It’s not often we get a Rorschach image and notes from a pychological evaluation in our mailboxes here at GN HQ, so Visceral Games’ latest teaser for Dead Space 2 was bound to catch our attention.
The two documents arrived this afternoon in a semi-transparent envelope that allowed a portion of the contained ink blot to show through, appearing to be a very Isaac-Clarke-like, helmetted head and shoulders. The handwritten note on letterhead belonging to a Dr. Samara Yasmin details the condition of psychiatric patient 1544C (Isaac) with symptoms such as delusions, paranoia, insomnia, OCD, and rapid, involuntary body movements. It also references a number of symbols related to the Dead Space fiction’s Church of Unitology. Similar symbols are also faintly visible on the Rorschach image, written in ink that appears to glow under a black light.
UPDATE: The symbols on the image have now been deciphered by members of the Dead Space Facebook fan page. They read, "It was just a shard. It was red with symbols. It put things in my head. Symbols that spoke to me. Behind my eyes I feel her screaming. Symbols that spoke to me. Symbols that (lied) to me. It was just a shard. The sickness is the cure! The cure is the sickness!" The last two lines are the ones referenced in the psych evaluation.
Most interesting, though, is the inclusion of the numbers 4, 2, 9, and 10 in the scrawled Unitology symbols. Formatted properly suggests that Visceral has something in store for Dead Space fans on April 29, 2010, which is this Thursday.
Below are images of the envelope and memo, with a full transcription of the assessment notes.
"Notes on Patient 1544C, Session #18.
1544C condition shows scant improvement from previous assessment.
OBSERVED SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
DELUSIONS: Subject vacillates between mourning the deceased, believing she is in need of assistance +/or has assimilated + is one with the universe, calling for his hand.
PARANOIA: Subject experiences frequent outbursts. Has attacked staff + other patients.
PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS: Insomnia, Dyskinesia, Frantic sketching and etching of symbols identified as related to Unitology.
FOR REFERENCE: [two lines of Unitology symbols, which translate to "The sickness is the cure! The cure is the sickness!"]
Additional obsessive compulsive behavior documented by staff includes the repetition of the following phrases:
-Fractal heuristic replicating crystal
-The nightmare is over but it will not end
-Bismuth zirconate titanate
-Twinkle twinkle little star
-Sympathetic alpha wave attenuation
Prospects for recovery still unknown."
I like where you’re going with this, Visceral. Dangerous mental patients and deadly aliens in a horrifying outer-space environment is definitely a winning formula. Now how about a 2010 release date? The ambiguous Q1 2011 is not cutting it for eager Dead Space fans.
[Thanks to reader Arsh for the translation tip]
