Dead Space – Isaac Clarke is back (pic: EA)



EA’s sci-fi survival horror is remade with next gen graphics and lots of new surprises but does the original game really deserve such attention?



By now, fans know never to expect too much whenever there’s talk of a survival horror ‘renaissance’, since they almost always peter out into nothing. The current one does seem especially significant though, with multiple companies putting out relatively large budget horror games, despite the fact that the genre has never produced any big sellers. Things didn’t get off to a good start with The Callisto Protocol , but perhaps this remake of 2008’s Dead Space will fare differently.



As welcome as it is, to see so many new Silent Hill games planned, the fact is the series has never sold that well and neither have most of its peers – even Resident Evil sells less than you’d imagine, for such a well known franchise. Although the fact that the Resident Evil 2 remake sold over 10 million copies seems to have been the catalyst for this current resurgence of interest in the genre.



For its part, the original Dead Space only sold around 1 million copies and was considered a financial disappointment by EA. To their credit, they gave it several more chances, in terms of sequels and spin-offs, and while they’re blamed for the co-op focused Dead Space 3 it was clear by that point that the franchise was never going to be a big hitter in its then current form. The first two games did garner a cult fanbase though and they, at least, should be well pleased with this remake.



The plot of Dead Space is not a complex one, as you and a small crew of engineers arrive at a giant mining spaceship that has gone radio silent. You quickly discover that the crew have all been turned into grotesque creatures referred to as necromorphs, egged on by a group of human cultists. The story’s fine for what it is, although Dead Space has always been one of the most prominent examples of the trope where every mission objective involves being told to go somewhere dangerous and fix a piece of machinery.



The plot and characters are not memorable but that doesn’t really matter as the game has never been shy about the fact that it’s a grab bag of ideas, visuals, and gameplay from multiple sources, from games like Resident Evil and System Shock to movies such as Alien, The Thing, and Event Horizon.



Dead Space may be an original IP but originality is not its strong suit, which is the main reason why its status as a survival horror classic is disputed. EA would clearly like you to think it’s deserved but for others, including us, it’s too generic and too lacking in new ideas to really qualify – even if it is very competently made.



This only adds to the inherent difficulties of critiquing a remake, since there are always two, often incompatible, goals: trying to appeal to fans of the first game, most of which want it to be as close as possible to the original, and the need to create a high quality, modern game that stands on its own two feet.



On that first point the Dead Space remake is a major success. The graphics aren’t as good as Resident Evil 2, and the more distant camera angle less immersive, but in terms of recreating the look and feel of the original Xbox 360 game this is spot on. More impressively still, it actually adds quite a bit of extra content, not only including a voice for the previously mute main character but several new areas and gameplay mechanics.



The most obvious evidence that this is based on a much older game is the small size of the rooms that make up the game’s map. The remake makes it so that there’s no loading needed to get between them, and the whole game is a God Of War style one shot, but there’s no way a modern title would be made with such small scale areas, even as developer Motive Studio does their best to give them more depth and verticality.









The predominately brown colour palette is also amusingly typical of the era but that couldn’t be changed without completely changing the atmosphere. That said, we have always felt the necromorph enemies, that act like fast moving space zombies, were rather dull designs, and they’re not any more visually interesting with next gen graphics.



This is especially true as there can be some noticeable clipping issues with their gangly limbs and the considerable amount of gibbage left over from their defeated carcases (the main gimmick for the combat is that the easiest way to kill the necromorphs is to shoot off their limbs). This isn’t helped by some very basic artificial intelligence, which even in more orchestrated set pieces just has them running straight at you.



Released three years after Resident Evil 4, it is very obvious where Dead Space got the lion’s share of its inspiration from. Especially since, at the time, original developer Visceral Games was very keen to emphasis that in their game you can walk and shoot at the same time. Even so, this is much less of a straight action game compared to Resident Evil 4 and, as you’d expect, it has none of that game’s charm or humour. Indeed, Dead Space is purposefully grim in a way that can feel tiringly one note.



Despite a lot of jump scares, and some gory visuals, it’s also not particularly scary, although that’s not the damning criticism it might sound like. Dead Space may not leave you too frightened to look at the screen, but it is very tense and atmospheric. We particularly like the new feature where you frequently have to switch power to different sub-systems, which ends up with you having to turn the lights off at inopportune moments or no longer being able to use a lift to get to a safe era.



It’s almost a fourth wall breaking decision, since you know something terrible is going to happen as soon as you commit, but you actually have the option to turn off more systems than you need to, if you want to vary the difficulty or hope that you’ll uncover a secret area. There’s also more backtracking than in the original, to make it feel more like a Metroidvania, with things like giant flesh tendrils now blocking your way from certain routes.



There are other more minor changes, such as new alternative fire modes for guns and special abilities for the upgrade system, all of which fit in perfectly. If the remake is a financial success, and EA decide to commission a brand new sequel, the work they’ve done here suggests that Motive are very much the right people for the job.



Dead Space – the zero-G segments are a bit disappointing (pic: EA)



There are other elements we’re less happy with though, with the new approach to zero-G areas being rather disappointing. They’re a welcome palette change but rather than you being pushed back by the recoil of your guns, or when hitting another objects, the physics is disappointingly simplified and feels like a missed opportunity to do something interesting with a more realistic space game.



If you’ve never played Dead Space before then you’ll find this a tense and enjoyable experience, albeit one that seems to have been fashioned as a patchwork of other people’s ideas. As you slowly tour the ship, fixing every piece of machinery in your way, the pacing and repetition do become an issue before the end, but overall this is a solid if not exceptional example of the genre.



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However, if you are an existing fan this seems close to the perfect remake. The graphics aren’t as good as The Callisto Protocol but while that game, by one of the series’ original creators, was meant to be a spiritual sequel to Dead Space it already feels like an evolutionary dead end.



Resident Evil 2 transcended the position of most remakes by being more than just an exercise in nostalgia and instead showed a way forward for the whole franchise, while also keeping to its roots. The Dead Space remake is not quite so revelational but despite its obsession with death and dismemberment, this is clearly a franchise that is still very much alive.






Dead Space remake review summary In Short: An excellent remake of a not-quite-classic survival horror, that nevertheless makes a convincing argument for the continuation of the series.
Pros: A respectful remake that makes several changes to the original design without them ever seeing out of place. The core experience is tense and atmospheric, with an unusual combat focus.
Cons: The original game always had problems in terms of pacing, repetition, and general unoriginality. Remake graphics could be better and the zero-G sequences are disappointing.
Score: 7/10





Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PC Price: £69.99 Publisher: EA Developer: Motive Studio Release Date: 27th January 2023 Age Rating: 18









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