We are starting out the year strong with the Dead Space remake. The people over at EA decided not to give anyone else a chance to win game of the year and release this game to ensure no other games rise up.
Welcome to deep space death, where the only person walking away with their sanity is your therapist; after the next session, they have to talk you out of the idea that human flesh can't morph into creatures with sword-like arms and legs and attack your family and crew of the planet earth.
I'll spoil what I think of the Dead Space remake. It's a fantastic game that shows how other game developers and publishers should develop remakes. This is one of the best remakes I have played and is on par with the Resident Evil 2 remake.
What is Dead Space?
Dead Space 2023 is a horror-survival sci-fi game set in a distant future. You step into the engineering suite and skin of Isaac Clark, where he is on a mission to find his girlfriend but finds love for the marker instead. You must take on the spaceship and the morphed crew as you navigate the ever-changing environment built 70 years ago, so grab your duct tape to start repairing every part of the ship to escape.
Story Time
Dead Space 1 and 2 are games that I have played almost more than Half 1 and 2, which says a lot about these games and their replayability. My buddies and I used to have LAN parties where we would take a game and see how fast we could complete it in a night. We do the same thing with the Resident Evil franchise.
There is a reason I love Dead Space so much, it has been a part of my life for so long that, and I have built up so many memories of it that I was concerned about how the remake was going to go, but I was excited to see where this remake was going.
What makes Dead Space so good?
The weapons, environment, sounds, and enemies make this game unforgettable. Still, you add good storytelling, incredible creatures, and the concept of a mining ship that brings the material to it.
The game has a unique setting with horror and sci-fi elements. The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, as the game is full of dark hallways, creepy aliens, and intense action sequences. The graphics and sound design are also top-notch, making getting lost easily in the game's world.
The gameplay is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of thrilling moments. The game features a variety of weapons to choose from, as well as a range of impressive abilities for Isaac to use. The game also features several puzzles and challenges, making it an excellent choice for those looking for something a little more cerebral.
The base material still holds up
The devs didn't have to change much, which makes this remake a fantastic example of what other devs should do. It's complicated; on the one hand, you don't want to change too much of the game to make it completely different; on the other hand, you don't want to keep the game 100% the same.
The devs kept the remake a little too close to the original, where there isn't a lot new, but there is plenty of extras. It was a safe bet that turned out right, even if I wanted to see a little more added.
The most significant and most praised changes to the game are removing the annoying asteroid shooting section and replacing it with a more intriguing targeting training system. They also changed how you navigate zero-g areas; before, you had to aim and jump to the next platform. Now, you can hover, fly, and float; not sure, but you get a much better experience.
Engineering tools for the win
Every gun in the game is unique and fun to use on the marker meat puppets. The weapon you start with is the best and is worth upgrading first because it's the most versatile and easy gun to shoot limbs and other essential body parts requiring decapitation.
Progression system with stores and benches
The store is silly if you think about it, but at the same time, it's an excellent place to store and sell items with the key to buy extra nodes to upgrade your weapon on a bench.
The bench is where the natural progression happens for your characters. Using nodes, you can upgrade your suite or weapons. Each gun and your suite has multiple upgrade paths, including specials that you must choose with limited nodes to upgrade. It's a great way to help you pick your favorite weapon that you want to use.
Evolving Ship that creeps up on you (literally)
The game has a unique setting with horror and sci-fi elements. The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, as the game is full of dark hallways, creepy aliens, and intense action sequences. The graphics and sound design are also top-notch, making getting lost easily in the game's world.
The gameplay is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of thrilling moments. The game features a variety of weapons to choose from, as well as a range of impressive abilities for Isaac to use. The game also features several puzzles and challenges, making it an excellent choice for those looking for something a little more cerebral.
The level of detail and the attention to the environment envelops the player in fear of everything. The maps are incredibly detailed, featuring stunningly complex environments with realistic lighting and sharp metal edges. The sound design is also top-notch, providing an immersive experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat while the sounds echo down the hallways to mess with your mind on what's ahead.
The Skins are great
After finding the first store, my gameplay went from a creepy creature limb hunt to a fashion show. I tried on different suit dresses, aka skins, for over 30 mins enjoying the amazing details and fun put into designing them.
The End
When you thought you had left the tunnels of the Ishimura, they put you back into a convoluted semi-linear tunnel system at the of the game. The end is fun, and the change of scenery is nice, but playing outside on the planet would have been more enjoyable than being shoved back into a ship-like environment.
Secret Ending
There is an alternative -ending, which is the actual ending that gives you a glimpse into what happens between Dead Space 1 and 2. You can unlock this ending by completing the game once, and then on the 2nd playthrough, you collect Marker statues that you place on a desk towards the end of being on the ship.
Will there be a Dead Space 2 remake?
It's still up in the air at EA if there will be a 2nd remake of the Dead Space series, but we got a recent survey from EA to see if the fans want a remake of Dead Space 2 and 3. It's looking good for Dead Space fans if we will be getting more. I think we will be seeing a 2nd remake announcement soon. Make sure to get out there and show EA we want more!
Final Verdict
Motive Studio did a fantastic job of keeping to the original source material and upgrading the experience to be more scary, fun, and alive again. This zombie-like series has risen from the graveyard to show the world that people still want good horror titles that follow an average joe protagonist. This is a game you should try even if you don't like horror just because the story, gameplay, and environments are so intriguing that you will walk away converted to decapitating limbs as your favorite new hobby.
Overall, Dead Space 2023 is an excellent horror-survival game that will please fans of the genre. The immersive atmosphere, intense action sequences, and various weapons and abilities make this game a must-play. If you're looking for horror-survival fun that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then Dead Space 2023 is a perfect choice.
What makes it a classic
- The guns are unique and fun
- Shooting limbs and particular areas still feel fresh and never get old
- The evolution of horror moments is gradual, just like Isaacs's madness
What it still missed
- The different areas of the ship feel too much the same
- The end still feels a little boring and needs more of a refresh
