In case any Dead Space fans don’t know yet, EA want to make sure they’ve heard that Dead Space 3 will feature drop-in, drop-out co-op gameplay. Players can take on the role of Isaac Clarke or John Carver, a military man who is suffering a nightmarish dementia.

Today the publisher announced that the game will feature Xbox 360 Kinect commands. Players will be able to use commands to exchange ammo, find objectives, or revive a co-op partner. EA stated that the feature “further immerses players into the Dead Space universe.”

Co-op is an odd (and controversial) feature for a game series that’s success has been based on the frightening feeling of isolation and panic. The Resident Evil series’ reviews began going south with Resident Evil 5, which introduced similar co-op gameplay. It’s no wonder that Dead Space fans are worried about their favorite series following the industry trend of shoehorning multiplayer into all types of games.

Whether they were forced to include multiplayer or decided on their own it would be a good idea, however, Visceral Games has at least put an interesting twist on the co-op formula. As shown in a new trailer released today, players taking on the role of Carver will see things that the Isaac player won’t. This simultaneous-but-alternate gameplay could be enough to make the co-op gameplay interesting. Or, it could be a highly situational gimmick. We’ll know in less than two months when the game is released on February 5.