Secondly, by making it seem like trouble's coming, but not actually executing the threat, the game messes with your head. Being unsure of what might lie around corners you've already uncovered is a sure-fire way of keeping things fresh, and it works. The USG Ishimura is an expertly interlinked playground, but, like the first game, you'll do a lot of shuttling around the same claustrophobic locations as you progress the story. Firstly, it makes backtracking more exciting. The original Dead Space pulled very few punches to this end – explosions and power cuts invariably preceded trouble – but toying with your nervous disposition in these moments works on two core levels. Take me in the above scenario, slouching down a hallway I'd already cleared of several foes previously, doubling back on myself to reach a tram station. Especially one that I was sure I was familiar with already. And it takes a pretty special game to pull that off. Dead Space, on the other hand, filled me with dread from start to finish.

We rightly hail horror games elsewhere for their ability to scare us with what we cannot see – design choices often accentuated by a steady flow of high and low-tension moments.

But the ways in which it toys with your mind, keeps you on edge, and masterfully recalls the 2008 original while delivering something entirely fresh is pretty incredible. The ship's power source hums to life, the lights flicker on, and it's back to business.ĭon't get me wrong: Motive Studio's Dead Space remake absolutely shines in its gun-toting, alien-blasting blockbuster showdowns. I hold my breath, steady my hand, and… And nothing. I raise my military-grade Pulse Rifle in anticipation, while my index finger hovers over the R1 and R2 buttons of my DualSense control pad – the choice between unloading primary fire or a proximity mine is one I'll make in the heat of the moment. And so I dash into a corner where I can't be flanked by the hideous natives. The Dead Space remake has taught me that, just like its source material, the hostile necromorphs that've forcefully taken over the ship I'm now stranded on will tear me limb from limb in a moment's notice. I run because I've learned that my life depends on it.

Dead space review pc