Parents' Guide to

Dead Space (2023 Remake)

Game Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , Windows 2023
Dead Space box cover shows Isaac Clarke, hero of the game.

Common Sense Media Review

Paul Semel By Paul Semel , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 18+

Excellent, but mature and gory sci-fi horror action game.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 18+?

Any Positive Content?

  • 1:08
  • Dead Space: Knowing that he must remove their limbs to stop them, Isaac Clarke aims his Plasma Cutter horizontally at the encroaching Necomorph.
  • Dead Space: Though not his most interesting weapon, Isaac Clarke's Pulse Rifle is effective against enemies without legs.
  • Dead Space: The Flamethrower is also useful against the reanimated flesh of a Necromorph.
  • Dead Space: This game is full of disturbing imagery, including this little guy, who was just a wee baby when he became a space zombie.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Jam M.
Jam M. Adult
May 7, 2023
age 15+

Mature teens only

A well made and terrifying story with lots of gore self harm and swearing
CHAOSbutler
CHAOSbutler Parent of 4 and 7-year-old
April 26, 2024
age 16+

A fun scary game for adults!

This is horror gold but most definitely NOT FOR CHILDREN! Its horrifying and violent as you fight creatures who are bodies of deceased individuals reanimated. You fight them by cutting their limbs off. These creatures will brutalize you in plenty of horrific ways and ill spare you the details. There are a lot of graphic murders and foul language is prominent. There are many flashing images on screen as well because (due to the events of the game) the main character develops dementia. Personally the game is an amazing survival horror experience. Id recommend it to any adult who enjoys adrenaline fueled fear.
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Set in 2508, DEAD SPACE has you playing as engineer Isaac Clarke, a member of a repair crew sent to find out why contact has been lost with both the space ship USG Ishimura, and his girlfriend, Nicole, the ship's Senior Medical office. When he arrives, though, he finds that most of the Ishimura's crew is dead or are zombie-like creatures called Necromorphs. Armed with guns, heavy duty mining equipment, and his own limbs, Clarke does what he must to save Nicole, his crewmates, and himself. Which, yes, means he's going to be killing a lot of space zombies while figuring out how to get to other areas of the ship where, again, he'll have to clear out the undead if he wants to make it out of this nightmare intact.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (4 ):

Originally released in 2008, this remake of the cult classic survival horror shooter is every bit as exciting and scary as the original. Set in 2508, Dead Space follows engineer Isaac Clarke on a mission to save his girlfriend Nicole, himself, and his crewmates from the space zombies who now infest the space ship the USG Ishimura. Armed with guns, a flamethrower, and some laser-based mining equipment, as well as the ability to move large objects or temporarily freeze people and objects in place, players have to not just destroy the zombies, they have to dismember them to stop them from coming, while also figuring out how to get the ship's systems running again so they can escape.

For people who survived the original, this remake doesn't just look better, it also adds more rooms to explore, as well as times when you'll be randomly attacked. As for people who missed the original, this is basically a sci-fi version of Resident Evil 2 and 4, albeit with less silly puzzles and more resilient zombies. Driven by an engaging sci-fi story, this shooter expertly mixes horror with action, as the atmospheric music and eerie sound effects really put you on edge, which the game takes advantage of by having zombies jump out at you from behind wall panels and the ceiling you literally just checked. It also has you exploring some nicely varied areas, which are full of an equally diverse cast of enemies, many of whom need to be taken out in different ways. It's a good thing you have a wide-ranging compliment of tools at your disposal. All of which is why fans of scary shooters -- whether they survived this horror before or not -- will find this updated version of Dead Space to be as effortless, exhilarating, and epic as the original.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Dead Space affected by the amount of blood and gore shown during gameplay? Does it bother you to kill another person, even if they're already dead? Would the impact be the same if there wasn't as much graphic content included?

  • In Dead Space, there are a lot of dead bodies lying around, and players can stomp them into pieces to get any supplies they might have, but do you think this level of gore is necessary? How does it make you feel when you stomp a body to pieces...and are rewarded for your effort?

  • Dead Space is a very scary game, and requires players to go places that are dark and spooky and may not be safe, but do you think facing your fears in this way can be helpful for some? Do you also see how it might be triggering for others?

Game Details

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