I strongly recommend: Dead Space (2023) - Review

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Who knew the spiritual successor to Dead Space was Dead Space.

14:15 Isaac turning his head to face the slasher right behind him is actually a pretty genius way to warn the player of off camera threats.

I really like Issac being more talkative in the remake. I feel like he only speaks when spoken too, and everything he says is straight forward and smart. I feel it brings him some nice character outside of just being told what to do from a screen.

7:46 I found the Ishimura to be such a beautiful concept and notion.
The idea of humanity tearing and cracking open dead worlds to feast on the ore inside?
Sublime.

Having never played the original, I always felt like I had missed the boat a bit, even with the discourse surrounding 2 and 3, but I definitely wasn't into that type of game 10+ years ago. That said, things have changed and I am SUPER stoked to finally play this gem. I'm glad my impulse buy last night is solidified by this review. Lights out, headphones on!

I am absolutely in love playing this. It feels entirely familiar and yet completely brand new all at the same time. Loving all of the newly added areas to explore and how unpredictable the enemies are when you head back through spaces you’ve already cleared to find locked doors with the new security clearance system. The audio is *chiefs kiss*

Something to keep in mind regarding Isaac's characterisation: While he didn't speak in the original, the mission objectives in your log were actually written from his perspective, and they did provide a window into what he was thinking throughout the events of the game (namely, that he was flat-out terrified).

I think Isaac talking is a huge improvement. I've never felt silent protagonists work quite well when it's not a self insert. For something like DS or Pokemon or whatever its fine. But Isaac has his own goals and mind, having him be voiced makes more sense. I get it, the first game has its own identity separate from 2, large in part to Isaacs silence echoed further by the silence and loneliness of the Ishimura itself. But for the sake of story and creating a character. His voice is a huge improvement.

I have to say, as someone who missed a lot of great games back in the day, it's awesome to see classics rereleased with the glow-up treatment.

100% agree this game is already blowing my mind 1 hour in. Interestingly enough, dead space 2008 was the survival horror that got me into this genre. Never before had i given it a chance. I'm glad I did because this has become one of my favorite genres ever.

Issiac is more than than a basic engineer, as soon as the game starts you find a codex that gives you his backstory his dad was a highly respected and accomplished engineer and Issac followed his footsteps.

For those that can't get enough of Dead Space, you should definitely check out the Dead Space anime movie. It pairs so well with the game and really fleshes out the world. Also hyper violent ;)

Round of applause for EA Motive, they did great work for this remake.

@SkillUp
'This being one of the few games in the genre capable of converting players into the Horror Survival genre', is such a true sentiment!
It's 100% exactly the case for me; this game (the original, technically) was *the very game* that converted me to the genre.
I loved it so much, I literally binged through both 1 and 2 in the same game session. It might have been the very first game that I'd ever done that with.

This review is epic. Kudos to both you and your editor. Top shelf work.

I really hope the success and critical acclaim for this game allows EA to recognise how they are taking Motive for granted.
I would love to see them create an original IP and utilise their talent and passion in a new way rather than being little more than support studio.
Just reading their mission statement on their website has me excited to see what they make in the future.

After beating this game and immediately starting NG+ this is 100% worth it. An overall complete improvement. I personally thought that the Voice actor that played Issac did it perfectly and it fleshed out the story in a more believable way. He just sounded so awesome with the helmet on. Also the old game still holds up and is still available to play with a silent Isaac.

AHHHHH... this is MUSIC to my ears. A glowing review from SkillUp is a true badge of honor, and a guaranteed buy for me. Not to mention the blue balls we all still have from the Callisto Protocol. Thanks Ralph!!!

The decrease in uploads on this channel have really left a dead space in my heart recently. It's good to finally have you back Austin and the guy who does the voice over too.

From what I have played thus far. This game is absolutely phenomenal and even better than the original. Everything they have improved makes a big difference. I especially love how they have the breathing and heartbeat now and how it reacts to the intensity of the player's situation. Feels more realistic and with headphones is just amazing.

I'm only through the first two levels, I forced myself to save and quit as soon as I saw the Chapter 3 title pop. But holy crap, it is so nice to see the Ishimura with fresh eyes. Every change feels intuitive, like a natural evolution of what was already there and a backfilling of Dead Space 2's best aspects into the slower burn of DS1. Literally the one thing that took some getting used to was the slightly different controls, and those are fully remappable OR you can use presets that mimic Dead Space 1 or 2. Otherwise, it's a perfect balance between returning somewhere familiar and seeing that familiar place for the first time.

