The original Dead Space was a game I replayed so many times I remembered pretty much everything going into this remake and yet this remake still managed to surprise me in a lot of very delightful ways.

I'm a bit mixed on how I feel with whether the intent of a remake is to ever replace the original. I think Capcom found the perfect balance that allows all of their remakes and their original games to co-exist while still telling the same plot and having many of the same moments. It allows you to play both the original and the remakes and still get a very worthwhile experience, and for the last 5 years I've leaned on that being what I value the most out of a remake.

But this Dead Space remake? I largely think this is a replacement to the original. Many elements carried over or redone from the original are just better. The annoying chapters aren't fixed per se but they've found ways to freshen them up and add some new ideas. I thought it ended up just flowing better.

Opening up the Ishimura was a fantastic decision and doesn't feel like it compromised the original design of the game at all. And the end result is a real nice pacing of optional backtracking and constant forward progress. The backtracking feels entirely worth it and it's satisfying going back through areas.

I think that's what's important here, nothing is compromised with this remake and everything is just really really fucking good. The playfulness of the Intensity Director, the new alt fires, the combat flow, the absolutely beautiful lighting that isn't afraid to cast an entire room in darkness. All of it is just absurdly polished feeling.

If they somehow keep up this momentum and love and care with a remake of 2, I feel like Dead Space can really come back in a major way. I hope so anyways!