![]() ![]() Rooms that were previously reasonably lit are almost completely dark now, which ratchets up the tension since darkness is unsettling on a primal level. This 2023 version makes the original look like a lit-up street in Las Vegas in comparison, as this remake is smothered in suffocating darkness. The Intensity Director makes this remake significantly creepier than the original, but it is only part of the equation. Lights sometimes turn off and the tram may stop suddenly, but there aren’t quite enough of these unique and less bombastic scares mixed in. This is still effective since the persistent threat of a mangled, screaming monster jumping out of the ceiling is terrifying, but there are more subtle ways to mess with players. While Motive claims there are more than 1,200 unique events, the game leans on simply spawning enemies in front of the player more often than not. This crushing sense of dread doesn’t let up and having to always keep an ear out is exhausting, but consistent with the level of terror a Dead Space game should evoke.Įven though it is generally a thoughtful system that makes the game unpredictable and highly replayable, it’s not as creative as it could be. This could mean that lights may flicker, vents might explode, or enemies can pour in at almost any time there is no sanctuary aboard the Ishimura. And by giving the Ishimura those same qualities (and even slightly redesigning the layout to better fit those goals), Motive has elevated this ghost ship into that echelon of horror levels with a brilliant sense of place.īacktracking through areas is still intense because of the Dead Space remake’s Intensity Director which dynamically changes areas players have previously gone through. Familiarity and interwoven level design are a big reason that the Raccoon Police Station and Spencer Mansion are some of the best video game settings. While its destroyed corridors and blood-soaked walls were always memorable, being able to run back and forth and see how it all connects together gives Dead Space a quality that most of the best Resident Evil games have. The newfound interconnectivity works with the optional objectives in order to add to and enhance what was already there. Their stories are efficiently intertwined and only add to the experience without dragging it down. These new side quests provide more backstory into her character and also intertwine with her history with Isaac and troubles with Mercer before the collapse. For such a pivotal character who is the reason that Isaac even goes to the damned ship, Nicole was hardly explored in the 2008 original Challus didn’t fare much better, either. There are only a few, but they each yield extra context to the events leading up to the Ishimura’s downfall and mostly focus on Isaac’s girlfriend Nicole and Dr. Side missions also encourage players to poke around, as they provide items and narrative nuggets. These gated rooms or lockers often hold valuable upgrades or a bevy of items, which are alluring in a game like this where resources are at a premium. Backtracking is encouraged because of the multiple locked boxes littered around the ship that gradually open up as protagonist Isaac Clarke’s security clearance rises. Unitologists are delusional lunatics, but at least they keep the trams running on time, even during deadly outbreaks.īreaking from linearity improves the experience in multiple ways. While the 2008 original was a linear rollercoaster through the USG Ishimura, the studio has taken the cart off the rails and allowed players to travel to almost every corner of the ship via the tram right up until the end of the game. ![]() Thanks to Capcom, there are a handful of impeccable horror remakes out there, but this Dead Space one still stands out because of how brilliantly Motive tweaked the very foundation of the game. Instead of just mindlessly reconstructing the 2008 hit, the studio has honed in on its many strengths, smoothed out its rough spots, and developed one of the best remakes of all time. A remake of the original was the smartest way to reset the franchise, and that’s the route Motive Studio went down with its 2023 remake. It was almost a mercy killing, but still a premature one at that. ![]() It died on its worst entry, one plagued by bloat, a lopsided appetite for action, and a ridiculous ending that was both too silly and not silly enough. Dead Space has drifted aimlessly in space since 2013 after Electronic Arts unceremoniously severed its umbilical cable. ![]()
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