Great review..I think they can remake this game, again, and improve it by giving Isaac multiple personalities you can choose from to play through.after all, him being silent in the original, left it up to your imagination on what his dialogue and reactions could be

The amount of new content is amazing. Never thought Dead Space could be made better, but they did it.

Never played dead space 1 so this will truly be a whole new experience for me.

Imagine being a callisto protocol dev who worked on the orginal dead space right now. 💀

Wow, I really wasn’t expecting this. It enters the annals of history that Resident Evil and Final Fantasy 7 made of defining remakes.

Good work! Visually a very beautiful game. The sound in the game is awesome. When you play it, stop and remember this beautiful moment. This is one of those moments in life when you paid money for a great product - appreciate it!

This warms my heart. Finally a great game which delivers everything at a set price. Who would've guessed such a game would be published by EA. Single player to boot.

As always, Skill Up proves to be the very best in games journalism. I'll add this one to the purchase list

I find Isaac being voiced in my opinion very interesting. Him being silent was really good and I feel like for this they went with relatability rather imaginative. Either way in my opinion voiced or not they killed it

its genuinely nice to see an anticipated game do well. This seems like such a rare thing nowadays. Every game I hope will succeed ends up being badly flawed or mediocre, and I'm glad this isn't one of those.

After the Callisto protocol I was pretty worried and hesitant to get this but all the reviews are good so I’m about to sit down and play it, never played the originals so pretty excited 😁

Such great gaming memories from the first 2 dead space games. It was the first game I played (just released) after setting up my gaming room, it had surround sound and an HD projector. Scared the piss out of me. So happy the remake was made with care and I look forward to jumping back in on my current gaming set up.

I'm absolutely loving it.. It's like the resident evil 2 remake all over again

Dead Space was one of my all time favorite IPs growing up and I was devastated when Visceral was shut down, and we wouldn't see another sequel.
Very, very happy that this remake came out and adds so many fresh layers to an already great game. Well done Motive, and thank you for this experience!

I had a good feeling about this one from watching all the promotional and developmental stuff about it. Glad to see it lived up to its own legacy

I never considered the horror of what the Ishimura actually IS, being a planet cracking machine, but you're dead on about that. The concept alone is scarier than I gave it credit for.

I never played Dead Space before and this remake is easily the best survival horror game for me!

I always trust your opinions on games; I understand your tastes pretty well after a few years of following your reviews really closely, so I can always watch them and just reference and compare the opinions presented therein with my own tastes to determine whether I'll enjoy it or if it's clearly not for me.
I was interested in this remake since I never played the original, and the review put me over the edge, so I will at the very least buy it and give it a shot and see what it does for me as a result.
Thanks for the fantastic review just as always.

Damn, I never played the original and I never planned on playing this because I thought it was going to be just a reskin but hearing that they changed the bad parts and changed it for the better makes me excited. I’m gonna buy this

Not going down the VR route feels like a missed opportunity for the reboot. That being said, it looks like I’m going to buy Dead Space for the third time and boot it up for the fifth time.
Looking forward to it 😊

Great breakdown and review. Really like your longer format with sections covering performance, mechanics, combat, sound design, visuals etc.
Now I need to pluck up the courage to play the game. The original scared the crap out of me back in the day...and I was 25 when it came out, so its not even like I was a kid playing horror games for the first time (yes, I'm a wuss, it's the jump scares that freak me out). I'm feeling the anxiety just thinking about it 😳 😅

This gotta sting for the callisto protocol team with their game getting absolutely bodied by the critics (rightfully so), and now the remaster of their own game getting universal acclaim.

After this, we NEED a Dead Space 2 Remake by EA Motive! These guys are just 🔥

Just got it last night and I get to play it today after work. I'm so excited! Dead Space is one of my favorite games ever made and I was very nervous about the remake. It's nice that they respected the source material.

Phenomenal review! I agree the level of changes they have made to improve this classic are definitely worthy of its inclusion in GOTY discussions. They really knocked it out of the park. I love the original and can't wait to get my hands on this amazing remake this evening!

I have to give props. You have the best reviews on Clip-Share in my opinion 👍your writing, delivery, humour and passion for the games are all 10/10. Great work!

I’m only halfway through and it really does feel like a new game to me. It’s really really good. One thing I wish I knew to begin though, set the difficulty a notch harder from the outset, it feels too easy. That’s my 1 negative point at the halfway point.

If you followed the diary of the development of this game, you could see how passionate the devs were about this project.

so refreshing that you are left with so much good to say about a AAA instead of "they got it wrong.....again" really pumped now for this one!

The first time I saw one of your reviews, I thought "Who wants to watch a 20+ minute long video? Screw that." Now I prefer your reviews over everyone elses. Good stuff, and glad this rebuild is as good as we hoped it would be.

