Already dead

This Dead Space remake could also be termed a narrative one, since while it doesn't change the major story beats or plot of the original it does cast them in a completely new light via side quests, holographics logs, new characters, and through Isaac being able to speak this time. People like Elizabeth Cross, who you never interacted with directly, are now fully-fledged characters who have their own individual plotlines. The side quests also offer Nicole's perspective on what was happening onboard the Ishimura, and give you more insight into the cruelties of main antagonist, Dr. Mercer, who's now a more fully-developed character.

Motive's done a great job in judiciously adding layers to the original story, focusing on existing but underdeveloped elements, and just generally giving players more insight into the Ishimura and its conflicts prior to Isaac's arrival. It makes the first Dead Space fit far better with the other games from a lore and continuity perspective, but it's the execution that really lands, with no oversteps or overly significant changes. Subsequent playthroughs even provide extra audio logs and Easter eggs, some of which inform the reveals from the original ending.


Yet the overall effect is weirdly frustrating. On one level it's amazing that so much effort has gone into re-developing the original game's plotline: But at the same time, this effort could've been equally well applied to a new Dead Space. It's hard not to feel the same way about the improved sound design and visuals. The remake was built from the ground-up using the Frostbite engine, and looks and sounds incredible. All of which mainly makes me want to play a new non-remade Dead Space game in 2023 with this production quality. Another aspect of the frustration is that another game might've had space to push some of the remake's new ideas and mechanics further.

But it also speaks to how strong this remake is that my primary complaint is wishing the care and effort went into a sequel. This game could have gone further in terms of adding replayability for older areas since, beyond weapon upgrades, you don't really need credits or ammo from Security Clearance stashes beyond a certain point. The side quests mostly run parallel to the main story, too, so while they add a nice complementary layer, they don't provide much extra playtime.

It took me around 12 hours to complete everything on medium difficulty, but the remake also features new game plus with harder 'phantom enemies' and twelve hidden Marker Fragments(opens in new tab) that unlock an alternate ending if found. So even though it's a little on the shorter side, this is what Dead Space has always been: an intense, momentum-driven experience. Most of all, I'm just happy Dead Space is back and Dead Space is good. Even if this doesn't lead to a new game, I'll keep my limbs crossed for an equally strong remake of the second in the future.