Electronic Arts has employed horror movie auteur, Dario Argento, to add atmosphere and, er, his estimable vocal skills to their chilly shooter Dead Space.

Argento is the influential director responsible for such movies as Suspiria, Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage - all tame by the gore-drenched standards of Hostel and Saw III but classics of their seventies heyday all the same (ask your dad). Anyway Argento, as improbable as this may seem, has been drafted to voice the character of Doctor Kyne in the game. He’s very excited about his role too. Read with an Italian accent for added authenticity:

"Dead Space truly captures the essence of fear in an entertainment medium. Not only is it the most terrifying game I've ever played, but it's also one that all fans of horror will appreciate."

EA is similarly enthused too, but didn’t waste the obvious benefits of having Argento onboard, allowing the Italian director to supply “precious and accurate suggestions about the overall tone and style of the voice acting” and with “Simply stunning” results, apparently.

So that’s a potentially entertaining development to look forward to, we think. Argento is also famed for using his own hands to murder the victims in his movies. Small pity that EA couldn’t have utilised that in some way, but hey-ho. Dead Space is out for PC and next-gen platforms on October 24.