Now Playing: Dead Space (Remake)

When I reviewed the original Dead Space on this blog way back in 2013, I gave it a very positive review – and, if you’re curious, you can read that review here. It was a game I always wanted to replay but never quite got around to, so when I saw the 2023 remake go on sale recently, I figured it would be a perfect way to revisit the title today. It only took me . . . thirteen years! Where does the time go, eh?

Thirteen years is a long time and honestly, what I remember about the original isn’t much. I remembered the name of our protagonist – Isaac Clarke. I remembered it was set on the USG Ishimura – an interstellar mining ship. I remembered the plasma cutter and dismembering monsters. I remembered zero-g sections. I remembered the ‘Marker’ – the mysterious artefact the Ishimura discovered.

I remembered the sounds and the flickering lights. I remembered the oppressive, industrial atmosphere. It was the ‘vibe’ of the game that stuck with me more than anything. It was classic survival horror at its best. Tense. Dark. Punishing. But beyond that? I didn’t recall the other weapons, characters, levels or progression. For me, playing this remake was almost like playing Dead Space again for the very first time.

So this review is more so of the game – does it still hold up now in 2026? – than it is a review of how the remake compares to the original. Because I don’t recall the original clearly enough to make a fair comparison.

What I can say though is that this remake does what all great remakes do – it fools you into thinking this is how the original looked and played. When I first loaded up the game I thought to myself – does this really look much better than the original?

A quick hop on YouTube made me realise how very wrong I was. Dead Space 2023 is a fantastic visual overhaul not just in the sense that it looks great, but because it perfectly captures and enhances the feeling of the original in a way that the visuals of the time couldn’t adequately capture. It’s Dead Space as it was meant to be – and how I always remembered it looking, even if it never did look this good!

And there are other things too – like Isaac now speaks! Although I was sure Isaac was silent in the original, his dialogue feels so natural and integrates so smoothly into this remake that I questioned my memory again – was he really a silent a protagonist in the original? In this case, I was right! But once again – the remake was tricking me into thinking this was just how it was because it did it so well.

As for other tweaks and changes I really can’t say without replaying the original to compare scene for scene. I understand the movement and aiming system has been enhanced, and I know some level layouts have been altered a little to ease up on backtracking. But what I can say is that nothing in this remake stood out as being ‘added’ or ‘out of place’ to me. Everything flowed together naturally, like this was just how it was supposed to be.

If that’s all you want from a remake then Dead Space 2023 delivers – it’s respectful of the original with smart, meaningful tweaks that enhance the core experience, without trying to overshadow it or misguidedly ‘improve’ it by making sweeping or unnecessary cuts, changes or additions.

As for the question – does Dead Space still hold up now in 2026? The answer is simple: yes! Not a ‘yes, but–’ . . . just ‘yes!’ Dead Space remains a great survival horror game and – although I hate to say it because it makes me feel old – should be rightfully regarded as a classic of the genre. But it did release back in 2008 meaning it’s coming up on 20 years(!) old. That’s more terrifying to me than a necromorph!

If you’ve never played Dead Space or, like me, are an old fan looking to replay it, then this remake is the perfect way to do so. The game is well paced with a steady stream of new weapons, foes and environments. Despite largely taking place in a single location, Dead Space mixes things up by bouncing Isaac between various decks – engineering, crew quarters, medical – all of which offer their own twisted and tense challenge. It’s very reminiscent of System Shock 2 in that regard – and you all know how much I love that one!

It does feel more ‘action’ focused than the original did – the necromorph encounters in the original were all scripted whereas in the remake, there’s an AI ‘Intensity Director’ running in the background that keeps you on your toes by monitoring your progress and ramping up the stress as and when it feels you need a fright. As a result, enemies don’t always spawn in the same place twice and even the environment can change with slight tweaks to lighting or fog effects.

It certainly gives the game more replay value when you can’t be sure exactly what the game’s gonna throw at you. For me, it felt like the ‘Intensity Director’ – which sounds like a sex toy – always thought I was doing a little too well and would sometimes spawn just a few too many enemies in, making it feel more like an action horror game at times than a survival one.

And that’s the direction the series took after the first game, with Dead Space 2 (also reviewed in 2013 – here) leaning even harder into action than horror, and finally 3 which I never played because it seemed to stray even further from what I loved about the original. Given that plans for any remakes of Dead Space 2 or 3 are currently shelved, it’s a shame this remake stands alone. But even so, if you’re a fan of survival horror, this is well worth your time.

8/10