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The reviews are in for Dead Space and it seems like the remake is quite good. At the time of writing, Dead Space sits at a 90% average on OpenCritic. Of the 72 critic reviews counted, 96% of them recommend this remake.
Motive Studios did a rather solid job on this one. Dead Space features greatly improved visuals and audio when compared to the already amazing original. It also features seamless gameplay from start to finish. Motive also added in the ability to backtrack through the planet cracker, the USG Ishimura. There are also now some additional side-quests to undertake as well as some additional character building from some of the other NPCs.
Dead Space is set to be released on January 27, 2023 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, EA App, and Epic Games Store. According to a developer update on Steam, the PC release will happen at 11AM (ET). The console versions should be released at midnight tonight.
As was done with the Critical Consensus: Forspoken, a random selection of Dead Space reviews will be linked below along with a short quote from each outlet.
PC Gamer - 84 / 100
"Motive's done a great job in judiciously adding layers to the original story, focusing on existing but underdeveloped elements, and just generally giving players more insight into the Ishimura and its conflicts prior to Isaac's arrival. It makes the first Dead Space fit far better with the other games from a lore and continuity perspective, but it's the execution that really lands, with no oversteps or overly significant changes. Subsequent playthroughs even provide extra audio logs and Easter eggs, some of which inform the reveals from the original ending."
"Motive's done a great job in judiciously adding layers to the original story, focusing on existing but underdeveloped elements, and just generally giving players more insight into the Ishimura and its conflicts prior to Isaac's arrival. It makes the first Dead Space fit far better with the other games from a lore and continuity perspective, but it's the execution that really lands, with no oversteps or overly significant changes. Subsequent playthroughs even provide extra audio logs and Easter eggs, some of which inform the reveals from the original ending."
Wccftech - 8 / 10
"As if the layout changes weren’t enough, the makers of the new Dead Space attempt to further throw vets off with the new “Intensity Director.” This system provides a wide range of dynamic scares, with Motive promising over 1200 unique events. At times it’s fairly obvious you’re being messed with, but when it really works, the Intensity Director serves up some of the scariest moments in the game. You’ll grip the controller extra hard when the lights go out right after you’ve survived a particularly tough encounter and I’ll admit I screamed more than once when the system spawned a sneaky Necromorph behind my back."
"As if the layout changes weren’t enough, the makers of the new Dead Space attempt to further throw vets off with the new “Intensity Director.” This system provides a wide range of dynamic scares, with Motive promising over 1200 unique events. At times it’s fairly obvious you’re being messed with, but when it really works, the Intensity Director serves up some of the scariest moments in the game. You’ll grip the controller extra hard when the lights go out right after you’ve survived a particularly tough encounter and I’ll admit I screamed more than once when the system spawned a sneaky Necromorph behind my back."
CGMagazine 9 / 10
"Dead Space has greatly refined its upgrade system for Isaac’s equipment and weapons. Taking a page from Resident Evil 2, weapon parts can also be purchased and acquired. Developers keep the existing upgrade path – but use special stats to amplify things like damage, capacity and reload speed beyond the 2008 game’s weapons.
This opens up more spending decisions and compromises that force players to choose even more carefully in the remake. Nonetheless, Dead Space’s New Game + mode gives players some payback against the Necromorphs with fully upgraded tools. Sadly, nodes and weapons can’t be sold for credits as other games have done before."
"Dead Space has greatly refined its upgrade system for Isaac’s equipment and weapons. Taking a page from Resident Evil 2, weapon parts can also be purchased and acquired. Developers keep the existing upgrade path – but use special stats to amplify things like damage, capacity and reload speed beyond the 2008 game’s weapons.
This opens up more spending decisions and compromises that force players to choose even more carefully in the remake. Nonetheless, Dead Space’s New Game + mode gives players some payback against the Necromorphs with fully upgraded tools. Sadly, nodes and weapons can’t be sold for credits as other games have done before."
PlayStation LifeStyle - 9 / 10
"The Dead Space remake is the definitive version of the game. The original has aged relatively well, but it’s not available on current-gen consoles, and the PC version is finicky on newer hardware and versions of Windows. Some changes in the remake work better than others, but the important thing is that, like the original, it’s survival horror at its best and a worthy successor to the beloved series."
"The Dead Space remake is the definitive version of the game. The original has aged relatively well, but it’s not available on current-gen consoles, and the PC version is finicky on newer hardware and versions of Windows. Some changes in the remake work better than others, but the important thing is that, like the original, it’s survival horror at its best and a worthy successor to the beloved series."
Shacknews - 9 / 10
"The soundscape is better than ever too. Dead Space is one of the few games I always want dead silence around me. The director system of the game makes sure that enemies could come at you from any angle at any time. In the stark quiet, I was always looking around me carefully to make sure I wasn’t getting hit in the back by an unnoticed assailant. Its louder points are magnificent too. Whether you’re hearing the panicked music of an incoming enemy assault or just the grinding, whirring, screeching, buzzing, and other chaos of the ship’s systems, this remake kept me on my toes, listening and watching carefully just as much if not more than the original."
"The soundscape is better than ever too. Dead Space is one of the few games I always want dead silence around me. The director system of the game makes sure that enemies could come at you from any angle at any time. In the stark quiet, I was always looking around me carefully to make sure I wasn’t getting hit in the back by an unnoticed assailant. Its louder points are magnificent too. Whether you’re hearing the panicked music of an incoming enemy assault or just the grinding, whirring, screeching, buzzing, and other chaos of the ship’s systems, this remake kept me on my toes, listening and watching carefully just as much if not more than the original."
GamingBolt - 10 / 10
"In 2008, the original Dead Space delivered what is still one of the greatest survival horror games ever made, and now, a decade and a half later, its remake has confidently accomplished that feat yet again. Not only does it recapture lightning in a bottle, it also manages to improve upon the original in truly meaningful ways. It’s a masterpiece, twice over."
"In 2008, the original Dead Space delivered what is still one of the greatest survival horror games ever made, and now, a decade and a half later, its remake has confidently accomplished that feat yet again. Not only does it recapture lightning in a bottle, it also manages to improve upon the original in truly meaningful ways. It’s a masterpiece, twice over."
EGM - 5 / 5 (stars)
"Dead Space is one of the true legends of the survival horror genre, and EA Motive’s new remake does the original game full justice while also introducing a variety of fantastic new additions and reworkings. Other than some slight disappointment in its visuals on a technical (but certainly not artistic or atmospheric) level, this is a remake that finds a near-perfect balance between retaining the heart and soul of its predecessor and reanimating its body in some unexpected (but positive) ways."
"Dead Space is one of the true legends of the survival horror genre, and EA Motive’s new remake does the original game full justice while also introducing a variety of fantastic new additions and reworkings. Other than some slight disappointment in its visuals on a technical (but certainly not artistic or atmospheric) level, this is a remake that finds a near-perfect balance between retaining the heart and soul of its predecessor and reanimating its body in some unexpected (but positive) ways."
