With so many games for me to catch up on right now I opted to play the Dead Space remake without the original. Not my usual way of doing things, but I think I still got the full experience.
I'm all about this game. The atmosphere, gameplay, mechanics, are all first-rate. I'm not often disturbed by gore but some sequences had me cringing, there are so many unique ways this takes body horror to new levels. I like how each area on the ship has a unique visual style, Hydroponics is my favorite. Other visual details make the world feel grounded like the frost that builds up when entering space, which melts when you return to the ship. Even the UI is designed to make you feel as immersed as possible, its an object that floats in front of Isaac and doesn't pause the game. There is no title screen, instead it is just the pause screen which takes you right in. I ran into few technical issues and it ran great, a few times it soft locked on me but had a quick solution.
The ripper is now one of my all time favorite weapons from a game. I love the monster mechanic which requires you to dismember it rather than go for headshots. Each weapon serves that system and all of them are really fun. The zero g effects are too clunky for my liking, so many times I wish there was an up-down control.
The story definitely feels like a product of its time, and I wasn't a fan of a few story choices. Some twists are too predictable and the whole "Uh oh our plan failed again" thing gets old. I know they need a reason for the game to keep going but eventually it's pretty obvious that plan D won't work either.