Dead Space is one of the best examples of a modern survival horror game. You’re trapped on a space station with only one way forward, which is often through the paths of reanimated necromorph monsters, flickering lights, and all kinds of unnerving sound cues to make you check your back every few seconds.
It’s hardly an original concept. The original developers have professed their love for Resident Evil 4, and once you go hands-on with the games it’s easy to see where all of this inspiration came from. Big mutant boss fights, a variety of collectible and upgradeable weaponry, a bunch of locked doors, and the all-important game of tactical ammo management. It’s a classic, tried-and-tested system, and it works.
Even the necromorph creatures that crawl through the vents of the USG Ishimura are hybrids of zombies and the infamous Xenomorphs. Dead Space is a product of its inspirations, from its setting to its gameplay, and even the enemies you fight. And honestly? That’s just fine.
But this isn’t just a 14-year-old game, it’s a brand new entry point into the Dead Space universe for many fans, and it does a great job of that. Visually, there’s no reason to believe that this is an older game. Environments are tight, sure, but they’re purposely claustrophobic, making each encounter with a barrage of the living dead that much more intense.
The lighting is a particular highlight. In some areas, foes will be invisible in the dark backgrounds until you point your light at them, and in other areas, enemies will be clear against a neon backdrop. If you look too close – especially in elevators – you’ll spot some shimmering and the odd blurry texture, but at an average viewing distance Dead Space looks and performs genuinely great – the mark of a good remake.
But fans of the original will have even more to find than before, thanks to new puzzles, upgrades, enemy AI, and a New Game+ mode, which adds a secret ending. Isaac even talks, when he was mute in the original game. It helps the dialogue feel more natural overall, even if Isaac still isn’t exactly the chatty type.
The USG Ishimura is huge, and it encourages the odd bit of backtracking. You’ll regularly go past doors you can’t access yet, or item boxes that you won’t get inside of. Some areas will even be revisited over the course of the main story, with new puzzles and enemies hidden inside. It’s, admittedly, too big with hallways a bit too similar for you to navigate without help, so of course you get an in-game map with all the info you need, along with a beacon to point you toward the door or interactable you need to use whenever you click R3. It’s a minor sacrifice, but it works, and definitely helps keep you on track.
But let’s get down to the brass tacks of what makes Dead Space, and that’s the necromorphs, on top of how you defeat them. Dealing damage is certainly one of the main goals, as it is in any game, but a key trick taken from Resident Evil 4 is aiming at limbs, making them organic, dynamic targets. But instead of simply kneecapping a foe to slow them down, in Dead Space your goal is to remove their limbs entirely.
Sick of a foe running after you? Chop off a leg. Don’t want to get hit by enemy attacks? Take out their gangly mandibles. Dismemberment is a key mechanic, not just a flashy way for enemies to die. Taking off the head often isn’t a good idea – you’re better off lopping off their limbs one at a time. Certain creatures won’t die at all until you manage to disconnect all of the tentacles that sprout from their torso.
But swift necromorphs make aiming tough, so you’ve got a few extra abilities to juggle. Using Stasis will slow the movements of foes significantly, giving you time to pull off the perfect shots you need. Most items in the environment are also objects that react to being hit and picked up with your gravity glove. That’s exactly what it sounds like, and can be used to pick up and throw items, or simply pick up collectibles from awkward positions.
Everything in Dead Space feels heavy, from the shots of your improvised weapons to Isaac’s movement. You’ll feel every gram of that weight with Isaac’s stomp, which can smash open certain items, and even splat the corpses of enemies and allies alike. It comes down with a satisfying thud, and when it lands on an organic body, limbs will detach, sending blood splattering across Isaac’s armor and against the walls of the Ishimura. It’s gross, disrespectful, and will paint a grim smile across your face, especially if you catch a glimpse of an ally’s head spinning away like a Beyblade after introducing their torso to your foot.
Dead Space manages to artfully dance the line between being a faithful remake, and a bold reimagining. Everything you remember – almost as it was at the time – is recreated in your first playthrough, and you’ll be able to find that much more if you keep playing. As a reintroduction to the world of Dead Space, it works a treat.
This remake feels like a return to form for the Dead Space series, and hopefully reeducates publisher EA on everything it needs to know about releasing a brilliant, self-contained single-player adventure. Isaac’s bloody romp through the Ishimura is brilliant, and the Dead Space remake is the best way to experience it, both for those that have been aboard before, and first-time guests aboard the galaxy’s most gruesome planet cracker.
Written by Dave Aubrey on behalf of GLHF.
