Best Dead Space Games – Investment Policy

I still remember when Dead Space first came out! It launched on the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 13th, 2008, and the PC version followed pretty quickly. Perfect timing for a spooky Halloween! The team at EA Redwood Shores really knocked it out of the park, and they even got rebranded as Visceral Games the next year because of how well the game did. It was awesome seeing the Dead Space universe expand with sequels, comics, and animated stuff, but sadly, the initial buzz didn’t stick around for very long.

Visceral Games closed in 2017, and their final project, a 2023 remake of the original game, was well-received by critics but didn’t sell as many copies as hoped. Now, EA seems to be putting the Dead Space series on hold. Given the current trend of reboots and revivals, it’s likely not gone forever, so let’s focus on celebrating the series by ranking all of the games based on their quality.

Dead Space Ignition

An Adventure Puzzle Spinoff

As a big Dead Space fan, I was really excited to check out Dead Space Ignition. It’s a prequel story, taking place right before the events of Dead Space 2, and it’s all set in the same city on Titan. It’s a bit different from the main games though – it’s more like a motion comic visual novel. You mostly watch the story unfold as characters deal with the very first stages of the Necromorph outbreak. There are choices you can make, but honestly, they don’t change things up too drastically – it’s not like a game where your dialogue really impacts the story.

As the engineer Franco, players will need to use their skills to overcome obstacles and stay alive, primarily through hacking puzzles. These puzzles involve tasks like taking control of network nodes, navigating complex pathways, and manipulating reflected images. While the gameplay isn’t particularly groundbreaking – these puzzle types have been seen in other games – the real appeal lies in experiencing the story that sets the stage for Dead Space 2.

Dead Space (2011)

A Forgotten Interquel

Despite its name, the 2011 game Dead Space isn’t just a mobile version of the original. It’s actually a prequel to Dead Space 2, focusing on horror and action, much like the main games. You play as Vandal, who wears a suit similar to Isaac’s, which can make the game’s place in the timeline a little unclear.

Players navigate the Sprawl, fighting Necromorphs, gathering items, and completing puzzles. While the mobile controls weren’t the most comfortable, the game still felt like a console experience. Sadly, it’s no longer available on either the iOS or Android app stores, meaning fans can’t currently play it.

Dead Space: Extraction

Wii Go For Horror

Originally a Wii game, Dead Space: Extraction is a horror experience that plays out on rails and serves as a prequel to the first Dead Space game. It’s now also available on PlayStation 3. In the game, you play as Sam, a miner stationed on the Aegis VII colony, and witness the events that led to the infection of the USG Ishimura – the ship featured in the original Dead Space – after the discovery of the Marker.

Despite being a shorter, more linear experience, Dead Space: Extraction is a surprisingly strong game. It successfully incorporates many of the features players love in the main Dead Space trilogy, like a diverse arsenal of weapons for fighting Necromorphs and newly infected humans. You can also use Kinesis to manipulate objects and Stasis to freeze enemies. Plus, it introduced co-op to the series, which, as is common in horror games, makes taking down those space zombies a lot more manageable with a friend.

Dead Space 3

To The Moon

As the conclusion to the Dead Space trilogy, Dead Space 3 attempted to innovate, but it didn’t achieve the same success as its predecessors. The game begins in space and still focuses on action and puzzles, with players controlling Isaac. This time, however, he’s joined by John, a soldier, as they work together to finally defeat the Unitologists—the followers of the Marker. While action was already a key part of the series, Dead Space 3 featured even more enemies and added a crafting system.

Players could customize their weapons extensively in this installment, which was a fun aspect, though gathering the necessary resources felt tedious. The game also offered cooperative play, but limited it to online connections – a missed opportunity for local split-screen co-op, common in games from that time. The story picks up in the second half when the characters land on a frozen planet, and the discovery of frozen corpses added to the game’s horror. The final boss battle was memorable, so despite not being a perfect conclusion to the trilogy, Dead Space 3 had some redeeming qualities.

Dead Space (2023)

A Solid Remake

The highly anticipated remake of Dead Space arrived in 2023, and it’s remarkably faithful to the original – a double-edged sword. It remains a visually stunning horror game, boasting incredible lighting and disturbingly realistic gore. The sound design is equally impressive, from the terrifying cries of the Necromorphs to the chilling silence of space, creating a truly immersive experience, particularly when played with surround sound or headphones.

A major surprise in the original game was Isaac removing his mask at the very end, but the remake shows him doing this several times and even speaking. While this new version makes Isaac look younger, many fans felt the original’s older, more experienced design was more memorable. Although he can now talk, it didn’t significantly improve the story. The 2023 remake offers better graphics and gameplay, but some wished it had been more ambitious and different from the original.

Dead Space 2

Going Beyond

Dead Space 2 excels technically and delivers on everything you’d want in a sequel. The game starts with Isaac being rescued after drifting in space, landing on the Sprawl station orbiting Saturn’s moon, Titan. It famously features a shocking eyeball scene, and true to form, chaos erupts quickly as the Necromorph outbreak spreads. Unlike the 2023 remake, Isaac talks much more frequently throughout the game.

The game offered more options for customizing weapons, and the environments were more diverse. Jump scares were also refreshed, and players who enjoyed boss battles had a much more challenging experience compared to the original game. While Dead Space 2 didn’t drastically change the formula, that wasn’t necessarily a drawback, as these unique space horror games stood out from the competition.

Dead Space

Can’t Go Wrong With The OG

People often discuss whether newcomers to the series should play the 2023 remake of Dead Space or the original sequel. However, the 2008 Dead Space remains a remarkably focused experience. Players control Isaac, a quiet engineer sent to the USG Ishimura with a small crew to fix it. They quickly discover the ship’s problem isn’t technical – it’s a terrifying biological outbreak. While later games received some criticism, the core design of the original Dead Space is what truly stands out.

Instead of a traditional heads-up display, all information in Dead Space – from the inventory to dropped items – appears as holographic projections. Isaac’s health and energy levels are shown on the spine of his suit. Each weapon feels unique, whether it’s a standard pistol, a sawblade gun, or a flamethrower. The game’s developers, EA Redwood Shores, clearly put a lot of thought into every detail, aiming for a scope similar to Resident Evil 4, but set in a space setting, and they succeeded brilliantly. It’s rare for a game to get everything right on its first attempt, but Dead Space is a perfect example of one that does.

2026-01-30 14:41