the forerunner of space terror

Dead Space (2008) arrived on our Xbox 360, PS3 and PC consoles on October 14, 2008. Its launch left a very important legacy in the space survival horror genre that has been ported Dead space 2 and not with much success Dead space 3. But not everything remained in the trilogy created by the now defunct Visceral Games. Over the years, many games like Alien Isolation oh Prey They picked up this cookie with their own personal brand.

If you have followed the industry trend, last year 2022 was loaded with space survival horror announcements. Many of the announced games are completely new because Fort Solis, Routine and the already released The Callisto Protocol, which turned out to be a disappointment (although I will dedicate its space to this game). And yes, this article comes mainly from that, but especially from the Dead Space Remake which has already reached our current generation consoles. So in view of all that’s to come in not only space terror but also survival horror, I put on the engineering tech jumpsuit and landed on the Ishimura to do a journey back in time to 2008. Join me on this adventure that will take us through the original trilogy of Dead space, the Callisto protocol and the remake of the game that started it all.

Dead space: the beginning of everything

Almost 15 years after its release, I decided to venture into the Ishimura to untangle everything we found upon our forced arrival on this mining vessel. Our mission is presented as one more routine maintenance task in a mining ship. What sets off alarm bells right from the start is the lack of communication from within. And as they say, white and bottled…horchata de chufa. How could it be otherwise, we suffered a forced landing that left us stranded with no possibility of escaping the ship.

Has this game aged like fine wine or is it unplayable in 2023?

I’m happy to say yes in the middle of 2023 perfectly playable without any problems. As I mentioned before, the game is inspired clear from the saga resident Evilbut especially from his fourth opus. In the manipulation of our stupid Isaac Clarke or in the shooter itself. Luckily, we don’t have to deal with an NPC for the rest of our adventure who constantly dies. Inventory management, ammo, item collection is also another of the pillars that the original delivery was based on. All this, with a twist to make it special.

Since we set foot in the USG, we perceive a strange atmosphere in all this, the aesthetics, the decor provided by the lighting, the strange noises that make us fear that something is stalking us… All this embraces us from the first moments of the game. It is clearly perceived that the juego was inspired by the quintessential modern survival horror saga: resident Evil. The seal of the famous Capcom franchise was perfectly adapted by the now deceased Visceral Games to turn it into a survival horror subgenre with a huge impact on the industry. games like Alan Wake drew inspiration from these two sagas to bring the iconic game Remedy to life.

The gameplay: is it still as good in 2023?

Although it’s been a good number of years since this game came out, they haven’t been through it as much as expected. Isaac’s movement resembles that of Leon in Resident Evil 4. This maneuverability so characteristic of this game perfectly translates what it is to move with the combination technical engineer worn by our stupid protagonist. Luckily, When we have to get out of delicate situations, he is able to take to their heels to get us out of danger.

Combined with land mobility that is now quite manageable, they will accompany us Two very essential tools. Not only because they have to move in the Ishimura but also for other uses that can be given to them. And yes, I’m talking about kinetic module and stabilization module. The keys to the iconic gameplay of this title. It won’t be the first or the last time that using the stabilization module against an enemy and then using the kinetics to throw an explosive cannon at them hasn’t freed us from a dilemma. I think we can agree that this is one of the pieces we remember the most when we finish our tour of the Ishimura. Also, I think one of the uses we made of the Kinetic Mod was to get us closer to ammo that was lying around the stage to save us a trip to retrieve it.

It’s possible that if you’re playing this game now, you’ll find Isaac’s handling in zero-gravity areas somewhat confusing. We will have to change between walls, floor and ceiling to advance in certain areas. Many times it was difficult to find the right point to be able to jump and change our plane of movement. Nevertheless, the puzzle areas that the game presents are always curious to complete. Of course, if you tend to suffer from vertigo, you may get disoriented or dizzy while passing through these areas.

Throughout our course bathed in dismemberment, we will obtain a curious variety of weapons to face the different enemies. From the mythical and faithful Plasma Cutter to weapons like the Pulse Rifle. Between us though, I used no weapon other than the plasma cutter. It’s just perfect. And from what I could read, even in the remake itself, it’s still a weapon with which to finish the game without too much difficulty.

An atmosphere of total tension

USG Ishimura since our arrival It gives us a feeling of anxiety and restlessness about what we can find in every room or hallway we go to.. During the first bars of the game, this feeling is much more intense, mainly because it is our first walk through each section of the ship. In them we still discover the bugs that we will face, rooms full of supplies and power nodes, which I will talk about later.

This atmosphere of tension is not only transmitted to us by the environment itself. Since, as a detail, in screams or finding human remains on the ground, we will notice that Isaac’s pulse and breathing quicken. Also, after running or facing a threat, it will take some time for him to catch his breath, just like in real life.

The Unification Church and the Secrets

Because of the Marker, We will gradually see more hallucinations, strange situations and people who, despite their lives, succumbed to madness.. And in a way, we also see it in Isaac himself. We will listen to whispers, voices that speak to us in a language we do not know. Culminating with the delivery of the marker to the colony. This opens up the story of not only the Unification Church, but also the plot that unfolds in the game and the trilogy. It is expanded through a multitude of video, text and voice files with which we will know the causes of the ship being completely infested with necromorphs. We will meet surviving characters on the ship. Like the radicalism of the Church itself or the secrets that our mission companions hide from us.

Our dear fellow adventurers, although they are there with us to give us the errands we have to do due to their incompetence, hide secrets within them. Since his mission is not really to come and inspect and repair the ship, but to bring the Marker back to the colony. and stop this madness of the Unification Church. With its ups and downs, the story ends as it ends and we flee this nest infested with death and secrets.

In summary, Dead Space…

dead space It’s still as wonderful and enjoyable as the first day. Although the years have passed, it’s never too late to enjoy one of the best games in history. A gameplay and resource management experience with the obvious impact that Resident Evil 4 had on the genre. A story with a much deeper background than it seems of the surface make this game one of the true gems of the industry. And we’re lucky this game is available through EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Dead Space (2008) is available on our Xbox consoles through backwards compatibility.

As I indicated at the beginning of this article, we are going to take a journey through this whole saga. In addition to exploring The Callisto Protocol and the remake of the first part. I invite you to accompany me on this space journey. As always, if you want to learn more about articles like this, be sure to stop by your place here in the Xbox Zone.