Fans of survival horror are eating good lately, what with the Resident Evil 4 remake, the much-lauded indie hit Signalis, and, of course, Dead Space. Returning and new fans may be wondering how this remake differs from the original, and I’m here to help. Here are the changes I noticed most during my time with the game.
Isaac has a voice, and it’s familiar
When it was revealed that Isaac, the game’s protagonist, was going to have a voice in the remake, I’ll admit I grimaced a little. I loved the awkward, bumbling everyman he represented. But looking back, having my face almost chewed off or being asked direct questions critical to my survival by a superior officer would probably warrant some level of verbiage. Luckily, it’s done well (and sparingly), and Isaac’s voice actor from the sequels, Gunner Wright, returns with a stellar performance.
Bye bye awkward zero gravity
Fans of the original probably remember the horrendously awkward zero-G segments, which saw Isaac bounding helplessly from one predetermined point to another. Those are gone, replaced with much smoother and more satisfying fully 360 flights from the sequel.
New mechanics, slight tweaks
I have a very fond memory of Dead Space, to the point that I have many of its areas laid out in my mind. That said, I was impressed with not only a few completely new segments but new mechanics as well. Power redirection, for example, asks the player to choose how to spend the available power of a substation to energize a room. In one instance, this meant choosing between having the lights on and having oxygen (and sound). This one moment was so impressive and true to the spirit of Dead Space, I felt it had justified the remake’s existence entirely.
So there you have it, all the big stuff I took away from my time besides the obvious stuff, like the new graphics. I’ll be deep diving back into Dead Space like old times, and I can’t wait for new fans of the franchise to get their hands on it. Thankfully, the wait is almost over, as it’s set to release on Jan. 27, 2023, alongside another “remake” of sorts.
Related: Is a Dead Space movie happening? on The Escapist
