Dead Space 3 will introduce a drop-in, drop-out co-op mode for the first time in the series, if recent rumors are to be believed.

According to an IGN source, a second survivor will team up with the now slightly disturbed Clarke to battle enemies and solve puzzles. This second character is described as “a man with a gnarly scar on his face” and is equipped with the RIG that helped Clarke in the first two games. There’s a chance that this new man could be the rumored Shadow Isaac – who haunts Clarke in his mentally unstable state – considering the source mentioned that he has glowing red eyes and doesn’t appear in all cutscenes.

The game’s story will be slightly different when playing co-op in order to accommodate a second player. Certain traumatic events from the single-player campaign won’t be included. Players can share ammo, heal one another and use powers such as telekinesis.

Other changes have also been made from the second game such as tweaks to certain weapons. The Alternative fire modes of both the Plasma Cutter and Pulse Rifle has been changed to a pushback shot and sawblades respectively.  Finally Isaac’s smaller RIG now allows him to dive roll and crouch behind cover, which will really change the pacing of the game and will make things slightly more action orientated. Although, when things are popping up behind you cover becomes pretty much useless. We’re not quite sure how this mechanic will fit in.

Adding co-op is a risky move, especially when you consider how important atmosphere is to the game. If there’s two of you it takes some of the fear of being overwhelmed away. Sure it will be fun to play with a friend and share your experiences, but we hope that they up the difficulty slightly and add more enemies to increase the fear factor.

Is adding co-op a good move? Share your thoughts below.

Source: IGN