The cult horror game “Dead Space” has been remade and is causing sleepless nights

The original left its mark on me. The space survival horror kept me couch-locked for nights on end and sent me on a journey that stayed with me for a very, very long time. The feeling of constant fear and uncertainty accompanied me constantly and the audio background drilled deep into my brain.

It was the time when I had just installed a new surround sound system in the living room and had no idea how much this game would terrorize my ear canals. Yes, “Dead Space” was an audiovisual delight that got my heart racing and completely rocked me to sleep. A feast for survival horror fans and a challenge for the nerves. The remake now plays on the same keyboard of horror and provides numerous flashbacks.

“Isaac, please hurry!”

We crawl back into the role of mechanic Isaac Clarke, who has a simple mission: together with a crew he travels to the mining spaceship USG Ishimura to repair the communication system there. Since only radio contact is reported to have been lost, this appears to be a purely routine job.

But shortly after arriving, the crew realizes something isn’t quite right here. The Ishimura doesn’t beep, no one answers, and the ship seems to float in space without light. When the troops dare to board, the terror begins. Aggressive, repulsive monsters prey on the crew, separating the members. While communication between individuals can be maintained, Isaac is now on his own.

Step by step he starts to repair the ship. His girlfriend Nicole Brennan, a resident of the Ishimura, who contacted him via video recording and is said to be still alive, acts as a major emotional driver.

line apart

Although Isaac is only a craftsman without much military training, our hero quickly learns how to defend against the aggressive hordes with various shooting tools. He also quickly realizes that the monsters should not just be shot away, but that their body parts should be cut off shot by shot to render them inoperative. Because the hellspawn is not the usual disgusting mass of flesh from other well-known video games, but has a multitude of limbs, blades and tentacles that want to grab the protagonist.

These creatures not only rush towards us aggressively, but also appear again and again when we least expect them. Suddenly they storm out of an air shaft, pile up behind us or storm out of a corridor when we don’t think about fighting back. Wherever we are and whatever we do, uncertainty is always with us.

The goal: survive!

In addition to the very gory shooting scenes, other challenges await us: in some parts of the game we have to make our way in weightlessness or move forward in a vacuum while always keeping an eye on our screen to avoid suffocation.

We also get the ability to move large and heavy objects freely using futuristic technology. With it we can not only open blocked paths, but also throw various objects at enemies to pierce them or even cause an explosion. Also useful is the ability to slow down certain objects in their movement. This not only slows broken doors that open and close quickly, but also slows down approaching enemies for a short time.

Such opportunities should always be taken advantage of, as the ammunition, as befits the genre, is not mass-produced. At the same time, we watch videos and holograms and listen to various audio recordings to learn more about the fate of the Ishimura. And of course we can improve our weapons and armor on scattered workbenches.

Audiovisual delight

Compared to the original, the remake naturally offers a drilled look and revised sound design. Furthermore, no major experiments have been undertaken in terms of content or game mechanics.

There are now more audio files and other notes to discover that give a little more background, but the content remains the same as before. While the Ishimura now has some new intersections and rooms and invites a few optional side missions, the story hasn’t changed.

The remake’s focus was entirely on the audiovisual infusion, which is a lot of fun to see and hear. Otherwise, Isaac is now occasionally allowed to speak and he also regularly takes off his helmet. And what is especially nice: the map of the environment is more detailed and can now finally be studied better.

Not as intense as before

Let’s talk about the huge elephant in the room: as a connoisseur of the original, should I access this again? To be honest, the feeling of playing back then could not be restored so intensively for me. Although the permanent fear and uncertainty of being attacked from behind was always there, the great, story-technical surprise effect was no longer there.

Yes, I remember this room and yes, something is about to happen there and yes, I already know the background of these beings from hell. In short: the positive, surprising emotional chaos of 2008 no longer existed.

And yet I couldn’t keep my hands off the controller because this terribly beautiful horror setting was a feast for the eyes and ears and I enjoyed delving into every corner of this world, even though I already knew what was going to happen.

And also in the remake, the title falters in the last hours of the game, where the tension curve drops after one or the other revelation and the terror has to give way to a shooting gallery, where it is only blind to shoot yourself . And the sections in weightlessness are still controlled slowly and imprecisely, and satisfactory orientation remains difficult here most of the time.

Was good, is good, stays good

Conclusion: If you’re new to “Dead Space” and have a soft spot for good survival horror and like sweaty action, you can grab it, as long as you can nervously expose yourself to the permanent terror.

On the other hand, if you’re already familiar with the original, you should know that the audiovisuals have been polished up here, while the content and mechanics have remained the same. There are some nice extra missions and small changes like new rooms and shortcuts, but “Dead Space” is and remains a tube-like video game where you have to walk through different areas over and over again.

However, the panicky atmosphere with great uncertainty and tension remains and offers eerily beautiful hours of fun like then: “Dead Space” was good, is good and will remain good.

“Dead Space” is available for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Approved from 18 years.