Dead Space Remake review: The right way to depict an experiment gone wrong

Dead Space is a game that, quite literally, has a cult following. Released in 2008, the game struck a chord with players all over the globe, setting the benchmark for what a horror survival game should look like. Surprisingly enough, Electronic Arts and Motive Studios pulled out all the stops with a remake of the title. And it's needless to say that this game has, once again, set the benchmark for what survival horror games should look like.

The sights around the U.S.G. Ishimura felt oddly familiar, but there was something different about it. The silence felt eerie, the colors more vibrant, and the atmosphere gave off the spooky vibe that all horror games should give off. There are some significant differences between the original title and the remake. The Ishimura now has rooms you can explore, and Isaac can talk!

The developers have made good use of dialogues to a) explain the overall narrative of the title and b) showcase the emotional states of the characters aboard the Ishimura, especially Isaac.

Note: This article may contain spoilers for the game. Viewer discretion is advised.

A skeleton crew haunted by skeletons

The story begins with Isaac strapped in a chair about the U.S.G. Kellion. He's part of the emergency response unit tasked with boarding the U.S.G. Ishimura to investigate the communication failure the ship is experiencing. Disaster strikes at the beginning when the Kellion crashes into the Ishimura after being unable to dock appropriately because the automatic docking procedures aren't working as intended.

Although the entire crew survives, Corporal Johnston suffers a broken ankle. Leaving her in the ship, Isaac Clarke, Kendra Daniels, Corporal Zhen, and Chief Security Officer Hammond make their way into the Ishimura to see the issue. They find the place completely deserted and under quarantine, which does raise some eyebrows.

However, tragedy strikes when a strange creature attacks Zhen and kills him, forcing the rest of the crew to separate and run for cover. Not knowing what attacked them, Daniels, Isaac, and Hammond race against time to figure out the secrets the Ishimura is hiding.

Moments before disaster strikes the crew of the U.S.G. Kellion in Dead Space (Image via Motive)

If you've played the original game, you'll know how this ends, but if this is the first time you're playing Dead Space, then you'll be surprised and shocked when you learn the real reason behind the unnatural occurrences aboard the U.S.G. Ishimura. Initial diagnostics will reveal that a significant part of the Ishimura is damaged. As an engineer, Isaac will have to fix everything he can and look for any survivors, including his girlfriend, Dr. Nicole Brennan.

The weapons and combat system are designed for efficiency

Unlike the Callisto Protocol, the mechanics in the Dead Space remake are very straightforward. There are no complicated dodging mechanics involved. You can sprint, but you cannot jump. The movement controls become a little inconvenient when using the thrusters built into the suit. I had a hard time flying initially, but the entire mechanic grew on me pretty quickly. The weapons aren't that difficult to use, either.

Unlike regular first-person and third-person shooters, there's no hip-fire mode. You will have to aim down the sights to fire every weapon in the game. If you're not aiming down the sights, you'll hit the enemy with the weapon you currently have equipped. The aiming reticles are different for all the weapons that you have at your disposal.

Weapon ammo isn't exactly scarce. After defeating an enemy, stomping on their corpse drops credits, health packs, or ammo. There are multiple vending stations scattered all around the Ishimura as well that sell these consumables. However, you will have to manage your inventory efficiently because that's scarce, and each consumable stack takes up one inventory space.

Now, I'm a purist regarding Dead Space, so the Plasma Cutter was the only weapon I used for the most part. But there are other weapons like the Pulse Rifle and the Ripper (presumably named after Jack the Ripper because it fires saw blades!). Every weapon is unique and offers different ways to deal with the space zombies at hand.

You'll get the Plasma Cutter quite early on in the Dead Space Remake (Image via Motive)

You will also come across a Kinetic module and a Stasis module. While these aren't weapons, they can be used as one. The Stasis module is used to slow down objects, and the Kinetic module behaves like a magnet, allowing you to lift items and turn them into projectiles. You can get crafty with both of these modules during combat, but I found myself using these modules mostly to make my way around the U.S.G. Ishimura.

The Necromorphs give the word "gore" a brand new meaning

The Necromorphs have left the entire place covered in blood and guts (Image via Motive)

The Necromorphs in Dead Space are horrifying. These disfigured human corpses have mutated into brainless, bloodthirsty mass murderers. Most of them look like a weird hybrid between zombies and Scyther, and they hit hard. Some even spit out a green liquid that does some damage over time.

However, the most annoying ones are the baby crawlies. I don't have any better words to describe them. They look like harmless babies but can crawl on every concrete surface in the game, with three stingers sprouting from their backs. Since they're small, they're nimble, so it's slightly tricky to land a shot on them.

Necromorphs of all shapes and sizes can be found in the game (Image via Motive)

In short, I came across Necromorphs of varying shapes and sizes. And when I wasn't running into Necromorphs, I was busy making my way through the gory mess they made across the deserted hallways of the U.S.G. Ishimura. The boss fights in Dead Space are challenging and will test your skill. While most of them remain faithful to the original title, the second boss fight, in particular, has been completely reworked. I won't dive into the details because I don't want to ruin your experience. But it's a fun encounter and might test your patience at higher difficulty levels.

