Dead Space (2023) It is one of the bombs that left us last year on the video game scene. Without a doubt, a year 2023 that will be remembered for a long time. With him run games like Resident Evil 4 Remake, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hogwarts Legacy, Alan Wake 2, Starfield, Final Fantasy XVI, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Baldur’s Gate 3 or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
This wonderful year has gotten off to a sensational start. Since the return of Dead space in the form of a remake of the current generation consoles was simply the best way to start this iconic year of releases. A 1:1 scale remake with just the right changes to perfect the original title. Game which to this day (and as I personally verified last year) is still perfectly playable.
A long-awaited return
After the announcement of the remake during the Summer Game Fest of 2022, much of the attention of the public and especially fans of the saga created by Visceral Games was once again excited by the return of Isaac Clarke. From what was shown at the event, the great visual quality stood out as well as the most remarkable thing about the game: the physics. Since all objects in the environment reacted to the shot or hit. As expected, Motive Studios did not disappoint anyone. The game had no performance issues on consoles and PC, which is unfortunately unique today.
The reception of the game by the public was excellent at first, but as mentioned at the beginning; In a year with so many quality releases, it was quickly overshadowed. With its arrival on EA Play last November, I decided to re-board USG Ishimura to see how much has changed, especially in the gameplay compared to the original work. I therefore invite you to accompany me throughout this article. Get your engineering suit and plasma cutter ready and we’re about to begin!
Dead Space: a simple remake
Once we start our game, we are instantly overcome with a feeling of nostalgia. AND I’m sure many of you remember the game looked like this on 360/PS3, but no, wake up from the dream. Quickly, we can appreciate the great work done by Motive in all sections of the game. A very remarkable sound section as the original already did. But without a doubt and what is most awaited of all, we can finally give a face and a voice to our beloved protagonist: Isaac Clarke. Our favorite engineer finally gets his own identity.
The entire game is perfectly recreated like the original title. Every room, every item container… Everything. This makes the experience much more familiar for those who have already completed the adventure in their time. Thanks to the technical deployment enabled by current generation consoles like the Xbox Series and the PS5, we can enjoy unprecedented graphic quality. Isaac’s costume is spectacularly beautiful, with metallic finishes that reflect the light.
Attention to detail
The detail achieved in certain sections of the game is sickening in a good way. As a clear example, When we crush xenomorphs, the costume will be stained with the blood of these monsters. When we receive a scare, we can observe with enough attention how Isaac’s pulse accelerates, as well as his breathing after a long run to escape from an unfortunate encounter with a group of enemies to whom we cannot to face. All these little details make the difference in this title.
A great incentive that gives great value to this game are the secondary objectives. Through this type of missions we will be able to learn more about the events preceding the disaster that occurs on the ship. Through holograms, audio files, etc. Furthermore, there are security levels, from 1 to 3, with another extra which is obtained by collecting the DPI of the different members of the crew. By managing to raise our security clearance level, we will be able to open cupboards, safes and, above all, rooms. In the latter case, it is very common to always find energy nodes and weapon upgrades. With security completely canceled, we will have access to special rooms filled with supplies for our adventure.
The big section that impacts this game is the diegetic mechanics which he uses. For those who don’t know, a diegetic element informs the player through an object, a poster, etc. from the game itself. In Dead Space, the use of these mechanics is the basis of everything. Items such as life, weapon ammo, etc. They do not require any own interface as seen in the vast majority of games. These elements give information to the player, but also to the other characters with whom we interact. At the start of the game for the life tutorial, one of the characters notices that the health bar behind us is low, recommending that we apply a cure. These types of mechanisms are rarely observed and their implementation is rare.
Same situations, different resolutions
Being a 1:1 job in the vast majority (an aspect I’ll talk about later), there doesn’t seem to be much room to change aspects such as solving environmental puzzles. to be able to continue our work in the mining warehouse. Luckily, the folks at EA managed to give it an interesting twist. To navigate certain sections of the game (and access rooms containing resources), we will have a fuse box in front of us. In it we can choose which systems we want to operate, such as oxygen or lighting, as well as which door we must open.
In this way, the player must choose how to deal with the inevitable arrival of the xenomorphs when they have achieved their objective in this domain. Thanks to the magnificent work done, the experience of living without light is truly terrifying. When we shoot enemies, we can see the damage the weapons do to them, making their approach more terrifying. And they do not flinch in the face of our continuous shooting. And remember, always pull on the ends.
Other examples of visible changes in the remake are, for example, the weightlessness zones. As you will remember, In the original we had to jump from one wall to another like a frog. In this episode, we get complete freedom of movement in these areas thanks to the thrusters that Isaac’s suit incorporates as standard.. Another notable change is the orbital gun calibration mission. This phase was the most tedious in the entire game due to the difficult handling of the laser weapon. For this installment, calibration is required using our own lens to repair the defense system.
Weapons, our old acquaintances
As expected, In this episode we are accompanied by all the iconic weapons from the first game.
These weapon upgrades can go unnoticed if we are not the player profile that explores every corner of the map. Take on a greater challenge for our adventure. Since not only are special abilities lost due to this, but also more weapon upgrades in general. Like magazine capacity, damage or reload speed.
The way to make upgrades follows the same concept as the first game, but with more optimized trees. Which makes upgrades more effective for the player, because they can obtain them more quickly. Likewise, in this way Dead space It’s not easier to manage, the challenge remains the same as back then. There comes a point in the game where energy nodes become just another source of supply if we’re curious enough. Additionally, towards the end of the game, if we registered the ship correctly, we should have installed all the suit upgrades as well as the plasma cutter.
In the shop, we find the same elements as in the original. But the differentiating factor is located in the impossibility of selling weapons we do not want. Forcing us to keep them in the storage room. This section represents the The only negative aspect I can attribute to the great work done on this game.
In conclusion, Dead Space…
Dead space (2023) is a perfect homage to the original 2008 title. Personally, with the remake of Resident Evil 2 It is one of the best works in history in this type of projects. Motive Studios takes everything that made gaming great in its time and manages to bring it back to the present with the same essence but more refined. Of a technical part with environments of unprecedented graphic fidelity, an unrivaled sound part and gameplay that is as optimized as it is satisfying. make this title a must-have in any game library.
Personally, I hope EA’s recent journey into single-player games like we’ve already seen in the blockbuster saga Star Wars Jedi and now with this Dead space (2023) brings the two other titles that make up this trilogy to the present. Dead space (2023) is available on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. As always, if you’re interested in learning more about articles like these, be sure to stop by here in the Xbox space.
Student. Lover of video games, motorsport, pop-rock and Brandon Sanderson. Fan of Star Wars, strategy games and all geeks.
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