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How to remake a classic survival horror properly | Dead Space Remake - Full Review

4K View2023-01-31

Dead Space is a survival horror game set on a derelict mining ship in space, populated by swarms of zombie-like creatures called Necromorphs. It is a remake of the 2008 classic, which was released with critical acclaim. Continued by another amazing game in 2011 with Dead Space 2, followed by a mixed reception to the third game in 2013, in which the franchise has been on hiatus since until now.

Is the remake worth revisiting? Is it a worthy first impression for franchise newcomers?

🟩Pros

+Faithful retelling of the original

+The story is more fleshed out and improved compared to the original

+An immersive atmospheric experience

+Terrifying as a survival horror game

+Tailored to both long-time fans and newcomers

🟥Cons

-No cons

Massive expectations, all met

I was a bit worried that the remake will not be able to live up to the massive expectations, considering it has some big shoes to fill — The original Dead Space being one of the greatest video games ever made — and the fact that EA is producing it, and we all know EA. In a surprising turn of events, the stars have aligned just right and we somehow got a masterpiece of a game with the remake.

Dead Space remake is a faithful retelling of the original, but that’s not to say nothing has been changed, as it’s also a complete revamp of the original. Graphically, practically everything has been rebuilt from scratch and the graphics are on par with today’s standards, saying it lightly. The gameplay has been refined for the better. The story is more fleshed out. They had a great foundation of a game already and I’m glad they didn’t reinvent it for reinvention’s sake.

People always saw Dead Space as just Resident Evil 4 in space, but really, it was a classic game in its own right that also advanced over the shoulder survival horror even further, especially with its creative limb cutting mechanic that became the core identity of the series. Callisto Protocol tried to take the crown a few weeks ago, and the OG just had to show us how it's done again. It got the Resident Evil 2 Remake treatment and even surpassed that in my opinion.

It’s the same game, but not the same game.

While it is still definitely the Dead Space: third-person survival horror that we all know and love, there are some welcome twists in gameplay and story – both minor and major — and of course: the massive improvements to the visuals.

At the start, we are presented with an amazing introduction scene that evokes our curiosity and brings out tension, similar to the original, but looking way more atmospheric and immersive. Introducing us to the main characters including our player, Systems Engineer Isaac Clarke, as well as our soon-to-be slaughterhouse, the enormous mining ship USG Ishimura.

USG Ishimura has gone dark, and a small shuttle has been dispatched in order to check and repair the mining ship. Isaac Clarke and the rest of the shuttle’s crew goes on a repair mission, only to discover a gruesome fate of the Ishimura’s crew, all horribly killed and infected by an alien plague.

Much of the overarching story element has been retained, but there are some changes and additions to further flesh out the story. Some characters are given bigger roles now, there is a new crew member in the shuttle, and some sections and set pieces have been further expanded. Isaac also has more dialogue now, and takes his helmet more often. Not anymore the silent or the faceless protagonist type like in the original. Take that, Master Chief, Doom Guy, and Gordon Freeman!

Gameplay Analysis

The core gameplay and controls has been largely untouched except for the item and progression system that has been reworked for a more modern era; New upgrades, alternative fire modes, and a weapon unlocking system that is in line more with the story — instead of having to buy them first in the store.

The core staple of the series - the cutting of limbs, is more gorier than before. The methodical combat of cutting down the Necromorph's limbs in order to slow down them, eventually permanently incapacitating them for good, is all too satisfying and engaging. This unique combat flow is unmatchable by other survival horror shooters, or even just typical shooters in general, where the only important thing are headshots.

The levels are largely the same on the macro scale, but on a granular level, there are lots of positive remixes to the map, puzzle, and enemy layout to make it fresh for everyone, even for old timers.

There are now random events that you will encounter, powered by an AI Director, similar to one found in Valve’s Left 4 Dead, wherein depending on your location and situation, this director can spawn and basically “direct” dynamic encounters throughout your playthrough.

There are new areas, new nooks that you can discover, as well as the fact you can seamlessly play through the entire game and map without loading screens, giving you that added immersion and feeling that the USG Ishimura is a real enormous place.

The visuals are stunning, even darker and more gruesome than the original. From Isaac’s highly detailed suit, to the terrifying Necromorphs and horrifying bloody dismemberments.

There is more detail in just about everything. Hallways are now scarier than ever, with a more realistic dark lighting that fits well with the run down nature of the USG Ishimura, giving you a feeling of uneasiness and worry that something is lurking on every dark corner, waiting for the chance to surprise you. And it WILL surprise you, countless times.

All in all, you can expect Dead Space Remake to keep you busy for around 15 hours until completion, more if you plan to replay it in a New Game Plus mode, with harder enemies and a hidden ending to unlock.

PC Performance

Unlike the recent stutterfest Callisto Protocol, Dead Space Remake ran without any problems on my system. (i7-8700k, RTX 3080, 32GB). It even ran decently on the Steam Deck, provided that you do some minor tweaking. It has proper support for DLSS and FSR, so it is possible to reach higher FPS ranges especially the 100s even with a conservative PC build. I tried it with both keyboard/mouse and gamepad layouts and felt the game is more optimized and better suited for controllers.

Conclusion:

Dead Space Remake is set to be another hit for the series with its immersive and atmospheric gameplay coupled with a decent story that built and improved upon the original. Tailored to both long-time fans and newcomers alike, it is a masterful example on how to remake a classic game and leverage genre maturity and modern technology to make it even better.

Now I’m torn between wanting a proper remake of Dead Space 2 and 3, or a full-blown Dead Space 4. Maybe they should take the Capcom route and just do things simultaneously.

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