No gravity? No problem

Isaac's suit is designed to handle zero gravity. The suit, surprisingly, keeps you grounded even in zero gravity, so I'm assuming there's some magnetic system at play in the mechanics of the Dead Space Remake. However, whenever you're in zero gravity, you must trigger the neatly fitted boosters into the suit to cover the vast gaps between the two areas.

Using this suit-based flight system can be slightly tricky. I often lost my general sense of direction when flying until I got used to it. It's a fun mechanic that the developers have implemented in the game, and it helps when moving around in outer space.

The suit in the Dead Space remake is a technological marvel! Working in sync with his Resource Integration Gear (R.I.G.), the suit has a built-in life support system that allows Isaac to survive for brief periods in a vacuum. A meter also appears on your back whenever you're in a vacuum, telling you how much oxygen you have remaining. You will also come across some oxygen refueling stations that instantly refill your oxygen tanks, extending the time you can spend in a vacuum.

H.U.D.s are a thing of the past

In the Dead Space remake, the entire screen is clean. All the information you need at any given time is neatly tucked into your R.I.G. or on your weapon. For context, the health bar is displayed on Isaac's spine, continuously changing color as it gets depleted. The Stasis module energy is also displayed on one of the meters on your back.

When you're in a vacuum, a vast indicator pops right on top of your health bar, showing you the amount of oxygen you have left. And there's a holographic projection on the weapon itself showing you how many bullets you have remaining. The developers have used the character models well rather than cluttering your heads-up display and bombarding you with information when you don't need it.

Neatly built into your suit is a tracker that tells you where to go. In the absence of a minimap, this is something you will be using a lot. The only downside is that this doesn't track your secondary objectives. Overall, it's a spotless system and is easy on the eyes.

The environment is bloody but beautiful

The environment is very intricately designed. (Image via Motive)

Every single walkable passage is covered with either human or Necromorph entrails. The brief moments that you spend in space are breathtaking. The developers have paid attention to detail. The color tones reflect the overall macabre mood of the game. The soundscape of the Dead Space remake complements it beautifully as well. I can't recall which elevator this happened on, but I remember hearing a nursery rhyme while using one. Amidst all the death and these horrifying Necromorphs, a nursery rhyme did send a chill down my spine.

As you navigate the various halls on the Ishimura, you'll see a lot of infographic posters, some of which keep reminding you to use your tracker whenever you feel lost. Then others advocate mental health. Interestingly enough, most of them are also covered with blood, which further adds to the effect in the Dead Space Remake.

Now and then, you will hear something running through the vents. And the sound resonates throughout the corridor. Every squelch is accurate, and every growl is enough to make you want to run for cover. A significant part of the creepy ambience of the Dead Space remake can be attributed to the game's sound design.

Blood and human guts remain spilled across every floor on the U.S.G. Ishimura (Image via Motive)

Furthermore, choices play a critical role in the Dead Space remake. Many areas on the Ishimura have these circuit breakers in place. These are used to power a particular aspect of the ship. Many times, I've had to lose the lights just to be able to use the elevators. In some areas, you can have the lights and the elevators, but you will have to switch off the general life support. That makes things more difficult because the RIG-based oxygen supply is limited.

These small choices add yet another layer to the title, further elevating the general difficulty level of the game. The system forces you to prioritize your needs, which should be an integral part of any survival horror game.

Overall, the Dead Space remake is a very immersive experience. I reviewed the title on my AMD Ryzen 7 laptop with 8 GB RAM and 4 GB VRAM (Nvidia 1650). The title ran like a hot knife through butter despite these low specifications. Yes, there were stutters, but even those were negligible.

In conclusion

The Dead Space remake sets a new benchmark on how a good survival horror game needs to look and feel. The developers have done a splendid job of breathing new life into this cult classic. While the narrative remains the same, the side-quests, coupled with the text and the audio logs, provide a more detailed insight into the characters portrayed in the storyline.

The inventory system is neatly managed. The quest journal is very crisp and precise. Moreover, it also displays everything you need to initiate the next step of the quest. Everything is perfect with the remake, and it's hard to find faults. But then again, there are a few things that do bother me.

From start to finish, the Dead Space remake is an absolute thrill ride (Image via Motive)

First of all, you will come across the Plasma Cutter early in the game, and this is probably the only gun you will use throughout your entire playthrough. The other guns are great, no doubt, but the way the aiming reticles are designed, it's more convenient to slice off the tentacles/limbs of those pesky Necromorphs with this weapon.

Secondly, the Security Clearances in the Dead Space Remake feel slightly underwhelmed. In the game's later stages, barring the few sporadic weapon upgrade schematics, they contain credits. Given that you can sell items at the store, random credit drops are unnecessary. Finally, while the side quests give all the characters more depth, they run parallel to the main quest line. The developers could have done a bit more in playability and even added some cool collectibles for completing the side quests.

But there is a secret ending that you can access by collecting the 12 markers in the New Game+ mode. You also get a reward for completing the game on impossible difficulty. But other than that, there aren't many secrets in general. It's a good title, and a pretty good remake, considering it's built from the ground up. Hopefully, the sequels get a similar treatment, or there's a brand-new title in the making. The franchise's future looks promising, provided E.A. and Motive can deliver again!