If there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that the Dead Space remake will be full of blood, guts, and gore, much like the original game. But luckily, Electronic Arts has added an extra feature that’ll help the faint of heart make their way to Isaac’s researcher girlfriend, Nicole, without losing eight of their nine lives.
Before you even step foot into the USG Ishimura, you are met with a content warning that reads, “Dead Space contains graphic violence, including explicit depictions of dismemberment, impalement, blood, gore, vomit, and death. Gameplay and cinematic scenes depict numerous traumatic events and portray harmful behaviors associated with mental health. Topics include self-harm and suicidal ideations, death of colleagues and relatives, claustrophobia, psychosis, visual/auditory delusions, and obsessive behaviors.”
This warning isn’t the only effort EA has made to help players last through all the messy situations. There’s an in-game toggle that alerts you before horribly deformed necromorphs jump onto your screen or if there’s a disturbing scene of self-harm.
If that’s not enough for you, then EA has even gone a step further and added a second toggle that exists to hide disturbing incidents. By switching this on, you will no longer see the mutated monsters, as they will be blurred out. Isaac Clarke’s death animations will also not be visible, replaced by a black screen. This may well be for the best, considering how messed up some of them are. No one likes seeing a blade slash through someone’s ribcage or a tentacle burrow into the back of someone’s head and burst through their mouth.
There is also an external site that catalogs each chapter with warnings on suicide, amputation, needles, or medical malpractice. For those who don’t want these spoilers, remember that these are all optional and are disabled by default, so you can happily enjoy all the unadulterated dismemberment the game has to offer if you so desire.
How to turn the features on
For fans who need this censored version turning on the features is simple. First, head over to the pause menu, go to Settings, and the Accessibility. If you look down the list, the fourth or fifth option will be related to content warnings.
The next step is to toggle on “Show Content Warning”. This will allow the in-game alerts to appear in the top right of your screen. The “Hide Disturbing Scenes” will do just that and blur out graphic content.
Not for me
Despite all the good these features could do for my mental well-being, I won’t be turning them on. This isn’t some humble brag. I can assure you that once I land at the necromorph-infested station, I will probably turn into a blubbering mess who can’t turn a corner without having an existential crisis. Twisted as I may be, the constant horror and anguish are one of my favorite parts of the Dead Space series.
At this stage, there aren’t many horror games that can make me squirm with anxiety and fear as Dead Space 2 did. So I’m actually pretty excited to see what this remake has to offer in the horror department.
I also acknowledge the fact that the Dead Space remake is a survival horror game, so I want to play it like one. As someone who plays many horror games and enjoys them and fortunately doesn’t count the listed events as anxiety triggers, I don’t need these features. If I were to turn them on, I’d feel like I was stripping the necromorph nightmare of its essence.
However, these features are an excellent addition for those who need them and will allow Dead Space to reach a wider audience. However, I am the sort of person who wants to see just how long I can face the game’s gruesome horror before my eyes fill with tears, and I have to physically step away from my monitor. However, with all the graphical improvements in the remake, maybe I’ll find the experience so terrifying that I’ll have no choice but to toggle these content warnings on.