Dead Space

I'm a HUGE fan of horror games, so when I heard about the Dead Space remake coming out, I was ready to get my hands on it. I patiently waited and managed to get a PS5, with God of War Ragnarök being my first game to beat. When Dead Space finally released a few days ago, I bought it right away and waited for the install.

This game is scary, people, and the combat can be challenging at times, depending on what difficulty you're playing on. I'm at normal right now and enemies still do a good number on you early on in the game. Your weapons don't do a ton of damage to start off with because you have to find upgrade nodes throughout the ship. Speaking of the ship, the entire setting of the game is beautiful. Lights flicker, steam hisses, and all the rooms are so detailed that you can use almost anything in a room as a weapon as soon as you have the ability.

The enemies are terrifying and unique. There will be points where you'll face two of the same enemies, but their behavior can be different. One will be slow and loud while the other is fast and quiet. It's very terrifying.

I put around 120 hours into the Resident Evil 2 remake and loved how much had been added to the game. Likewise, Dead Space is a remake of a classic game, but introduces new content that appeals to both newcomers and veteran fans of the series.

I give this a 10/10 and will probably be spending most of my time on this until Hogwarts Legacy. Whenever me timbers need a good shiver, I'll most likely return to this game for another round aboard the Ishimura.

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.

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.

I never write reviews for games on here usually, but seeing as Sony doesn't allow reviews at their place I thought I'd come here as I feel very strongly about it.

This is a faithful update indeed, the only thing it does is add to the original and that is rare these days, most remakes butcher the original and leave a scar on precious memories (I'm looking at you Saint's Row reboot)

Anyhoo, I first played DS on PC, on that EA Origin thingy, but I knew about the game for years not long after it's first release, just could never get it until many moons passed, so I got the trilogy and played thru. What an experience! I loved it, the creepy ship, the monsters, the story, all fabulous, then barely 2 years later I hear about the remaster and I'm thinking....'uh oh this can't be good' but I'll now willingly eat my words as it has proven me super wrong.

Another year is so passed until the release in January 2023 and I'm looking and hoping it's gong to be everything it was. It sure is, and more! This is a labour of love by the team, they've remade it inch by inch and added side missions and a new game plus. Not to mention the beautiful visual upgrade and the eerie sounds of the ship now in full stereo!

If you love Dead Space please add this to your library, you shall never regret it, I promise!!