partner Carver in both single player and cooperative play. EA and Visceral Games were quick to point out that the co-op would not affect the honorific atmosphere the Dead Space franchise is known for. Don't take their word for it, you can see for yourself in the video below:

Oh no! Someone got co-op in an established horror franchise again! Never fear, horror fans, I assure you Dead Space 3 will still leave you trembling, or whatever it is you do when you're scared. The EA "booth complex" had a Dead Space 3 video which showed off the game's new co-op mode. I guess it's not really a "mode." They simply added drop-in/drop-out co-op to the campaign. 

We're running a little late this time on our next batch of reviews, but fret not, we've got a ton of good ones for you to read about. Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Dungeons, and Dead Space 2 are just the tip of the iceberg. When did the late winter months become such a busy gaming season?

Previously a Nintendo Wii exclusive, Dead Space: Extraction is headed to your PlayStation 3 with Move support. Now you can sever limbs and extremities in upscaled high definition, and you can still do so with a partner. All signs point to this being an exact transfer from the original retail release, but the best part is how you can get your space-gloved hands on it - Dead Space: Extraction will be included on the Dead Space 2 Limited Edition Blu-Ray.