Dead Space

Availability (2023 remake): Windows (Steam Deck OK), Xbox Series X/S, PS5

EA’s popular Resident Evil 4-alike Dead Space returned by way of a very faithful remake this year. And while it’s a creepy and challenging romp through a ravaged space station where the dead have transformed into unspeakable horrors, it’s also a solid sci-fi experience. If you’re up for some jump scares and targeted zombie mutilation, Dead Space is worth a tryst before braving whatever may come in Starfield.

Starfield isn’t billed as survival horror, but, I mean, have you played a Bethesda game? The developers are never too scared to insert spooky, unnerving moments in its large, open-world RPG romps. Whether it’s getting involved with the creepy Dark Brotherhood in the Elder Scrolls games or braving feral ghoul-infested spaces in Fallout, it’s not unreasonable to expect that Starfield might have more than a couple spooky moments. but it’s unlikely to go all the way toward horror. Good thing you can check out Dead Space for that. But don’t just come for the horror: The game has a great science-fiction premise too.

Dead Space takes place in a far-flung future in which humanity has resorted to destroying entire planets, a process called planet cracking, to mine for resources. Themes of destruction, dangerous scientific advancements, and the terror of what lies out in the darkness is central to this tale of gory horror.

If waiting for Starfield has you in the mood for some trips to space, but you’re also a horror fan, you owe it to yourself to spend some time with Dead Space.