Dead Space was originally released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 13, 2008, with the PC version to follow a week later. It was just in time for the Halloween season. Developed by EA Redwood Shores, the game found success, which led to the team being rebranded within EA as Visceral Games in 2009. While the Dead Space franchise found success, leading to various spinoffs, sequels, comics, and animated specials, the hype didn’t last long.
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Visceral Games was shut down in 2017, and the last game to come out was a remake of the original in 2023, which received high praise but fewer sales. Now, Dead Space is being shelved by EA. In a world of reboots, nothing is ever truly dead, so let’s keep hope alive and instead rank the entire series for now, taking quality into mind.
Dead Space Ignition
An Adventure Puzzle Spinoff
Dead Space Ignition
- Released
- October 12, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Visceral Games, Sumo Digital
- Genre(s)
- Action, Puzzle
Dead Space Ignition takes place before the events of the second game, within the same city on Saturn’s moon, Titan. It’s a visual novel, mostly wherein players will watch a motion comic of characters within the city experiencing the Necromorph outbreak for the first time. There are branching decisions, but they won’t affect much, unlike games with more diverse dialogue choices.
There is more to the gameplay because, as an engineer, Franco, players will need to bypass systems to keep themselves alive. These hacking puzzles revolve around conquering nodes, racing lines, or solving mirror-like projections. These puzzle types have appeared in video games before, so overall, it’s not that fun of a game, so much as it is an interesting look at the events leading up to the events of Dead Space 2.
Dead Space (2011)
A Forgotten Interquel
Dead Space (mobile)
- Released
- January 25, 2011
- Developer(s)
- Firemonkeys Studios
- Publisher(s)
- EA
The confusingly titled Dead Space from 2011 is not just a simple mobile port of the first game. Instead, it takes place before Dead Space 2, but unlike Dead Space Ignition, this mobile game is all about horror and action. The protagonist, Vandal, has a suit similar to Isaac's in the main trilogy, which is why it might be confusing as to when the game takes place.
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Players will go through Sprawl, blasting Necromorphs, collecting items, and solving puzzles along the way. The mobile controls back then were fine, but not exactly comfortable. It did, however, look the part of a console experience. Unfortunately, it has been delisted from iOS and Android stores alike, so Dead Space fans are out of luck.
Dead Space: Extraction
Wii Go For Horror
Dead Space: Extraction
- Released
- September 25, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Visceral Games, Eurocom
- Genre(s)
- Rail Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii
Dead Space: Extraction was once a Wii exclusive on-rails horror game that took place before the events of the first game, but then it was ported to the PS3. In either version, players will take on the role of a miner, Sam, on the mining colony of Aegis VII. The uncovering of the Marker is what led to the ship in Dead Space, the USG Ishimura, to become infected.
Even though it is short and on-rails, Dead Space: Extraction is not a weak game in the slightest, as places have a good number of features that the main trilogy has. Players can get a variety of guns to shoot Necromorphs and newly turned humans, they can grab things with Kinesis, and freeze enemies with Stasis. It was also the first game in the series to feature co-op, which certainly made shooting space zombies easier, as co-op often does in a horror game.
Dead Space 3
To The Moon
Dead Space 3
- Released
- February 5, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Horror
Dead Space 3, as the end of a trilogy, tried to spice things up, and it ultimately didn’t set the world on fire, unlike the first two main entries. Firstly, things start in space and feature the usual action and puzzle-solving with the hero, Isaac. The big difference here is that he is accompanied by John, a soldier who goes with Isaac to put an end to the Unitologists, those who worship the Marker, once and for all. Even though the first two games liked action a lot, Dead Space increased the amount of Necromorphs even more, and also introduced a crafting system.
Now, players could mod their guns to an even wilder degree, which could be engaging, but the hunt for materials was not fun. Co-op was the other big feature, but it was online only instead of featuring split-screen couch co-op like most games of this era. The second half gets a bit more interesting as the two dive onto a frozen planet, and being surprised by frozen bodies upped the horror value. The final boss is also unforgettable, so while Dead Space 3 didn’t end the trilogy on a high note, there are good things about it.
Dead Space (2023)
A Solid Remake
Dead Space
- Released
- January 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- EA Motive
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, PlayStation 5
After a long pause, Dead Space returned with a remake in 2023, which is more or less a 1:1 recreation, which is both good and bad. Visually, it’s one of the best-looking horror games still, with excellent lighting and grotesque gore effects. Plus, the sound design between the Necromorph yells, intercoms, and the absence of oxygen in space made the game even more immersive, especially with surround sound or headphones.
One of the biggest reveals of the first game is Isaac unmasking himself in the end cutscene, but in the remake, he takes it off multiple times, and talks as well. Isaac’s younger look isn’t as iconic as the more grizzled engineer design of the original, and even though he can talk, it didn’t add much to the story. This 2023 version may look and control better, but some fans wished it had taken more risks as a remake to help differentiate it more.
Dead Space 2
Going Beyond
Dead Space 2
- Released
- January 25, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Visceral Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Dead Space 2 is everything a sequel should strive for on a technical level. The game begins in the aforementioned space station of Sprawl on the Saturn moon, Titan, wherein Isaac is picked up after being adrift. It has an unforgettable eyeball scene that fans know all too well, and as always, things get chaotic quickly after the Necromorph outbreak spreads. Isaac could now talk, and it was on a more constant level than what the 2023 remake added.
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Weapons could be more customized, the environments were more varied, and the jump scares were remixed as well. Plus, horror fans who like boss fights got a lot more to deal with than in the first game. Ultimately, it could be said that Dead Space 2 was more of the same, but at this point in the franchise, that wasn’t a bad thing because there was nothing quite like these space horror games elsewhere.
Dead Space
Can’t Go Wrong With The OG
Dead Space
- Released
- October 14, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Fans can debate whether beginners should start with Dead Space, the 2023 remake, or perhaps even the sequel. The thing that holds up about the 2008 Dead Space is how pure an experience it is. Isaac is a silent protagonist, an engineer, who goes to the USG Ishimura with a small team to hopefully repair it. Inside, they find the problem, and it isn’t mechanical, as it was biological instead. What wasn’t praised in the previous entries was Dead Space’s overall design choices.
There is no HUD display as everything is a holographic projectile from intercoms, to the item menu, to items dropped on the ground. Health is displayed on Isaac’s suit spine, along with his energy levels for using Stasis or Kinesis. Every weapon felt different, from the normal pistol to a gun that shot saw blades to the flamethrower. Every aspect of the game was well-thought-out to create something on the scale of Resident Evil 4, but in space, and EA Redwood Shores absolutely nailed what they set out to do. Few games completely nail it on their first try, but Dead Space is certainly a prime example.
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