Many of us felt that the original Dead Space launched back in 2008, doesn’t need a remake as the game can still hold its place on the podium as one of the best survival horror games out there. However, with the game out now can we still hold this view? Does the remake have enough bells and whistles to warrant a buy from new and older fans of the game? Should you play the Dead Space Remake?
YES, you should play the Dead Space Remake. Not only is the game been redesigned from the ground up but the remake has pushed every aspect of the game up a notch. There are plenty of new things added to the experience and it manages to still retain the feeling that made the original memorable.
Let us go over some reasons why you should play the Dead Space Remake and what sets it apart from the original. If you are a fan of the previous game or are a new player looking into it, rest assured both types of players will be delighted and horrified.
The Right Type of Remake
Did you like Resident Evil 2’s remake? If so then you are surely going to enjoy this game. The developer of the game has said in an interview that this game’s remaking approach has been inspired by the Resident Evil 2 Remake. That game has set the bar for all future remakes and the Dead Space remake is on the same level quality-wise.
This game has largely left the story of the original intact while recreating and enhancing everything else. The game has been redesigned on a modern engine which takes advantage of the newer hardware at the player’s disposal.
However, the dread we all felt when we first booted the game back in 2008 is still there and in some places, it is even more sweetened. It will feel like the same game as before but everything else added to the mix just pushes the whole experience to a whole another strata.
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Story
One of the many areas where Dead Space has changed things up is its story and how it chooses to tell that story. The major story beats are unchanged but to give everything around it a significant glow-up that’s being done in more ways than one.
For instance, several scenes have been changed in how they play out. These are either slightly tweaked or remixed altogether putting a completely different spin on them without changing their outcome. The game also uses a no-cut camera now which also changes the storytelling in some interesting ways.
Fans of the original will be able to appreciate these changes as it makes this reiteration stand on its own feet.
Side Content
While Dead Space’s main story is not going to deviate from the source material in any drastic way, the game has added plenty of new content in the form of side quests. These quests primarily serve the purpose of fleshing out side characters that maybe didn’t get as much screen time in the original as they should have.
For instance, new side quests show in much greater detail exactly what happened to Nicole during the outbreak similarly Dr. Cross is another side character who’s going to get more time to shine.
Isaac Clarke and Other Characters
Unlike the original where Isaac Clarke was a silent protagonist, the remake has given this engineer his voice back. It felt a bit jarring in the original where this dude was searching for his wife all the while dealing with the monstrosities and yet he never uttered a word to make us feel his pain.
The same voice actor who did Isaac’s voice in Dead Space 2 and 3 is back and even the character is modeled in his appearance. In the remake, he will exclaim his fears and even converse with other characters which in turn makes him feel like an ordinary man trapped in an extraordinary situation. And the good part is, he doesn’t become annoying like other incessantly talkative characters.
Other characters in the game have also been re-voiced which adds to the emersion and further expands on their characters.
Gameplay
There are many changes to the gameplay that Motive has incorporated which makes things all the more exciting. A rather interesting new inclusion is circuit breakers.
You’ll find these at specific points in the game and will be required to use them to reroute the ship’s power with the catch being that you’ll be choosing between shutting off the lights or turning off the oxygen which in turn will impact how you play through that section of the game.
Interestingly the game also put a much greater emphasis on exploration for example the Ishimura has several new rooms that are locked behind upgraded security clearance levels with hidden loot inside encouraging players to return to older areas at later points in the game once they get that clearance.
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Weapons
The Dead Space remake has also made some notable changes to several of its weapons. The developers have approached each of them in different ways.
The iconic Plasma Cutter is going to sport a somewhat redesigned look but will largely function similarly to how it did in the original. However, the Pulse Rifle has an entirely new proximity mine launcher as the alternative fire similar to Dead Space 2.
The Force Gun, which is the most radically different one, rather than only being used to push enemies away like it was in the original, in the remake it can also create a gravity well to pull enemies to a spot.
Add to that a new upgrade path for all the weapons and it’s clear that the remake has made plenty of changes on this front. No longer are there any empty Power Node points where you will have to waste this precious resource for upgrading. Every Node spent now adds to the weapon’s effectiveness.
Intensity Director
One of the most noteworthy and exciting new additions in the Dead Space remake is what Motive Studios has referred to as Intensity Director. This is essentially a system that reads gameplay situations and dynamically makes changes on the fly to keep finding ways to scare and surprise you.
According to the Senior Game Director “The Intensity Director is a way for us to control the stress levels for the player, to be sure there’s always something happening. It lets us control the emotion and tension and to always keep the player on their toes, to keep them careful“.
According to them, there are 1200 unique events that this system can play around with. This allows the game to be quite dynamic and no two playthroughs will be the same. There is an omnipresent feeling of anxiety which was lacking in the original after the first playthrough.
The Intensity Director system can tweak the audio, lighting, fog, and enemy spawns as it pleases giving the game a handmade experience for everyone.
USG Ishimura
The USG Ishimura is an iconic location setting in the horror survival world. Its industrial design sets such a perfect premise for the events that occurred on the ship. The remake only adds to this planet cracker’s horror vibes.
The USG Ishimura is a vital part of the Dead Space experience and forms such a massive part of the game’s identity. The whole ship is entirely seamless now with no load times whatsoever which means exploration and backtracking could be done in a more uninterrupted fashion.
Meanwhile, in addition to the previously mentioned new rooms the USG Ishimura has also changed several areas in the remake to accommodate its new gameplay mechanics.
If you are a fan of the survival horror genre, a fan of the original, or a new player looking to get into this franchise, in any case, the Dead Space Remake is right for you. Even if you are not interested you should still experience this game once in your life it is that good.
The remake has everything there to satisfy any kind of player and shouldn’t be missed even if you are faint of heart.