The original Dead Space was one of the most thrilling and original horror experiences of the past decades. It brought total isolation and horrific enemies to new levels and found the right balance between horror, exploration, and brutal action. When the Remake was first announced, I couldn’t wait to jump back in and see how well the original would stand its ground compared to modern games. Is this the Remake we were hoping for? Time to find out.
There we go again
Dead Space was considered the pinnacle of survival horror games and was so successful it got a couple of sequels and even a movie. In Dead Space, you’ll control Isaac Clarke, a system engineer with little to no combat training. Isaac responded to an emergency signal coming from the Ishimura and gathered a small crew to see what was going on on one of the bigger spaceships in the Dead Space universe. Needless to say, things didn’t really go as planned and Isaac and his crew are forced to crash land on the ship. Right from the moment you leave the safety of your spacecraft, you’ll have this feeling that something went extremely wrong on the Ishimura. It looks like everyone left the ship in a hurry or that some kind of mass hysteria happened a while ago. Isaac decides to investigate it a bit more by moving deeper and deeper into the ship.
After a couple of minutes, you’ll face the Necromorphs, nightmare-ish creatures with huge claws, ready to take you down the moment they have the opportunity. Your first interactions with these creatures will be filled with fear. Since Isaac isn’t a strong soldier, you’ll have to run for your life until you find a handy tool that allows you to dismember your opponents. Combat in the Dead Space Remake isn’t that high-paced because the stakes are always high. Isaac can be killed easily and a wrong decision can quickly lead to your death so you better watch out. It’s here where the game truly shines. Dead Space doesn’t shy away from blood and gore but combines it with isolated corridors and narrow paths, elevating the solitude. If you’re not fighting, you’re desperately finding ways to move forward and find the answers you’re looking for. The story motivates you to keep pushing forward and is one of the better stories of the genre for sure.
A remake pur sang
Everything that made the original so good was left untouched in the Remake but make no mistake, this is a remake and not a remaster. Where remasters ‘just’ improve the graphics, controls, and framerate, remakes take things a bit further. The Dead Space Remake made some changes for the better. First things first, just like in the Dead Space sequels, Isaac isn’t a silent protagonist and has a lot to say during his crazy adventure. This automatically ups the immersion since you’ll feel more connected to Isaac compared to the original game. Besides that, the team also changed a couple of gameplay elements that weren’t that good in the original. The biggest improvement is the segments where you have to maneuver outside of the safety of the ship. Where you could only jump and follow a rather linear boring path while you were floating in space, the Remake gives you the freedom to move around freely with the help of your special RIG suit. It’s a nice change to the original flow of the game and it really makes the overall experience even better. But that’s not all, the entire layout of the Ishimura has changed for the better too.
It’s clear that the team wanted to trade the linear aspect of the original for more open exploration without ever losing the feeling of horror. This results in the remake feeling more like a Metroidvania game instead of a linear horror experience. The game allows you to backtrack through the ship and motivates you with hidden loot and some powerful upgrades the more you explore. This transforms the classic game into a modern classic instantly as it really manages to find the right balance in all of its mechanics.
Besides the new and improved gameplay elements the Dead Space Remake also impresses with its visuals. When you compare the original with the remake it’s hard to believe this is the same game. Everything about this Remake is handled with a lot of love. The game never looked this good and it certainly helps with the horror experience. The high level of realism will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Conclusion:
The Dead Space Remake demonstrates what a good remake should be. It keeps everything that made the original good but also dared to change the things that didn’t work. Combine this with some impressive visual upgrades and you know this is what every remake should do. It’s one of the best survival horror games on the market so if you’re a fan of the genre, be sure to pick this one up!
