Dead Space Remake Review: A New Perspective on a Horror Classic

Discover the enhanced game experience in our Dead Space Remake review. Explore updated gameplay, graphics, and sound design in this modern take on a horror classic.

Dead Space Remake Review by Devid Jones

In 2008, Visceral Games released Dead Space, a sci-fi survival horror game similar to Resident Evil 4. The release of Dead Space was exceptionally well received by the gaming community: it became one of its generation’s most beloved survival horror games. It spawned a media franchise with more than two sequels to date. The Dead Space series was well received overall, though its third installment lost some of the magic that had made it great. It’s been 10 years since a new game in this franchise has come out—but now one is here: a remake of the original title. Dead Space has been re-imagined for a new generation of players, keeping all the intensity and terror that made it such a fantastic game. The Dead Space remake has removed the turret sequence, which caused controversy among players in the original game. Ishimura’s targeting system has been damaged, and to get it working again, Isaac must go outside the ship. The alien creatures that roam that area and the fact that oxygen supplies are limited in this section of the game mean players will feel a great deal of tension—and be relieved when they’re no longer forced to use turrets.

In Dead Space, the zero-gravity sections have been completely overhauled. This time, you can fly around at will and must use your surroundings to tackle challenges that couldn’t be overcome in earlier games—but it isn’t quite as simple as just pressing buttons or looking at things!

The most significant difference between the Dead Space of today and its 2008 predecessor is that Isaac now has a voice, meaning new dialogue for players to enjoy. It also means we can learn more about the game’s setting and characters thanks to expanded lore. The game’s story focuses on Isaac Clarke, a character whose personality and history have been expanded upon since his first appearance in Dead Space.

Instead of messing with Dead Space’s story, Motive Studio focused on expanding it. In addition to Isaac having new dialogue options, players can pursue side quests while exploring the USG Ishimura—the ship whose crew originally discovered the Markers in question. Side quests give players a chance to learn more about Dead Space’s supporting characters, and—while there aren’t many of them—each one is important. The revelations players get from the side quests are not surprising. Still, they provide more insight into the ship’s logs that could reveal what happened on board and lead to new areas with valuable loot—items necessary for survival.

In most survival horror games, players must avoid conflict and conserve ammo. But in Dead Space, this isn’t possible; the game forces you into direct confrontation with its twisted necro morph monsters. Isaac is well-equipped with various weapons that help him fight the aliens. However, nothing beats the game’s iconic Plasma Cutter. The Plasma Cutter, upgraded enough to be versatile in almost any situation, is arguably Isaac Clarke’s most potent tool against the undead.

By the midpoint of Dead Space, Isaac has gained access to stasis and kinesis abilities that greatly expand the range of tactics he can use in combat. With stasis, Isaac can freeze necromorphs in time—slowing their movements and making them more vulnerable to attack than ever before. It is handy for fast enemies, who often elude players’ line of sight and make it hard to aim at them. Kinesis, meanwhile—though used primarily for puzzle solving—can also be weaponized: Isaac can throw explosive canisters at enemies and his sharpened, dismembered limbs.

The Dead Space combat system, which involves dismembering necromorphs, ensures that the game stays exciting. Some of the designs are gruesome, though admittedly, the familiarity one acquires with them over time has somewhat blunted their impact. Players familiar with the original Dead Space may be disappointed to discover that this remake fails to capture what made it so scary: easy combat.

Those Dead Space fans who want a more significant challenge can crank up the difficulty to Hard or Impossible mode. And this time around, it’s possible for players to complete the game under one of these settings and start their New Game+ save on any other difficulty level they like. One thing that needs to be added to the original Dead Space and its remake is multiplayer gameplay.

The Dead Space remake maintains the series’ tradition of providing plenty of reasons to play through the game multiple times. It offers various difficulty settings, collectible items, a New Game+ option (where you can replay the game with your characters’ upgraded weapons and armor), side quests, and hidden areas galore. Good luck if you decide to go after all of Dead Space’s achievements/trophies at once! A unique challenge in this remake is back for completing the entire game using only the Plasma Cutter, but now with new challenges added.

However, some players may be disappointed by how little the side quests add to the experience. On Medium difficulty—the default setting—we beat the main story and every available side quest during our first playthrough in 8 hours without ever switching weapons or changing our strategy. However, players who complete the game and start a New Game+ will see an alternate ending. So to make up for the game’s short length, Crysis offers players plenty of incentive to keep playing even after they’ve finished it once.

The game’s graphics are real players will feel like they have been transported inside the USG Ishimura. The Dead Space remake has been made with the utmost care, keeping all of the elements fans love and adding more layers to an already brilliant game. It’s a hauntingly beautiful game, but it also feels like an evolution of the original art style that made Journey memorable.

The Dead Space remake has flaws—some are holdovers from the original game. Motive Studio stripped out the frustrating turret section but left in all the backtracking and elevator rides. The original’s famously tedious ending sequence is still there, too, dragging down its pace.

Such changes would have required significant alterations to the already existing game. This might be because, unlike before, the game relied on a clunky in-game map and forced you to slowly navigate every level at zero gravity.

The studio responsible for remaking Dead Space has redesigned the game’s map, abandoning 3D representations in favor of a simpler 2D view. The new map helps Dead Space remake players keep track of objectives, locked chests, and doors—allowing them to explore the USG Ishimura.

The USG Ishimura is a vast, interconnected ship in Dead Space that the player explores without encountering loading screens, unlike its original incarnation. Locked chests and side quests give players a good reason to return to areas they’ve previously explored. This doesn’t help the game’s backtracking issue, but it rewards players who go out of their way for exploration.

With new story content, side quests, and dramatically upgraded graphics, the Dead Space remake improves upon its 2008 original in every way. This updated version stays true to its predecessor’s spirit while bringing game design into 2013.

Dead Space launches on January 27 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.