It has been a while since a newDead Spacegame came out. The last one,Dead Space 3, was in 2013 right before new consoles were set to launch. The series began in 2008, two console generations ago. Suffice it to say fans have been eager for EA to go back to this series again. A remake may not be what they had in mind but it is a good start.
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It’s a fine remake technically with no alarming bugs or anything like that on the console side of things. PC players are having a bit more trouble, unfortunately, but the reviews overall are glowing. Let’s see what makes theDead Spaceremake flawed and compelling at the same time.
8Best: Classic Survival Horror Gameplay
It’s hard to argue with the gameplay setup in the original game. It was mechanically sound in 2008 and is still great emulated on the Xbox Series Xvia backwards compatibility. Still, it’s even better in the remake thanks to a few minor tweaks.
The idea may seem cliche from a movie standpoint, but it works well for a game. Enter a haunted ship and kill everything in sight in the hopes of making it out alive. What more could horror game fans want from an experience?
7Worst: Isaac Doesn’t Add Much
One of the new additions to the remake is thatIsaac can talk. He could speak in the sequels, but he was silent throughout the first game except for his grunts and heavy breathing. He adds more context to old conversations, but the troubling thing is that he doesn’t react to what’s going on around him.
For example, players can stumble upon live NPCs moments before their deaths and he has nothing to say. Isaac doesn’t have to be as quippy as Nathan Drake fromUncharted, but he needs to say something beyond cutscenes.
6Best: The Atmosphere
Thesurvival horror gameplaywould be nothing if the mood wasn’t right. Thankfully, theDead Spaceremake sets the atmosphere up perfectly thanks to its fantastic lighting and sound systems. The lighting is a huge improvement over the original, with the ship legitimately going pitch black at times.
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The only way to see is through the flashlights attached to Isaac’s various guns. If players pop in headphones then that will make these blackout scenes even spookier. There’s nothing more unsettling than being caught in the dark with Isaac’s heart beating rapidly while there are monstrous noises coming from all over.
5Worst: The Inventory
The inventory system is something that can be troubling in a lot of horror games especially ones with puzzles and the need to backtrack. Unfortunately, as much as this remake improves, it neglects to touch the item system.
Why can’t ammo occupy one slot in the inventory?Why do weaponsnow take up space when they didn’t before? Why do items like semiconductors exist if all they are good for is money? It’s a lot of senseless details in an otherwise solidly put-together gameplay experience.
4Best: The Guidance System
One of the most innovative things about the original was the guiding light system called the Locator. Players could press in on the analog stick to see exactly where they needed to go based on their main objectivesin each chapter. The mechanic rightfully returns in the remake with no tweaks to it, making getting around the trams much easier.
Other games have waypoint systems which are handy too, but more games need to directly borrow this Locator tech to make navigation better. One could argue that tech like this makesDead Spacetoo easy, but that shouldn’t matter. Hardcore players that like a challenge can ignore it if they want. It’s a win-win for both parties.
3Worst: Upgrade Stations And Shops Are Separate
One of the weirdest things about the original game was the three kiosks players had to frequent separately. There was the saving station that only did that, saved. There was the store wherein players could buy items, sell items, and store items.
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Finally, there was the workbench which upgraded weapons. It would have been nice if the remake consolidated the store and workbench at least especially because their locations are often far apart from each other. It didn’t make sense then and it makes less sense now.
2Best: The Weapon Selection
Dead Spacehad one of the coolest varieties of guns seen in a horror game let alone a third-person shooter.The Plasma Cutterwas the starting pistol and it could carry players through the entire game. It’s true in the remake as well.
Then there is the Ripper which shoots out saw blades and the Contact Beam which fires off a charged beam that looks like a Proton Beam from theGhostbustersseries. Every weapon also has an alternative attack. The Force Gun, for example, can create a gravity well that sucks enemies in.
1Worst: Maybe It’s Too Faithful Of A Remake
Overall, the big issue with the remake is that its chapters don’t swing for the fences.Final Fantasy 7 Remakedefied all expectations by following some things from the original title while creating a new experience. This game didn’t have to be as wild asFinal Fantasy 7 Remakebut it needed something more.
If players were to take on the 2008 and 2023 versions ofDead Spaceback to back, they would see not much has changed. It makes the game feel more like a remaster than a remake which is not bad. It’s great the game is widely accessible again but after waiting ten years for a new game, some fans may feel a bit let down.
TheDead Spaceremake was released on June 15, 2025, and is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
