'Dead Space' is the new benchmark for video game remakes

engadget.com:

In the split second before a necromorph slides its arm blades into Isaac Clarke’s stomach, it looks like the massive monster is giving him a bloody, snarling, over-excited hug. This precise moment, frozen between horrific brutality and a comforting embrace, captures the essence of the Dead Space remake. As a fan of the 2008 game, playing the new Dead Space is a cozy experience, even amid all the terror, death and gore. Hell, because of these factors. The Dead Space remake is big, beautiful and better than the original, while maintaining the magic that made the first game an instant classic. Turns out, great game design is timeless.

Man, EA used to make some good games. Dead Space came out at the height of EA’s golden era, a year after the first Mass Effect and a month before Mirror’s Edge, and it defined the sci-fi horror genre in a way that persists today. Dead Space was the game that introduced HUD-less horror environments, incorporating health and ability meters into Isaac’s suit, rather than displaying static indicators over every scene. The remake uses the same immersion system, alongside a pop-up inventory that doesn’t interrupt gameplay. Stores and upgrade benches are scattered around the USG Ishimura, the main ship where the nightmare unfolds, powered by credits and nodes that players find while slicing their way through the monsters onboard.

In the remake, the Ishimura is a maze of twisting metal corridors and locked rooms, and it’s bursting with secrets. I found myself checking every corner for glowing boxes to stomp on or shiny bits of ammo and credits, and my exploration was often richly rewarded. Never too rich, though — asset management underscores the game’s tension, and Isaac is constantly at risk of