Dead Space

Dead Space is survival horror at its peak. While I tend to think of Resident Evil as more action-oriented with horror elements, Dead Space genuinely creeps up on you and keeps you on edge throughout the entire experience.

As someone who didn't play the original 2006 version very much, but enjoyed Dead Space 2 and 3, diving into this remake felt like a fresh start. I was excited to discover the origins of a franchise that many have praised over the years.

The original Dead Space was a bold move at the time, introducing a new universe with rich lore. I'm glad it's back, and I was eager to see how this remake would bring that vision to life. And honestly? It does not disappoint.

The tension is real; I often found myself jumping at shadows, never quite sure when a necromorph would lunge at me from a vent or jump down from the ceiling. This constant anxiety was intense, and for the first few hours, it left me feeling a bit stressed. However, I eventually got used to it, part of the experience of navigating a horror game.

The necromorphs themselves are unique and grotesque, resembling a chilling mix of the creatures from "The Thing" and "Alien." The game's design choice to focus on dismemberment adds extra tension, turning combat into a strategic challenge, especially with the original and challenging boss fights you encounter.

One standout feature is the weaponry. Instead of traditional firearms, you use repurposed engineering tools, which adds a creative twist to the gameplay. It's a refreshing take that sets Dead Space apart from other horror games.

The setting of the space station feels like a mix of "Event Horizon" and "Blade Runner," with stunning visuals that enhance the eerie atmosphere. While I appreciate the level of detail, sometimes the factory-like environment can be a bit overwhelming. Still, the sheer number of movable objects throughout the game adds a nice touch and helps with immersion.

Character design and voice acting are also top-notch. It was great to hear the same actor return from Dead Space 2 and 3, and that small change of him taking his helmet off when speaking made the character feel more relatable this time around.

Unfortunately, it seems like expectations fell short for this remake, so a sequel may not be in the cards. That's a shame because this game really gets so much right.

Overall, I'd give the Dead Space remake a solid 9/10. It hits nearly every mark as a survival horror title. My only complaints are the occasional feelings of exhaustion due to the constant tension and how the drab scenery could be a bit much at times. But in the end, if you're a fan of the genre, this game is definitely worth your time.

"Hey, I've played the original Dead Space on PS3. Then, I've replayed it. Again. And again. Several times. I already know all the scary moments. This game has no surprise for me and won't be scary!" That was what I've said before playing Dead Space Remake on my PS5. Famous last words.

What is impressive is that even if I played the original game several times, I still get scared by the remake. On my first playthrough of this remake, I had the feeling of reliving the first time I've played the original Dead Space PS3. The original Dead Space felt like a video game, but Dead Space Remake feels real.

It feels real because of the massive graphic improvement compared to the PS3 version. This improved graphic details, like the blood splattered on the floor, the design details of the necromorphs, the necromorph's skin being peeled when we use the Force Energy gun, etc.

It feels real because of the sound design. Like the sound of the necromorph claws clunking on the metal floor when it runs towards you. Or the omnipresent distant sound of necromorphs in the ventilation system, just to let you know that you're never safe on this USG Ishimura.

It feels real because of the improvement in gameplay. Many examples:

>>> In zero gravity sections, no need to make a straight-line jump anymore, Isaac has the jetpacks on his shoes like in Dead Space 2.

>>> By the way, I appreciated the fact that we directly fly to the USM Valor in chapter 10. It was definitely more realistic. In the original game, the ship looked ridiculously small from the outside compared to its actual map. So, that's a smart change.

>>> The new alternative shot of the line gun: a real delight, especially when we stick the laser to an object and use telekinesis on the object.

>>> No loading time! This is insane. Like no loading time between each chapter. By the way, in the original game, the game was very linear because we had to go from chapter 1 to chapter 12 without any backtracking. In this remake, we can backtrack to different areas of the ship, either by using the tram or by going through doors between each section of the ship (and of course, again, without any loading time). I really appreciated this feature.

>>> When we backtrack, we can now follow some side quests that we didn't have back in the original game.

>>> Speaking of backtracking, I must mention that particular feature in the remake: the Intensity Director. THAT is how you create horror. The guys working on the remake definitely understood how to make horror games. In summary, when we backtrack to areas we previously visited, some necromorphs can randomly spawn, or lights might suddenly go off, or we might even get quarantine moments. In a horror game, the player should not "expect" the horror, otherwise he/she would be less scared. So, it's important to keep the player on the edge by scaring him on moments he/she expects the less. The player should not feel safe.

In terms of story, the story is kind of the same as the original Dead Space, with some tweaks during some moments, like in the mining section at the end of Chapter 7 (those who played the original game and the remake, and memorised that section of the game in their minds, know what I am talking about).

Finally, a very repayable game. Obviously, I replayed the remake several times, just as I did for the original game. The fun factor about Dead Space is when you replay the game a 2nd time or a 3rd time, your weapons are so much upgraded that you can have a more action-oriented approach in terms of playing, and massacre any necromorph on your way (basically, you turned into John Wick for the necromorphs).

In conclusion, a very successful remake. The developers improved every single improvable aspect of the game. It's not a simple copy-paste of the original game with new graphics, but a whole new transformative experience. I hope this game will set the new gold standards for how remakes should be done.

I decided to give this game another shot, and while it isn't as good as the remake of Resident Evil 2 and 3 I do have to say that on its own it's actually a great game, I can deal with the small changes made, such as upping the graphics and giving Isaac a speaking role which he didn't have in the original, the aiming mechanic is weird but not a deal breaker, if EA does decide to remake 2 and 3 which I hope they do this is a game they can look back on and improve on what's already made it great, again I think it's a great game, it's better to not compare it to other games that have received the remake treatment which it seems to be happening a lot more often, it's definitely better than The Callisto Protocol, which tried to be like this but failed in many of those aspects.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Dead Space" (2023), a complete remake of the same titled legendary game from 2008, is simply put, a masterpiece. I beat this beast of a game on my PS5 once, and now i'm on my second new game plus run, but i'm 100% sure i will beat it more then twice. Its just a proof of how incredible this new game is. I loved the one back in 2008, and this new game is as good as it was back in 2008 only made for modern new gen era of video games. There are improvements made in story and some gameplay mechanics as well. But the graphics, music, acting, lighting, gore and everything else of a top notch. It is scary as hell, and atmosphere is like no other here. The sound design and effects are one of the very best - i playing with my pulls audio headphones and its just incredible to say the least.

Overall, not a single flaw i saw in "Dead Space" (2023). Its as best as survivor horror games goes - a simple survivor story in this incredible (and scary) world, Dead Space is a masterpiece in every possible way. On of the very best games i played in years and possible best survivor horror game you can find it right now.

Highly recommended.

Exceedingly faithful to the original with a demonstrated understanding of the work, but not afraid to take chances with the story and mechanics in a way that flesh out and support the narrative. Everything from the original is here in terms of story, mechanics, and visuals but they've all been enhanced or lightly expanded to cover questions, gaps, or bring in-line features introduced later in the series. This isn't just a fan service pop-out or self-insert re-write, this is dead space done better with tools that weren't available and light narrative hindsight. The only detections I have are exceedingly minor and, ultimately, inconsequential in the face of this project's excellence.