Dead Space Remake Review: A Terrifyingly Masterful Update

Introduction

The Dead Space Remake again casts players as Isaac Clarke, a regular working-class systems engineer in a team sent to investigate when the massive “planet cracker” ship USS Ishimura stops sending signals.

The Dead Space remake is a game that had me on edge before even starting to play. With memories of the fantastically horrific 2008 original fresh in my mind, I couldn’t help but worry that the new iteration wouldn’t live up to my expectations. After spending over 12 hours exploring the revitalized USG Ishimura, I can confidently say that my fears were unfounded.

The new Dead Space takes everything that made the original great and builds upon it, cutting out the unnecessary while preserving the heart of the game. The combat, which combines gunplay with the ability to throw objects and slow down enemies, is just as satisfying as ever. The story, which follows engineer Isaac Clarke as he searches for his missing wife on a doomed spaceship, is just as chilling and thought-provoking as it was in the original.

One of the standout features of Dead Space has always been its unique brand of survival horror. Unlike many other games in the genre, it requires players to blast off the limbs of mutants instead of simply delivering a headshot. This, combined with the eerie atmosphere of the Ishimura, creates a truly terrifying experience.

Graphics and Exploration

Improved Visuals

Developer Motive Studio has made significant improvements to the visuals in Dead Space. The level of detail on Isaac’s engineering suit is unparalleled, and the weathered steel surfaces and overrun walls of the Ishimura create a more spine-chilling atmosphere. The lighting also plays a major role in setting the mood and highlighting the enhanced environmental detail.

Enhanced Exploration

The Ishimura has also been restructured to encourage more exploration. Players can now shuttle freely between the different sections of the ship once they have been unlocked. Additionally, new corridors have been added, allowing players to travel between certain areas on foot. One of the most exciting new features is the zero-gravity detour that takes players from the hangar bay to engineering, which utilizes more liberating flight controls that allow players to steer Isaac manually through space.

Greater Sense of Place

The more interconnected Ishimura in the remake of Dead Space creates a greater sense of place than the original, as players can explore a more open environment. This also allows for backtracking as Isaac’s security level increases, allowing players to discover weapon upgrade schematics and other treasures, making progression feel more like a murder-heavy Metroid game.

Environmental Puzzle Solving

Another improvement in the game is the change in how storage rooms are accessed. In the original, players had to spend a precious power node to access them, but in the remake, players must use environmental puzzle-solving to gain access. This includes finding the right angle to shoot through a shattered window to disable a door’s locking mechanism.

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Combat

Unique Dismemberment System

Not only are there very few survivors on board, but the majority of the crew you do meet have been transformed into undead monsters called Necromorphs, who have a penchant for eating peoples’ faces off. These spindly monstrosities boast sharp appendages and pointy forelimbs, and it’s here where the game begins to set itself apart from other survival horror titles of its ilk, like Resident Evil et al.

See, those aforementioned pointy limbs need to be strategically sliced off to put the undead beasts six feet under as quickly as possible, and you’re going to want to be doing this, especially when you’ve been ambushed by half a dozen of the deadly critters in a room the size of a telephone box. As a result, that age ol’ instinct of “aim for the head” is rendered moot as you begin to unlearn some of your traditional aiming methodologies and lean into more strategic dismemberment.

Weaponry

Moving onto the weaponry, then, it’s safe to say that Motive Studio has attempted to shake things up here. While the Dead Space community largely disparaged the Flamethrower for being hopelessly underpowered in the original iteration of the game, it’s been reworked in this remake. It is possibly one of the most dominant guns in your arsenal. Meanwhile, the Force Gun is also a bit of a beast and is so powerful that it even strips away the skin of the Necromorphs, which is truly a grisly sight to behold. Of course, the tried-and-true Plasma Cutter is still as effective as ever as you switch between a horizontal or vertical laser bolt and shred Necromorph limbs from their body. Fun times!

Upgrade System

Further deepening the mechanics of combat is an upgrade system that you can employ to boost the various attributes of your arsenal. Instead of simply accentuating the damage output of said weapons, there are also many bespoke upgrades for each gun that add a distinctive trait to your armaments, and these are all new additions in this remake. For instance, an Angled Launcher can be installed onto your Ripper, which adds ricochet to your blades, while a Kinetic Reloader can be equipped onto your Pulse Rifle, which dramatically increases the gun’s rate of fire. In addition, upgrading your suit’s HP, armor, and oxygen are also surefire ways to stay ahead of the curve, especially as the game starts throwing progressively more powerful adversaries at you in the latter half of the roughly 15-hour campaign.

Kinesis and Stasis Modules

Outside of Isaac Clarke’s traditional armaments, you’ll also have access to a Kinesis module that allows you to manipulate objects by pulling them towards you or pushing them away from you in Jedi-esque style. Similarly, you’ll also pick up a Stasis module early on the journey that you can use to freeze enemies in their tracks momentarily.

Fleshed-Out Story

The story of Dead Space has been expanded with new details that provide a deeper understanding of Isaac’s state of mind and emotional state. A new multi-part side mission follows a trail of holographic logs that reveal Nicole’s movements before the necromorph outbreak, along with audio and text files that explain the strained relationship between the couple and the role of the mysterious Unitology church in Isaac’s upbringing. This added context, along with some clever character tweaks, makes the final twist feel more plausible.

More Humanized Isaac

Isaac’s character is further humanized in the remake through his ability to talk, rather than simply accepting his crewmates’ orders without a word.

Actor Gunner Wright delivers a suitably stoic performance, making Isaac feel more influential when he’s actively discussing plans of attack with the chief security officer. However, this is done sparingly and Isaac only speaks when spoken to, avoiding quips. Instead, his moment-to-moment status is indicated by his heavy breathing and his hurried heartbeat heard in moments of eerie silence.