Dead Space Remake Review – A Masterclass in Remakes

I never thought a perfect remake could exist. Be it video games, shows, or movies, remaking a title always comes with a bit of a sacrifice to the core of what the original was. Be it a director who just misses the original’s message or an ambitious fan writing their ideas into the script, tons can go wrong. With tons of bad examples out there, these days putting your faith in a remake of a beloved IP can feel like taking the long odds on a bad bet.

I am happy to say that with the Dead Space remake, those long odds paid off.

I’m not afraid to say I was skeptical when developer Motive announced that they were remaking Dead Space. Though they’re behind some excellent titles like Jedi Fallen Order, Battlefront and Dragon Age 2, it did little to ease my mind of the remake jitters.

Dead Space, after all, is one of the herculean classics of the modern video game age. Dead Space and its sequel are so iconic, they’ve practically inspired an entire genre of their own, and even games like Callisto Protocol which was more or less a spiritual successor to Dead Space. The series was mine, as well as many others, first introduction to horror games, and holds a special place in the heart of many to this day.

It would be easy to do that memory justice. If all Motive and EA did was release an exact copy of Dead Space with next-gen graphics, it would have been a solid buy for a lot of people. That is, after all, the ideal remake many people hope for their favorite classic games. The scariest thing you can do is change something from the original.

For those who haven’t played the original Dead Space, here’s a quick recap of what you missed. In Dead Space, you play as Isaac Clarke, a spaceship engineer who becomes stranded alongside a small crew on the mining ship Ishimaru. As you explore the dead space titan, you run into horrifically mutated former humans called Necromorphs, which want nothing more than to gruesomely dismember you.

Dead Space changes up the zombie game formula, and not just through in its storytelling. Your main weapon is a cutting tool, meant for repairing ships, which you need to use to dismember Necromorphs limb by limb instead of going for their heads or vital organs. Dead Space is an atmospheric, gory horror that leaves a huge impression on first-time players.

Not only did Motive keep the original experience intact, they added to it in ways I don’t think anyone was expecting. The core Dead Space game is still there, but now there are new side missions, adding to the length of a game that was made back when 20 hours of content was considered extreme.

The sound design in this game is phenomenal, as are all of the visual effects on screen. Hell, everything about this game looks absolutely gorgeous, in a kind of gritty, horrible, nightmarish way.

A lot of the old content from Dead Space that your nostalgia might have blocked out has been reworked and improved, too. There are so many tiny little tweaks and improvements on Isaac, the Necromorphs, and even the Ishimura itself that makes playing the game a much smoother experience.

A not-so-small change is the way the Ishimura has been remapped, giving you more to explore and better tools to do so. The game encourages backtracking and exploration much more now thanks to the tram systems you can now use to travel back and forth between areas.

Also new are changes and additions to Isaac’s backstory. Our protagonist has been substantially fleshed out, filling in plenty of gaps and plot holes that existed in the original Dead Space.

Honestly, there was a lot about the story I simply forgot wasn’t there, probably because I filled in the gaps myself, but the remake does a fantastic job of delivering a full, complete, and engaging story that had me hooked right away.

The game also features new cutscenes, which really show off the strength of the graphics engine. The original Dead Space had no cutscenes, and I was skeptical about their inclusion, but they really add to the game and I didn’t mind the momentary loss of control one bit.

Try Hard Guides was provided with a PC review copy of this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website! The Dead Space Remake can be purchased via the EA App for Windows, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Steam, or the Epic Games Store.