Dead Spacehad inspiration from bothResident EvilandSilent Hill, but it also has plenty of elements that stand apart from other survival-horror franchises. A lot of the mechanics thatDead Spaceconcentrates on have not been used in games since, includingDead Space’s highly iconic limb dismemberment mechanic. This is likely due toDead Spacemolding a particular setting and tone, whereas it might be difficult to replicate these mechanics meaningfully in another locale or genre.
Dead Spacetruly leans into its genre as science-fiction survival horror, using memorable chimes and digital whirs in its sound design. Save stations and stores are found frequently, the depth of weapon diversity is immense, and its level design is incredibly specific with regard to how players move around the Ishimura.Dead Space’s divisive mapis arguably superfluous as well, but not only because players have relatively linear and straightforward paths. Players need only rely on Isaac’s guidance system technology to lead them where they need to go.
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Dead Space’s guidance systemis a helpful navigation tool. Upon pressing its mapped input, Isaac will put his palm out and trigger a blue light, which then trails out before him toward the player’s destination. If the way to the destination is behind him, the camera spins to orient the player in that direction.
Players can activate this guidance system whenever they like, and though corridors and paths are linear inDead Space,it is a truly helpful aid. Because this light directs players, taking a look at the map is fundamentally pointless unless they want to see a rough blueprint of the area they are in. But the guidance system’s truest function comes when players reach a clear fork in their path.
There is a repeated nuisance in many games where the player is given no indication of which path leads to an unskippable cutscene and possibly makes them leave an area, as opposed to which path leads to missable loot. Players must pick a path and hope it leads to optional resources they can pick up. It is impossible to mistakenly head towardstory progression inDead Spacewith judicious use of its guidance system. Players can ping the guidance system, see that it points in a particular direction, and then search in every area besides that one path before they decide to move on.
TheDead Spaceremake reinterprets a lot of areas players may remember from the original. Some areas are wholly different, but still offer the same standard linearity in their design. On the other hand, the entire Ishimura ship behaves similarly toa Metroidvania level in EA Motive’sDead Space, where players return to areas they have been before and can access optional rewards that were locked off beforehand.
This gives the game a sense of nonlinearity when returning to previous areas, allowing players the freedom to explore even if there are only a few meaningful reasons to do so. Much more nonlinearity than this could have thrown off the original game’s atmosphere, and what players can return to areas in search of is truly rewarding if they wish to do so.
In terms of side quests, players can track these on their guidance system, resulting in a yellow light instead of blue. Regardless of whether players are trekking down a straight corridor or trying to reorient themselves in an explorable zero-gravity section, the guidance system is allDead Spaceplayers need to find their way through the Ishimura with any relative confidence.
Dead Spaceis available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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