The newly announced Dead Space Remake has a lot of fans very excited. The original drew critical and commercial success for its blend of survival elements that had been missing from its generation of horror games, and some obvious influences coming from classic sci-fi like The Thing and Event Horizon. The newly announced remake will likely stick to the core of what made Dead Space a fan-favorite game, but its expansion on one mechanic could make the remake even more visceral than its predecessors.
Excitement for the Dead Space remake grew very quickly after the teaser trailer. Many fans hope that a new version of the cult classic will engender new fans, and ultimately a resurgence in the franchise as a whole. But one mechanic from the original Dead Space that's been hinted at as seeing some upgrades is based in the core concept of its combat. Isaac Clarke, the "everyman" protagonist of Dead Space, learns very quickly that removing the limbs from the various necromorph enemies of Dead Space will keep him alive longer than in typical shooters.
Dead Space's Enhanced Limb Dismemberment
Dead Space set itself apart from the plethora of other horror-shooters of its time by focusing on survival aspects like limited ammunition and needing to pick between fight or flight. Around when it had released, many other popular horror series like Resident Evil started to move toward a more action-centric design. This helped set Dead Space apart as one of the scariest games of its generations. Many fans have fond memories of jumping out of their couch when a pack of necromorphs surprises them, only to realize they're short on ammo. This was accentuated by its unique limb dismemberment mechanic.
Essentially, the easiest way to dispatch many enemies in Dead Space was not to simply aim for the head in traditional zombie fashion. Instead, players needed to capitalize on the limb dismemberment system to take out necromorphs. Isaac's improvised weapons like the plasma cutter could be oriented horizontally or vertically in order to take out enemies' limbs. It does more damage than traditional attacks, and the kinesis tool can be used to pick up a bladed arm and launch it back at its owner. This system felt fresh, and it's exciting for Dead Space fans to know the system will be revamped in its upcoming remake.
EA has been quiet on details about gameplay changes so far, but has said that the remake of Dead Space will feature "enhanced limb dismemberment." It's unclear exactly what that means just yet, but the possibilities are grotesque. It's possible that this could mean more ways to remove limbs, maybe simultaneously with a well-placed shot. Or perhaps more precision will be needed, which would elevate the game's difficulty in a big way. Knowing that cut content from the original Dead Space is coming in the remake is also exciting, because it could mean even enemies may make use of the more advanced dismemberment.
The possibility of a necromorph being able to utilize one of its severed limbs is terrifying, though this is unlikely as many of the necromorphs are presented as mindless killing machines. It's more likely that the changes to the mechanic will work exclusively in Isaac's favor. The changes to the limb dismemberment and the inclusion of later features from the Dead Space series has some interesting implications, and they are likely going to be horrific.
Dead Space Remake is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.