So many limbs to sever, so little time Sent on a mission to help repair the USG
Ishimura’s communications breakdown, Isaac Clarke and the crew of the USG
Kellion arrive just in time to discover that the
Ishimura's comms are the least of their worries. Infested with monsters called necromorphs, the crew has their work cut out for them if they have any hope of repairing their ship and getting out alive.
I’m not one for horror games anymore, not that I ever was, but I would partake in them more frequently when I was younger. For me,
Dead Space Remake was more of a nostalgia trip to the mid to late 2000s, when single-player games had fun interconnected-level design and unreliable protagonists (
Bioshock anyone?). This remake does what a proper remake should do: it stays faithful to the original but builds on it in small ways and fixes some of its issues. It makes it feel like you remember it to be, a tough balancing act in the games industry. To preserve a game’s story is one thing, but to preserve the spirit of the entire project is another, and on that, EA Motive has done a superb job.
One of the most striking things that hits right away is the visuals. The lighting and reflections, the detail in Isaac’s suit, and the upgraded animations all contribute to something that feels like a high-quality product. But even more importantly (as mentioned before), it feels like
Dead Space as I remember it. It was a quality product that launched, subsequently aged, and now feels brand new again. For all its gruesome, visceral violence,
Dead Space Remake is a beautiful game that nails its sci-fi/horror aesthetic with aplomb.
Dead Space is one of those games you remember for its atmosphere: the thrum of the engines, the vibrant large open rooms, and the small, dark, tight corridors. No detail was spared in the remake to ensure that old players and new alike will remember their time aboard the
Ishimura.
But not all is the same, and this is a good thing. One of the biggest and best changes is a more vocal Isaac Clarke. This may not be a positive for some, but on the whole, I think it was a great change that enhanced the experience. Isaac has more personality now and contributes his expertise as an engineer. Instead of being guided like a puppet, he now comes up with solutions and reasonings for his actions. It brings a lot to the character, and by extension, the game itself. In addition, the weapons have all been rebalanced, and the flamethrower is a worthy weapon now. The mechanics are more in line with
Dead Space 2’s superior gunplay. They also upgraded the de-limbing system, which adds not only extra detail but more strategy to gameplay.
When I mention the de-limbing system, I refer to the primary mode of dispatching enemies in
Dead Space; removing limbs. Headshots hold no power here. In the original, simply shooting at a limb two or three times would make it come off. Now, certain weapons are better for cutting through flesh, and some for cutting through bone. You can see the enemy’s flesh disappear with each shot, eventually getting down to the bone (now it’s time to switch to the ripper). This is an extremely detailed addition that deserves praise. It’s advantageous to synergize your weapons loadout, especially on the harder difficulties (or just run around with the flamethrower). The rest of the weapons have been balanced and adjusted so that the combat feels great and the movement is smooth. I do wish there were a few extra additions that are staples in the genre, like a quick turn-around option and an over-the-shoulder switch. Their absence didn't hurt the experience, but they certainly would have enhanced it.
Speaking of combat, the weapons themselves are such a blast to use. One of the things I loved about the
Bioshock and
Ratchet & Clank series is their use of imaginary weaponry that you can upgrade over time.
Dead Space turned the plasma cutter and its teal laser guides into an iconic weapon, and with good reason; it may be the first weapon you get, but it’s damn good. Its precision makes you feel like a surgeon as you sever necromorph limbs. But the plasma cutter is just the beginning. The ripper, the line gun, the force gun, and the contact beam are all useful mining tools-become-weapons that are inventive and enjoyable to use. The flamethrower and pulse rifle are a bit more basic, but their alternate fire abilities add extra strategic layers to more complex encounters. In combination with stasis (freezes enemies briefly) and kinesis (telekinetic module), combat is a blast.
