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As someone who never touched the original Dead Space trilogy, the (paid link) remake felt like the perfect entry point. I had been eyeing it since launch, but held off. Now that I have enough time to commit to a full platinum run, I feel ready to share my thoughts as a newcomer stepping into the world of necromorphs.
Quick Note: I won’t be comparing the remake to the original. If you’re looking for a breakdown of what’s changed, check out the excellent blog by my fellow author: “Dead Space Remake Almost Feels Like a Totally Different Game.”
With that out of the way, here’s my first experience with Dead Space Remake.
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Playthrough Overview:
• 3 Total Playthroughs
• Platinum Trophy
Achieved
1. Medium Difficulty (Plasma Cutter Only)
2. Medium New Game+ (Secret Ending Run)
3. Impossible Difficulty
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Story
At its core, the plot is simple:
“Sad man boards a zombie-alien infested spaceship to fix it—and his relationship while he’s at it.”
While the story isn’t groundbreaking, it’s told well enough to keep you engaged, with interesting lore and characters that gradually reveal more layers.
That said, my biggest gripe isn’t the story content—it’s how it’s delivered. There are frequent moments where progression is paused so side characters can talk at you. While it’s better than being bombarded with cutscenes every 20 minutes, it can feel tedious when you’re forced to stand near a locked door until the dialogue wraps up. Thankfully, you usually retain control of Isaac and can move or access your inventory during these moments.
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Gameplay
This is where Dead Space Remake shines.
The game is a third-person horror shooter, with one key twist: dismemberment. It’s not just a gimmick—it’s the core combat mechanic. Success often depends on how efficiently you can slice limbs off various necromorphs using limited ammo. The enemy design smartly encourages this, rewarding precision and strategy over spray-and-pray tactics.
Some quick notes:
• The Plasma Cutter is the MVP.
• The Pulse Rifle is borderline useless—great as a grenade launcher, awful for limb-severing.
• Environmental puzzles and side quests add welcome variety. The puzzles are simple but effective, while the side quests offer more story and useful rewards (though most come a bit too late in the game).
One thing I appreciated is that the game never felt like it was setting me up to fail. Even when ammo was scarce, I never felt truly softlocked, outside of Impossible Mode—where dying boots you back to the very start. Otherwise, careful planning and backtracking usually got me through.
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Enemy Spawns & Difficulty Scaling
Let’s talk about the dynamic difficulty.
The game uses a system where enemy spawns change each time you re-enter a room. Sometimes you’ll walk into a calm space, other times you’ll get mobbed by upgraded necromorphs that drop zero ammo.
I’m torn on this. On one hand, I like the tension it creates—you’re never completely safe. On the other, the randomness can feel punishing, especially when you’re low on ammo and suddenly face buffed enemies that drop nothing. It’s a literal “Here comes the giant fist!” moment.
What this also meant is that Medium difficulty occasionally felt like Impossible Mode in disguise. Maybe that’s what my fellow author Andrew meant in his post: “Dead Space Remake Medium Difficulty Spike?”
If I could change one thing, I’d suggest tweaking the system so that the game challenges your playstyle, rather than just throwing tougher enemies at you. For example, if you’re using only the Plasma Cutter, spawn enemies that encourage switching weapons instead of just jacking up the difficulty. The current system doesn’t ruin the game, but it could be smarter.
Oh—and pro tip: carry two weapons max to optimize ammo drops. Learned that the hard way during my 30-kill weapon trophy grinds. I think I spent over 30K on ammo for that stupid Pulse Rifle.
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Sound Design & Visuals
This is a masterclass in atmospheric audio.
Play with headphones and you’ll catch every metallic reverb, lurking necromorph, and eerie whisper. The ambience builds tension beautifully. Two minor complaints:
1. The engine room is way too loud. I get it’s an engine room, but I don’t need ear-rape to get the point.
2. Some in-game transmissions are a bit too quiet. I found myself often in the sound settings adjusting it to match my setup.
As for music? Not much stood out—probably because 90% of the experience is built on creepy ambient noise and sudden jump scares. That said, the sea shanty Easter egg is the best song in the game and totally worth finding.
Visually, the game nails the 9th-gen look. Lighting, textures, and load times are top-tier. It’s atmospheric without going full gray-and-brown early-2000s realism. I suspect it’ll age better than the original because of this.
Only gripe? The Level 6 suit. It’s a downgrade in style compared to Level 5, even if the stats are better. I’d take looking cool over minor armor boosts any day. (Turns out you can change it without losing the benefits)
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Controls
Smooth and responsive—just what you want in a game where every shot counts.
Only issue? The same button (R3) is used for shooting and zero-gravity reorientation. That was annoying… until I realized I could remap it. (User error)
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Performance
I played on PS5 Pro, and for the most part, the game ran flawlessly. The only real issue was a hard crash in Chapter 2 that consistently occurred in a specific room. Turns out it was tied to the digital version of the game. Installing from my physical disc fixed it completely. If there was slowdown I never notice it.
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Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed my time with Dead Space Remake. It’s got tight gameplay, immersive horror, and an atmosphere that sticks with you. More importantly, it made me want to check out the rest of the series—even the original, just to see what I missed.
Unfortunately, the future of this remake series is still uncertain. If you’re curious about that, check out my other post: “Dead Space 2 Remake Canceled? Disappointed”
As a newcomer, I can’t help but wonder—did I rob myself of the “true” Dead Space experience by starting here? Or did I make the right call?
Let me know what you think below. And as always…
Stay Frosty. ❄️
Your friendly neighborhood nerd with a passion for games, anime and New York Yankees.
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