It also might just be that the space marine in space is a convenient setting most of the time.
Using Dead Space as an example:
1). Being stuck on a space station conveniently and completely isolates you. Here on earth, you have to be much more creative, and offer much more background information for why you're trapped, and no one can get to you, and you can't communicate for them. Here:
*Setting A: Gun Toting Hero trapped 2 miles below the crust of the earth
*Setting B: Gun Toting Hero trapped in a space station.
Setting B inherently requires no explanation. Setting A, everyone asks me, "Why were you mixing shrooms and crack cocaine again? Don't you know plot writing under those conditions is irresponsible?
2). Being a Space marine is again, a handy, self-explanatory answer to the questions of:
*Where did you get all these guns your killing Aliens with?
*How do you know how to effectively use any gun you come across?
*What are you doing in Space?
Your answers are, as a Space Marine, wandering in Space, you are well trained in all manner of weaponry, and you of course patrol deep space. But I didn't even need to say that example, I'm sure all of you thought of it on your own.
What about my hypothetical?
*Where does the hero find all the guns 2 miles below the crust of the earth?
*How does the hero know how to use them?
*What were you doing 2 miles below the crust of the earth?
Obviously, you could try a similar cop out on the first two points, saying he's a marine, but then WTF was he doing 2 miles below the crust of the earth?
3. Freedom to create as far as level setup and creature design. In space you could:
*Be on a space ship
*Be on a space station
*Be on planet Zog
*ETC
Two miles below the crust of the earth you could:
*Be in a cave
Then there's the problem of creature design. In space you could be fighting:
*Space Pirates
*Aliens
*Demon Space Pirates/Aliens
*Colonial Militias
*Dinosaurs (apparently)
Two miles below the crust of the earth you could be fighting:
*Mole Men.
So, there. That's my argument on why there's more games featuring Space Marines fighting Demon Alien Space Pirates then there are games featuring Scientist-Marine Renaissance men preventing the Mole Man invasion of the surface.
... Wait. Let me pitch my Idea to EA and I'll get back to you guys.
This post has been edited by Uszi: 28 March 2008 - 07:03 AM