Once in a while, one of the game's flaws would flare up, and while it doesn't deal directly with the combat itself, it impacts it. In larger open areas, lurkers (little baby-looking enemies) climb the walls and start shooting at you. This isn’t a problem in itself, but when the area is open and other enemies are assaulting you, this simply becomes an irritation. It doesn't add to the tension of the encounter. Any spitting enemies poorly placed make certain encounters feel cheap and unenjoyable. Luckily, those don't happen too frequently, but when they do, it’s noticeable. A frustration that did come up frequently was the kinesis’s inability to prioritize. When using kinesis, you can take items from the environment, as well as the enemy’s sharpened bones, and launch them. Sometimes kinesis picked up every other body part besides the weapon-worthy items, causing much frustration. A system should have been put in place to prioritize useful items before picking up useless garbage, especially in frantic situations.
One of the most important things about the original
Dead Space remains here, in a way I wish it applied to more games. The in-game UI is smart, simple, and direct, crafting a more intimate experience as a byproduct. Everything the player needs to know is on Isaac. Sure, there is a menu for item and lore management, but when it comes to combat, there is no HUD on the corners of the screen: it’s all on Isaac’s person. The amount of ammo in your clip shows on the weapon. The amount of health remaining runs down Isaac’s vertebrae and his stasis stock is visible on his shoulder blade. You don't need to look at anything other than the character and the enemies. Since you’re looking at the character’s back the entire game, why not make it your HUD? Brilliant.
While
Dead Space isn’t an open world, it does have an explorable ship that can be traversed more and more throughout the adventure, almost like a Metroidvania. This gives the player reason to go back and look around at things they missed. Luckily, the remake added more encounters to keep things fresh, even when returning to a previously explored area. That said, it would have been nice to have a fast travel option to go exactly where you want. The tram isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it isn't exciting or expedient.
What is a horror game without sound? The sound design here is part of what makes the game and its atmosphere have so much character. The whispering in the walls, the sound of necromorphs scurrying in the ceiling, the screech of the automatic water supply systems, the electrical currents running through the thrumming ship, and the sound of flesh tearing off necromorph corpses when you use kinesis to turn their sharp limbs against them all contribute to creating an immersive, tense environment throughout the entire game. The voice acting is great, and each character gives a solid performance. The audio logs are great; there’s nothing like listening to what transpired on the
Ishimura, the experiments and religious insanity that brought the gigantic planet cracker to its knees. The music appropriately adds to the sense of tension and horror as well, though at times the music lingers longer than it should (same with Isaac’s heavy breathing). These are obvious bugs that are momentary immersion killers. Walking down a long, empty hallway while combat music played kept me on my toes for no reason. Overall, however, this isn’t extremely detrimental, though it was noticeable quite a few times.
One of the other issues I had with the game was a random jittery frame rate, sometimes when nothing taxing occurred. Random door opening? Frame rate drop. Walking down a hallway? Random frame drop. Thankfully, this never happened during crucial moments. I also experienced other minor bugs or glitches, like items randomly disappearing (I still think about that power node that disappeared on my impossible mode run). Another of my gripes deals with the game’s story. I won’t spoil it for those who haven't played, but the story cheats a bit to deliver one of the game's biggest moments. It’s a bit obvious that something is off, and while I love the unreliable protagonist, the delivery mechanism feels a bit cheap. That said, the story is still enjoyable. Who can hate everything going wrong all the time?
Going through the narrow halls of the
Ishimura brought me back to one of my favorite eras of gaming.
Dead Space Remake is a faithful iteration that builds on and adds to the original. For those who played the original
Dead Space and loved it, this remake is worth the price of admission as it not only fixes much, but also adds an alternate ending for new game plus, and a more intense impossible mode (where you only get one save that deletes itself upon death!). For those who haven't played it, I ask you this: Do you like sci-fi? Horror? Fun weaponry? Interesting lore and story? Get
Dead Space and support the developer. Maybe we’ll all be lucky and get blessed with a remake of
Dead Space 2.
The Math
Objective Assessment: 8.5/10.
Bonus: +1 for smooth gameplay, +1 for beautifully detailed visuals, +1 for memorable atmosphere.
Penalties: −2 for bugs/frame rate drops, −1 for lack of fast travel.
Nerd Coefficient: 8.5/10.
Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.
