Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are?” a dying woman sings over the elevator speakers as I climb through the decks of the doomed ship Ishimura. I’m not a big fan of that whole nursery rhyme horror cliché, but it fits for Dead Space. This was never a series about exploring the wonders of the universe or of space as a wild frontier where the worst evil we can imagine is corporate greed dominating the stars.
No, this is a game about how space is downright scary; an abyss into which we gaze and see our nightmares reflected right back. It’s hard to marvel at the universe with a Necromorph’s blades in your gut. Necromorph is a fancy space word for zombie, by the way, and you’ll come to know them intimately in Dead Space, as they jump-scare you every few minutes for the next ten or so hours. If there’s one thing I’m glad this remake didn’t change, it’s the Necromorph jumping-out-of-vent scream that almost sounds as if they’re as surprised as you are. It’s good to be back on the Ishimura, even if this is a remake instead of a fourth game.
It’s a fact made all the more frustrating by how much this remake feels like a brand-new Dead Space. Sure, it’s got the same bleak atmosphere, overarching narrative and the same ol’ Necromorphs, but it could be the foundation for Dead Space moving forward; proof that this survival horror formula is as strong now as it was when the original launched in 2008. And I think a big part of this remake’s strength is down to the fact that it builds on what was already there, rather than trying to make something brand-new.
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av PC Gamer.
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Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av PC Gamer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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SUNDOWNER
Wipe out a cult with one bullet in CHILDREN OF THE SUN
KENWAY AHEAD
Smooth sailing and pearly whites in ASSASSIN'S CREED IV BLACK FLAG
COUNTER INTUITIVE
PICK & POKE your way through this gorgeous tabletop roguelite
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Whatever happened to MULTI-GPU setups?
MICROPHONES
A good microphone can be the difference between a professional sounding triumph, or a crackly, tinny disaster
BORING PLATFORMER
In a good way! The superb drilling of PEPPER GRINDER is sublimely chaotic
MEIER'S BASTARDISATION
MILLENNIA attempts a spirited but messy coup to Civ's throne
LOOSE MORALS
BROKEN ROADS: a cerebral narrative adventure
CROWN WARS: THE BLACK PRINCE
Tactical medieval combat with a gory edge
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
One of the smartest Soulslikes I've played in a long time