You step into the gravity boots of Isaac Clarke (voiced here by Gunner Wright, who voiced the character in “Dead Space 2” and “Dead Space 3”), a worker on the repair vessel USG Kellion (elements from “Alien” like its working-class crew emerge from the very beginning). “Dead Space” unfolds in the 26 th century, far from the safety of planet Earth. I hope this one is no one-off and that it’s successful enough to put the words “Dead Space 4” on a release schedule again. It’s still a terrifying, riveting experience, a game that echoes films like “ Alien” and “ Event Horizon” while also feeling distinctly original at the same time. Sure, some of the structure is a bit dated-constantly looking for save spots instead of auto-saves, a clunky movement style for Clarke, an outdated inventory system, etc.-but what works about this game has not only been maintained but enhanced. Of course, in pop culture, nothing really dies.Īfter the success of the remakes of “Resident Evil 2” and “Resident Evil 3,” and the acclaim for last year’s “The Last of Us, Part 1,” it made sense that EA would return to “Dead Space,” a breakthrough, influential game that has now been completely rebuilt from the top down with voice work (the first game initially had a silent protagonist), new mechanics, new environments, and even some new story twists. Before you knew it, Isaac Clarke was adrift, a part of video game history instead of anything in development.

And then “Dead Space 3” disappointed me-I was one of the few fans of the game, even if it doesn’t compare to the first two in the series.

A decade ago, Electronic Arts and Visceral Games’ “Dead Space” seemed like one of the most creatively robust and successful franchises in the world.

Dead space board game