Dead Space Just Got A Great Demake You Can Play Right Now
Dead Space just got a demake demo and it makes the game look as if it came out in 1998.
Now, here’s a gaming hit we didn’t know we needed; a massively popular gaming release from 2008, titled Dead Space, which recently received a high-budget remake from Electronic Arts, has also received a Demake—a neologism referring to the process of creating a downscaled or simplified version. And if you ever felt nostalgic towards the fifth generation of consoles, or you just wanted to try some retro gaming, here’s your chance—the 15-minute gaming experience is now available for free.
According to Bloody Disgusting, an indie developer Fraser Brumley just announced that his Dead Space Demake, a PS1-like iteration of Dead Space, has finally been released, and it’s available for download at the project’s page. The new demake of the game feels and plays just like the 2008 original but carries that nostalgia-inspiring PS1 aesthetics from 1998. Unfortunately, the demake of the game isn’t a full release, but rather a 15-minute “demo” or a retro gaming aesthetic showcase, rather than a full-blown 20-hour game.
The entire Dead Space Demake project was created using Unreal Engine, and it looks, plays, and feels just like childhood dreams in 1998, complete with the infamous texture wobbling that plagued the PS1 console. Regardless, the demake extends to the aesthetics alone; other elements, such as the recognizable limb severing, the HUD, and the protagonist’s stasis ability that slows down enemies for a perfect limb-slicing combo still exists within the game—whereas the fifth generation was very limited in terms of 3D rendering and gameplay abilities.
As for the rest of the game, apparently, Brumley has no plans of continuing the game’s development. The Dead Space Demake project was Brumley’s way of teaching himself how to use the Unreal Engine while also utilizing the PS1 aesthetics. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same as the original game; you explore USG Ishimura and fight Necromorphs using either a keyboard-and-mouse combo or a controller of your choice.
This also begs the question of licensing, as in what would Electronic Arts’—the owner of the IP—response be. The demake developer did change the game’s aesthetics, but he’s not making any profit off it, so does it constitute copyright infringement? We can always ask Nintendo, who’s notorious for legally pursuing anyone giving the company free promotions, including the famous Zelda YouTuber. Will Electronic Arts do the same now that the company is facing financial turmoil, which resulted in massive layoffs and the death of Alice: Asylum?
Dead Space is a survival-horror game that first launched for the iconic Xbox 360 console, followed by a PS3 and PC release in 2008. The game was so successful it spawned two additional sequels released in 2011 and 2013, respectively. A couple of years ago, EA announced that the company was working on a Dead Space Remake, which launched at the beginning of 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, receiving universal acclaim and quite possibly warranting the development of Dead Space 2—which will be free under one condition.