Been waiting all week for this review... was starting to get worried. So relieved that they pulled it off, especially after how Callisto ended up turning out.
Just received my code, can't wait to play it tonight! I hope this is the start of the return of the franchise... there's a lot of fun to be had with this IP still!

This remake is everything I wanted. Dead Space is my favorite horror game. The remake is a 10/10, its damn near perfect

System Shock 2’s reboot would greatly benefit from a “Intensity Director” system as well. And I think it could flow better diegetically considering SHODAN and XERXES have control of different parts of the ship, almost like they’re psychologically tormenting you the player

As someone who never played the original, this looks so cool

I love this type of remake, not just a graphical upgrade. Just a complete overhaul from the ground up while keeping the look and feel to date.

I absolutely loved the silent Isaac and true it made the much more immersive it made the game feeling like there was a lot more questions needed to be answered. But this new Isaac fits the role perfectly and adds so much more to the story and lore.

My expectations were low, especially after Callisto Protocol. I am so unbelievably overjoyed that this classic game has been brought into the modern era for audiences to experience at an even higher level.

Way to go Motive you have earned my respect well done team.

Even Isaacs weaponless walking animation has some personality to it. It's something you'd think they'd leave at the bare minimum work because it's barely seen but now he actually looks like a human being instead of a crab in a suit

What a stark contrast from The Callisto Protocol. Great port, scarier, looks better than ever and New Game Plus included. Leading up to release I constantly thought that The Callisto Protocol was going to be the better product between the two and had a whole lot more hype behind it. What a funny world we live in.

I have the exact same feeling about Isaac being a silent protagonist. I’m sure it doesn’t ruin the experience, but it must detract a little from the original feel of the game. 🤷‍♂️ Ah well, the other improvements look pretty cool.

Thank you for helping me to see that this game is much more than just a great game with a new coat of paint. A different review I saw left me with the impression that a recommended buy for the same game with better graphics was quite the recommendation given the $70 USD price tag. So, I thought I'd wait for a sale before buying the game, but thanks to your review I'm definitely willing to pay full price for this. This remake is the platinum standard for video game remakes, and I hope it will inspire other amazing remakes to come, including a Legacy of Kain remake with the Dead Space (2023) standard.
It doesn't take much to impress most gamers with remakes; make the graphics and audio better, streamline a few things for quality of life, remove what didn't quite work and put in what works very well. Thanks for the great review, Shill Up!

I had to buy this game (also if this helps drive sales so we get the finale, with Ellie being a character you can play, I am all for it), I love games where you don’t mind killing things because they are already dead and will kill you

For anyone who plays it, you can see this is a worthy game for a GOTY list. Motive did a phenomenal job.

I think what surprised me the most about the game is that while Callisto pushed my graphics to the limit and even then still had a lot of stuttering/drops/freezing, this remake literally runs so buttery smooth for a day 1 release. I've hardly had any issues and my computer has no issues with it. Kind of rare in today's gaming world, which makes me hope Motive does the same with a Dead Space 2 & 3 remake if they decide to go through with it.

Deadspace always held a special place in my heart , in 2008 when this came out it was the same week my grandpa died and while I was staying at home grieving (my school had a policy where you had to stay home for 5 days when a family member died) I spent the whole week playing and replaying it and it honestly helped me through the process by providing an amazing distraction during nights I felt sad needless to say I will be playing this after work today and drinking a cold one in honour of my grandpa lol

The Pulse Rifle is excellent when you first get it. It has a lower ceiling but a higher floor than the other weapons.

Love the description that you "role play a hammer where everything is a nail" and that it is meant as a compliment to why the game and the character of Isaac works as the player avatar.

Man this looks incredible and all the right subtle changes seem to have been made.
Hard-crushing one's Deck is never a pleasant occurrence. 😅

still remember the first time i played the original dead space and encountered the first enemy. i immediately aimed for the head, cut it off and assumed it would fall to the ground. but then i was like "oh god it keeps coming" and started desperately firing at the body, which did very little. it was an amazing subversion of expectations

As a HUGE fan and a veteran of the original game, I’m so happy that this remake turned out so well. I’m so excited to play this tonight.

You are one of the first reviewers I have heard that wasn’t entirely on board with Issac having a voice in this game, but I can totally understand and appreciate your perspective on the topic. Personally I don’t have an issue with this change as we have pre-established character with DS2 and 3 that I have gotten used to, and it gives the reboot a fresher story experience. It’s awesome that they got the original actor on the project, and from what I heard and can tell, I believe they even used the actors face for this game’s depiction of Isaac.

