Dead Space 2 creative director denies satirizing Scientology

Unitology, the kind-of-creepy religion that appears in Dead Space and its sequel, is based on a science fiction story, has lots of money collected from members moving up through ranks and ends in "-tology" -- ring any bells? Yes, a lot of players are making comparisons to the real life Church of Scientology, which was incorporated by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and has gained a lot of press as a church for rich celebrities. But any comparisons are strictly coincidental, says Dead Space 2's creative director Wright Bagwell.

Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, Bagwell says that the in-game church was "never really intended to be a jab at any particular religion." Instead, it's about "people's illogical thinking about things they don't understand." Even in our own world, technology has gotten incredibly complex in the last 30 years, and while much of humanity's superstition and myth was disproven by the Scientific Revolution, Bagwell says that science has brought the people in Dead Space 2 back around to ritual and faith. "In this complex, futuristic world, people are looking for ways to simplify their lives and put their faith in something that they don't have to think too much about."

That, and the Church of Scientology is notoriously litigious.
**Joystiq