Dead Space (Xbox Series X|S)

Set in the year 2508, a dystopian space age future in which the Earth’s resources have been plundered, forcing widespread exploration through the galaxy. Planetcrackers, mining ships that plunder barren planets for their resources, are everywhere and the oldest of these, Ishimura, is illegally mining the planet Aegis VII, which is otherwise lightly populated with colonists.

Meanwhile, some time ago, back on Earth, an alien artefact called the Marker was found and has formed the basis of a new religion, Unitology, under the leadership of Michael Altman – one of the original researchers on the Marker. Later, Aegis VII is found to have a replica of the Marker, this one called the Red Marker, created by Earth Government (who were responsible for the creation and concealment of several Red Markers on various planets.

Unitologists and Earth Government officials form two warring factions in the game. However, experiments in weaponizing the Marker – and its copies – has resulted in what is essentially a zombie army – an infection that turns corpses into undead beings known as Necromorphs – and they begin to emerge just as the colonists and Ishimura crew begin to suffer mental health issues and hallucinations.

Arriving on schedule a while later, the maintenance ship, Kellion arrives to find that most people – all colonists and many Ishimura crew have been turned into Necromorphs. The protagonist is Isaac Clarke whose girlfriend, Nicole Brennan, was the medical officer on the Ishimura and he is frantic to find out what has happened to her.

The Nitty Gritty

The makers have not changed the major features of the game: the characters, the basic plot and so on, but they have adjusted parts of the game (such as Isaac’s voice being provided by the same actor who voiced Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3 – the 2008 original didn’t have him talk at all) to make its integration with the series more seamless.

The developers have also cut out parts of the game and gameplay that didn’t work as they should – these were not chosen by the developers, rather, they consulted with game fans to ensure they got it right.

Accessibility and graphics/ sounds effects have been improved to modern industry standards, but aside from these fans of the original will easily recognise it as the game they know and love. There are, however, some new features:

The games AI ramps up the intensity with the new Intensity Director which ensures that, for example, a room that was lit on your first playthrough might be in darkness should you need to return to that same place. New enemies spawn in random places – so you can’t ambush them, and Necromorphs can and do wander into rooms you’ve already cleared, so don’t let yourself get too complacent if it all seems to be going well.

Also new to the reboot, the entire ship of the Ishimura is walkable in one continuous shot, with no time delay pauses while each section loads. The anti-gravity boots that kept Isaac jumping from surface to surface in the original are gone and he can float about in pursuit of Necromorphs

Important Characters

Alongside Isaac there is:

Nicole herself, who appears to Isaac at random moments

Chief security officer Zach Hammond

Computer tech Kendra Daniels – who is also, we find out early on, an Earth Government spy sent to try and take control of the situation

Challus Mercer, an insane scientist, a survivor from the Ishimura who believes that Necromorphs are a higher form of being, an ascended human – he worships them

Dr Terrence Kyne, a survivor from the Ishimura who wants to return the Marker to Aegis VII