Kind of amazing to see a game launch at this state :D Well done, devs!

My first playthrough of this remake I used only the Plasma Cutter and well its no joke it is the most RELIABLE tool and most iconic of Isaac's arsenal.

I've just finished binge playing all three DS games on my Series S and I was amazed how good those games still hold up today. I also was kind of a little sad how most modern games are objectively worse.
This remake makes me hopeful that gaming might be at a point to take a good look at itself and realise the good and bad parts.
And this seems definitely one of the good ones.

As always a master fully crafted and eloquent review I was always hyped for this game but now I cant wait!

The remade sfx for item pickups is EXACTLY what we want from a remake. Those sorts of noises capture a disproportionatly large part of our feelings for the game. For them to be remastered and not remade into something else is a subtle but significant indicator that the director behind this remake had the right vision.

I still remember when I first played the Dead Space game in 2008 that Asteroid shooting level was hard as fuck and even after all these years still gives me chills. I'm happy to hear that they've changed that level.

Glad to see the game earning that price tag. Also nice script 🔥

SO GLAD this not only lives up to the original, but surpasses it. Thanks for the review Ralph!

Man i feel so happy, dead space was always my favorite horror game, even more than resident evil, and to see it rise again, upgraded, better in every way, to see that EA did it right (something that doesn't happen very often) and that they did it right where it matters the most for me, this really, really makes me happy, this game was my shelter in one of the darkest moments of my life, so it has a special place in my heart, I even have glassy eyes rn.

I loved the original. Very excited to get back into the remake

I appreciate Motive making so much effort to commit to the Dead Space lore and fleshing out old characters out too. This remake rocks. I'm pretty sure this success should be enough to convince EA to fund for a Dead Space 2 remake too, hopefully with no screw ups by the greedy CEOs

I feel like Callisto Protocol crashing and burning really helped Dead Space remind us why it kicked so much ass

Your reviews make other reviews look incomplete. Great video

I don't know, I always imagined Isaac to just be a normal dude who didn't have a choice but to keep moving through his situation. I hadn't thought of him as some distant cold badass.

So happy about how this remake turned out, the original was my first horror game and among the first five games i ever played. Seeing it get one of the best remake treatments ever really warms my heart. I was really sceptical at first, this game didn't really need a remake but they proved me wrong, you can remake these iconic games and improve on what felt like perfection to me back in the day.

So originally I was planning to let Callisto Protocol be my first introduction to horror games, but after the disappointment Callisto was, I’m gonna play Dead Space for the very first time! Wish me luck!!!

Love the review but respectfully, Isaac talking in 2 and 3 is what made me love the character. Sure I adored the original, but Isaac's arc in 2 and 3 made me love the character. Especially with how much 2 relied on Isaac resonating with the audience, and how it's typically viewed as just as good as the original (imo slightly better) so to hear Gunner return to Isaac made me feel like visiting an old friend again. And I love how he bounces off the characters this time around, instead of just doing what he's told.

It's ironic to me that Callisto Protocol was supposed to be a modern Dead Space meanwhile this amazing Remake was just around the corner

I'm slowly playing through it right now, Dead Space still scares the crap out of me to this day, and you really summed up how I feel about this game. It is a remake done RIGHT, a graphical over hall, an optimization of some old mechanics didn't really work back when the the game came out, and the new sound design. This game looks stunning, plays stunningly well on the Series X, and should be a bench mark for how remakes should be handled from this point forward the similarly to the way Demons Souls remake was.
I hope this remake does well, because I really want to see the remake of Dead Space 2. It will look INCREDBLE.

Imagine if we get a remake of 2 now. I love that game so much, tried and tried again until I finished it on hardcore.

Glad to hear the Turret Section has been revamped. Probably the most time I have spent working to get a trophy ever.

The quality of your reviews and commentary are top notch. Most excellent.

I never played the original but I'm absolutely loving this remake

I was pretty young in 08 when I played the original. I could only play it in increments of an hour or so before I had to switch out the disc in my PS3 to something more lighthearted like Burnout or Ratchet and Clank.
It was a damn good game that still holds up to this day and it's fantastic to see Dead Space back again. I hope this leads to an eventual Dead Space 4.

I watch most of your reviews, and I always find myself taken aback at how eloquent and original your expression is. Keep it up!

So I never played the original DS since I was heavy heavy into WoW at that time back in 2008, but as a fan of Resident Evil survival horror games, I feel really lucky getting to experience DS for the very first time with the remake! I'm only about 2 hours in so far, and I'm loving it!
I can only play for about 20-30 minute intervals since my heart and anxiety sky rocket each session lol