Dead Space Review (Tamaster)
Sum-Up
In-depth analysis further down.
For an in-depth comparison, check out my original Dead Space (2008) review.
đ© Pros
đ„ Cons
- Excellent visuals, up to par with modern standards in all fields. Dead Space never looked better, and feels just as eerie as the original for the most part.
- Expanded content, with a side-quests system and more optional areas. Clearing everything will require much longer than in the original.
- Overhauled / reworked gameplay mechanics with better alternate fire-modes, quality-of-life improvements and mechanics from other chapters, like free flight in Zero-G.
- The technical issues of the original, related to running it on modern systems, are no longer present.
- A carefully-done remake that respects the original vision, atmosphere and gameplay loop, without deforming it too much with modern implementations.
- A few sections have been reworked in a way that makes them less engaging compared to the original.
- What have they done to Isaacâs face? Look how they massacred my boy! And Nicole? Boy.
- The game still spawns ammo only for the weapons you have equipped, and this causes balance problems in the long run (1000+ pulse rifle ammo in storage on Hard? Balanced!).
đš Bugs & Issues
đ§ Specs
- Moderate stuttering in select areas from time to time.
- 3900X
- 2080Ti
- 32GB RAM
- SSD
- 1440p
Content & Replay Value:
It took me around 20 hours to complete DS Remake on Hard difficulty, taking considerable extra time to fully explore the Ishimura and clear all side-quests. âImpossible Modeâ, NG+ and a secret ending may be an incentive for a second run, however most of the content will stay the same; replay value is overall low.
Is it worth buying?
The 60⏠tag is in line with AAA standards, and expected. If youâre a fan of the original, or havenât played Dead Space yet, this is the best possible version you could get. The price, in both cases, is worth the expense even without discounts.
Verdict: Excellent
Rating Chart Here
The definitive edition of a survival horror masterpiece. Barring a few questionable reworks, the vast majority of changes are positive; they refine an already-great game to an even shinier polish.
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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2928964219
In-Depth
Setting & Writing
Several centuries into the future, humanity sailed to the stars thanks to new technology such as shockpoint, enabling FTL travel, and gravity manipulation that allows dismantling of entire planets chunk by chunk. This is performed by giant spaceships called âplanet crackersâ - one such vessel is the USG Ishimura. Protagonist Isaac Clarke is tasked with solving onboard technical issues alongside his crewmates. Thatâs how the nightmare begins.
The storyline follows a plot of intrigue, government secrets and religious fanaticism aboard the Ishimura, where total mayhem has unfolded already, plunging the entire crew into hell-in-space. Compared to the original, the lore has been significantly expanded with many more logs to find, other than reworked dialogues with Isaac being a voiced character, and the side-characters interacting much more with him and each other. This abundance doesnât detract from the horror atmosphere, if anything expands more upon it. The writing quality is solid, and while some characters are kind of one-sided, itâs overall good.
Exploration & Secrets
The Ishimura is so large it has its own tram system linking its various districts, such as Medical, Engineering and so forth. Differently from the original, this time around youâll be able to freely use the transport to return to any section you unlocked throughout the main story - a necessity, given the new side-quest system and optional backtracking unlockables. Each section is itself divided into numerous levels, corridors and rooms, all outlined on a handy map, while a GPS tracker will indicate where to go next.
Exploration is highly rewarding, as piles of breakable containers, closets with loot and hidden rewards are to be found by those investing extra time to look in every nook and cranny - a necessity to not run out of resources, on higher difficulties. Enemies partially respawn, a necessary change given this open-world approach, after all the ship IS infested to the brim. Many areas will be initially barred behind story events or Clearance Levels, a new mechanic that replaces Power Node Doors.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2929999534
Combat System & Bosses
Forget center mass: to down a Necromorph youâll need to cut off their limbs using a selection of tools and weapons youâll progressively find around the Ishimura. Targeting enemy appendages will progressively degrade and mutilate them, consequently hindering their mobility and attack capabilities. Accuracy and quick-thinking in combat are rewarded, as is triggering environmental hazards or using the Stasis (time slow) and Telekinesis (object throwing) modules to save ammo or waste less. Foes are varied enough and come in upgraded variants after some time; they range from the simple melee grunt to hulking beasts or lethal agglomerates of smaller monsters crammed together. Most enemies will drop loot once killed, but usually the ammo expense to down one is more than what youâll loot, unless you get smart and efficient about it.
Bosses consist of especially mean and huge Necromorphs that obstruct critical sections of the ship, or have unique abilities. All of them have evolving attack patterns and specific ways to be defeated: youâll need to analyze their weakness and use up all the saved resources to get out of a boss fight. Exception made for the final one, which seems to have been decisively nerfed compared to the original, which is a shame.
Character Progression & Upgrades
Shops scattered through the ship still function and will trade ammo, healing supplies and utility items for credits looted around; you can even sell excess loot and valuables, like circuits, for an extra buck. Engineering benches allow Isaac to upgrade his tools, making them better-suited for the harder fights ahead, improving damage and adding special effects for a price in Nodes, somewhat rare items found sparingly or bought for a high price. Your armor and modules may as well be improved, but for all of this youâll have to find the right blueprints or upgrade components; differently from the original DS, this time around most upgrade paths will be locked until you find the right gizmo around the Ishimura - a good balance choice to prevent early âmin-maxingâ.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2930293697
Side Quests, Optional Modes & Minigames
Side missions entail finding out more about the various endeavors of side-characters, dead or alive, aboard the Ishimura. They are interesting from a lore perspective, and also include solid rewards at the end, such as rooms full of loot or unique upgrades. Minigames include a shooting gallery spiced up with alien intrusions, and a Zero-G basketball course - both of them award great amounts of loot and components, other than achievements. The optional game modes feature NG+, the standard âkeep everything and play againâ affair, and Impossible mode, a masochist trial with only one save, permadeath and even more brutal enemies.