With the STARS division of the NYPD getting closer, Dead Aim sees Umbrella Corporation moving its biological weapons operations out of Raccoon City to remote locations. However, ex-Umbrella Corporation R&D member Morpheus orders his cult followers to hijack an Umbrella cruise ship, then turns the T-virus upon them. As the player, you are initially in control of anti-Umbrella STRATCOM covert agent Bruce MacGivern, searching the ship for details of what has happened and avoiding attacks from victims of the virus as they mutate and regenerate into zombies.

The first dedicated and exclusive Resident Evil game for PS2, Dead Aim makes itself at home with the USB G-con 2. A continuation of the Survivor branch of RE light gun shooters, Dead Aim mixes first and third person perspectives and utilizes a fully 3D environment.

The G-con 2's D-pad allows you to explore the environment without using a standard controller, using the A button to open doors and squeezing the trigger to switch to first-person mode. This mode uses the D-pad to turn or strafe, while shooting is done in the normal way.

Shooting offscreen or hitting the C button reloads; since ammunition can be scarce and zombies won't lie down for too long, thrift is encouraged as well as accuracy. Unfortunately, head shots seldom do more damage than a shot to the body, though they occasionally send zombies flying on impact.

A warning gauge alerts you to danger on each side beyond your range of vision. Should you become trapped, it is possible to evade an attack with the A or B button. In third-person mode, double-tapping the D-pad performs a rapid 180 degree turn - especially useful for a quick retreat or to face zombies or Hunters approaching from behind. The control method also dispenses of remote-style turning in third-person mode in favour of a more intuitive format where movement is directed from the player's, rather than the character's, perspective.

Switching perspectives for exploration gives the player sufficient resting time to prevent the arms from becoming tired, a problem for most light gun games. It's a very welcome aspect to the game - as well as preventing gameplay from being too linear, it also adds tension to the environment in two ways. Mystery is maintained with the ability to go anywhere on the ship, meaning an ever-present threat of enemies at any point. Since they often revive, backtracking also has its own dilemmas. The natural disadvantage of having the camera behind your character as you roam counts against you when approaching corners, while opening doors can also lead you straight into the grasp of a hungry flesh-eater.

Rooms are quick to load and the frame-rate is smooth throughout the game. Gone are the pre-rendered backgrounds and fixed cameras in favour of polygonal surroundings - FMV represents the relegation of pre-rendered content to interludes (the all-polygon environment still won't take any damage, however, leaving little satisfaction in missing your target).

Initially armed with just a hand gun, additional weapons include a shotgun, grenade launcher and silenced pistol. While ammunition can easily run low for trigger-happy or perhaps just nervous players, save points are located next to caches of endless ammunition stocks. An electrocardiogram shows your health status, which can be replenished with herbs found around the ship. As usual, attacks can render your player unable to run until health is replenshed, making avoiding attacks especially important.

The game can be completed in just a few hours - less the second and third time through. Once finished, it is possible to play through again as Chinese agent Fongling. Cut scenes remain the same, however, showing MacGavin instead of Fongling in your role.