Dead Space review: the survival horror remake gets a long overdue director’s cut

26 January 2023 , 17:12

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The Dead Space remake revives one of the most iconic sci-fi horror games for the current console generation (Image: EA)

Now, this might sound a tad strange, but I knew I was in safe hands with the Dead Space remake as soon as I heard the menu sound effects.

Whether it was simply scrolling through my inventory, selling items at the in-game store, or speaking to other crew members via the intercom, every beep, woosh, and chirp sounded exactly as I remembered. It felt like coming home. Such sentiment runs through every aspect of this much prettier (but equally bleak) remake of the iconic 2008 survival horror. And over a decade later, Isaac’s hellish mission aboard the Necromorph-ridden USG Ishimura is just as thrilling, with subtle changes improving on an already near-perfect experience.

For the uninitiated, Dead Space primarily tells the story of Isaac Clarke, an everyday space engineer tasked with mending one of humanity’s best planet-cracking vessels, the USG Ishimura. What begins as a routine repair job quickly descends into a gory and grotesque nightmare, as he and the rest of his small team realise that the ship’s crew is afflicted with a viral outbreak. People are suddenly transforming into deformed monsters, and the race is on to escape the ship before they succumb to the same fate.

The Necromorphs themselves are rendered even grosser than ever, largely thanks to the significant step-up in visuals. Blasting away body parts and dismembering limbs in classic Dead Space fashion is a deliciously gruesome feast for the eyes; fending off enemies with his trusty Plasma Cutter, you’ll be wading through more blood spatter and frayed viscera than you can shake a stick at. There’s a sense here that the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X is being fully taken advantage of so as to render the utter carnage in such fine detail.

Dead Space is full of the same terror-inducing Necromorphs that now look even more grotesque (Aaron Potter)

The USG Ishimura itself hasn’t been neglected, with Motive Studio’s doing Visceral Games’ original design justice; it’s presented in its fullest glory yet to easily cement its place as one of the most iconic and atmospheric settings I’ve had the joy of exploring. Edging your way through the arterial network that makes up the ship’s various conjoined rooms and corridors instils the same heavy feeling of dread as the original, although it’s been subtly amplified. In taking over the reins from the now-defunct Visceral Games, Motive Studio knows exactly when to tug and release the game’s tension, setting you on edge as you push through the thick atmosphere, chilling audio stingers, and labyrinthine pathways.

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Speaking of which, as mostly familiar as the exploration in the Dead Space remake feels, it’s worth noting that the game has undergone some slight changes. A lot of these are the result of the single-shot camera, which removes the need for load screens or masking loading behind transitions. You’ll find yourself seamlessly moving through the Ishimura uninterrupted, in new and curious ways.

The layout of the ship and direction of the story hasn’t really changed, but how you get from A to B might require a stop at, say, C or D where previously that wasn’t the case. It’s in these brief instances that the Dead Space remake excellently pays tribute to what came before, while somehow managing to feel like a long-overdue director’s cut for returning fans.

Exploring the USG Ishimura is like a horrifying walk down Memory Lane (Aaron Potter)

The addition of side missions only contributes to this notion too. You see, while last time Isaac’s mission played out linearly, Motive Studio wisely gives players a handful of reasons to further poke into the Ishimura’s corners and crevices this time around. Rather than take away from Dead Space’s inherent lean-and-mean nature, these optional objectives are used as a way to layer additional context onto the vessel’s current chaotic events. I commend Motive Studio for being brave enough to fill in some of the original game’s cracks, even if some old-school mechanics – like ‘shoot the yellow glowy thing’ for bosses – remain untouched.

Another chief example of how iterative the remake is would be replay value. Because while your first playthrough will maintain the same eight to 10 hour length as before, the inclusion of a new, secret ending for those willing to complete New Game Plus mode should prove all too tempting.

Of course, the majority of your time as Isaac is spent exploring the USG Ishimura and repeatedly dismembering nightmarish creatures using all manner of creative weaponry. His trademark Plasma Cutter, complete with its ability to change between vertical and horizontal rounds, works excellently to slice through exposed enemy limbs. Meanwhile, the appropriately named Ripper proves equally as overpowered (and fun) as it did in the original. There are no new weapons here per se, but there are still plenty of ways to get creative when your back’s against the wall.

I absolutely loved my time with Dead Space; it felt like a walk down memory lane without the usual potholes of glaring reality that usually accompany such a venture. The much-improved graphics alone will be reason enough to lure in both new and returning players. What left me most impressed was the subtle ways Motive Studio was able to iterate upon the original 2008 classic; maintaining the essence of Dead Space while peppering in additional content to render it a more complete package. All of the changes have been made for the better, and only further solidifies Dead Space’s status as one of the best action horror titles there is.

Aaron Potter