Visceral Games announced today that a downloadable arcade prequel will be releasing prior to Dead Space 2′s launch on January 25th 2011. The game is being co-developed by Sumo Digital Ltd, developers of several Outrun games, Sega Superstars Tennis, and Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing (the latter two I own and recommend).

The game will follow Isaac Clarke hours before he begins his adventure on “The Sprawl” in Dead Space 2. A Necromorph outbreak occurs, and players will be able to witness the horror first-hand in Dead Space Ignition. The game includes three unique hacking mini-games: Hardware Crack, Trace Route, and System Override. It will also include multiple endings and unlocks that can be used in Dead Space 2. The emphasis in the press release is on the fact that the game will have an arcade feel to it; i.e. quick and fun.