

The corridors feel smaller now with more refined light sources that flicker or are seemingly cancelled out by the shadows surrounding them fighting the Necromophs within them feels restrictive in the best way and often leads to the player needing to be aware of their surroundings. Looking back at the surprisingly light environments of the 2008 release, it is unbelievable how scared I was during my original playthrough. The interior of the mining spaceship is now filled with dimly lit claustrophobic corridors that create a new layer of tension that goes beyond the feelings previously present in the original.

Though the story is unchanged, the Ishimura itself has become an expanded stage for the narrative of Dead Space to play out on. Its story always excelled at paying homage to classic space-horror films such as Alien, and it pushed the survival horror genre with its storytelling, with its fingerprints still being seen in new releases today. Some recent remakes have taken the opportunity to polish their narratives or to diverge from the initial story to create a new entry neither of these things was needed for Dead Space. It is up to Issac to investigate deeper into the Ishimura as he tries to find his wife, Nicole, and save the remaining crew. Things quickly escalate as it becomes clear that the ship has become infected with terrifying creatures called Necromorphs. Issac Clark and his team arrive on the Ishimura, a mining vessel that has gone dark.

The story of the Dead Space game from 2008 is primarily unchanged as it graces our screens in 2023. Motive Studio has created an experience for new and returning fans of the series that goes beyond the expectations of a remake and truly trumps the nostalgia that often holds back many returning franchises. Surely the new franchise would build upon the shoulders of the giant that came before it and excel in ways a remake couldn't? Looking back at The Calisto Protocol a month later, it fell from those shoulders. With the generation of remakes and remasters in full swing, it was only a matter of time until Issac Clarke was slapped back into his rig and hurled into a shiny-looking horde of Necromorphs, but the real question is, did we need it? This was the question I asked myself upon the news of the Dead Space Remake alongside the, at the time, upcoming release of The Calisto Protocol.
