Isaac Clarke tapped into a deep well of courage and engineering skill to survive the waiting horrors aboard the Ishimura. Similarly, the talented team at Motive are showcasing a bold and technically impressive approach with its remake of Clarke’s fraught mission aboard the doomed spaceship in sci-fi horror masterpiece Dead Space. In addition to visual and performance enhancements, Motive is incorporating subtly expanded gameplay elements to draw players deeper into the nightmare.

Even with thoroughly exploring the corridors of the Ishimura on original release, my recent hands-on with the remake – incorporating Chapters 1 through 3 as Isaac attempts to reactivate the tram system and repair the ship’s engines – was full of unexpected discoveries. Reconfigured gameplay shocks, difficult choices, new locations. Let’s dig in. 

New gameplay features

Isaac is fully voiced: Isaac speaks up this time around, like yelling his teammates’ names when they’re in trouble or explaining his plans to fix the Ishimura’s Centrifuge and fuel lines. Hearing him take an active role in the team’s mission makes the entire experience feel more filmlike and authentic.  

Interconnected immersion: There are no loading sequences when Isaac hops aboard the Ishimura’s tram to quickly travel between destinations like Cargo and the Medical areas. This is all part of Motive’s goal for an immersive, connected setting.

Zero G freedom: In the original Dead Space, zero-gravity sections let Isaac leap across platforms using special boots. In the remake, you have the freedom to float in 360 degrees, lending to the spacewalk fantasy. Isaac also now has a propulsion boost, which is handy for dodging necromorphs lunging through space.

There she blows!

High above the familiar cities, deserts, and forests of Radlandia, the wind is in control – as you skate through the skies, prepare to use the new Windzones to propel yourself forward over obstacles, bounce you backward onto hidden routes, and take yourself out with newer, faster, sillier slams than ever before. Then get back up and do it all over again – it’s a mechanic that compliments everything you’ve learned throughout the main game, and gives you brilliant new chances to pull off more tricks and achieve higher scores.

A new way to plan your route

Was the main path through the level too easy? Gnarly route left you wanting more? Well, now there’s a route for that! Burly routes offer a substantial challenge to players who… you know what? Those routes are for players who are better than me at this game. Please tell me what you find up there, and how it is you’re all getting those next-level high scores…

The friends you take with you

You’ll be joined on your journey into the skies of Radlandia by the infamous Radmospheric Three – fellow explorers seeking adventure above the clouds. The grizzled sea-dog Captain Squid, the prim and proper Professor Planks, and the mystically inclined Christopher Licht all have their own reasons for wanting to find Radlantis City, but they’re united by one goal- they want to be the first ones there! Beat Radlandia’s most morally dubious businessfrog, B.B. Hopper, to the map scraps scattered throughout the atmosphere, and who knows what discoveries might await beyond the clouds?

Explore above the clouds

Travel the skies with an all-new crew on a fantastical floating boat as you join The Radmospheric Three on their quest for the hidden city of Radlantis. Soar above the familiar sights of Radlandia, from the spooky clifftops of Wuthering Flights (are there really ghosts up there?) to the grease-laden clouds above industrial Sketchside (they call it OilyOily World). Adventurous travelers who make it to the fabled city of Radlantis will have a chance to meet the legendary Gail Force, and compete before the Skate Godz themselves for the Radlantis Rivals Cup.

Travelling trendsetter

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PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

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