Sci-fi horror classic Dead Space, launched in 2008 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, is still considered one of the best video games of that time. Fashioned as some kind of mix between Resident Evil and Event Horizon, the deeply terrifying, aggressively moody game spawned two (inferior) sequels and a handful of spin-offs. But no title has come close to recapturing the atmospheric original, which has been completely rebuilt by EA’s Motive Studios and, from the Dead Space remake launch trailer, looks like an early contender for Game of the Year.
Launching for the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on January 27, 2023, the Dead Space remake should be a key release for this year given it has been designed to completely showcase the ray-tracing capabilities of current-gen consoles.
The game’s conceit relies heavily on the interplay between light and shadows onboard an abandoned ship as incredibly well-designed monsters leap out from vents and jump down from ceilings, so watching how the lighting is rendered in real-time is going to play a big part in the immersive experience. Needless to say, playing the Dead Space remake at night, with the lights out, is mandatory.
EA’s official synopsis for the Dead Space remake is as follows:
“The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision.
Isaac Clarke is an everyman engineer on a mission to repair a vast mining ship, the USG Ishimura, only to discover something has gone horribly wrong. The ship’s crew has been slaughtered and Isaac’s beloved partner, Nicole, is lost somewhere on board.
Now alone and armed with only his engineering tools and skills, Isaac races to find Nicole as the nightmarish mystery of what happened aboard the Ishimura unravels around him. Trapped with hostile creatures called Necromorphs, Isaac faces a battle for survival, not only against the escalating terrors of the ship but his own crumbling sanity.“
High-quality remakes are becoming more valuable for modern gamers given the significant graphical updates offered by the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Demon’s Souls remake is still one of the best PS5 games available, and Resident Evil 2’s substantial refresh also arrived with some pretty rave reviews.
You can watch the Dead Space remake trailer below. Pre-orders are now available for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. PC gamers who pre-order the Dead Space remake on Steam will also be given the original Dead Space 2 are a bonus offer.
