The two titles in themselves show how antithetical games can be while still remaining in the same genre. With differing styles, gameplay, objectives, and themes, the Dead Space Remake and Starfield could not be more different in some ways. Yet their adherence to certain aspects of the sci-fi genre means that there is still a large crossover of fans for each title, despite these differences. Each gives players completely different opportunities and experiences, and with Starfield’s release towards the end of the year, and the Dead Space Remake launching in early 2023, the two titles could offer sci-fi fans a great few months of game playing.
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The Epitome Of The Sci-fi Genre
Although space may be the first thing that many people think of when they hear the words “science fiction,” it is not actually a prerequisite of the genre. However, space is also a very popular setting in many sci-fi stories and offers some of the best things that characterize the genre — exploration, projection of societal issues onto a world that feels nothing like the player’s own, and of course extraterrestrial life.
Dead Space focuses almost entirely on this interaction with sentient space life and the devastating effects it could have on humans. As yet, players don’t really know what part aliens will play in Starfield, but considering the emphasis on exploration, it seems likely they’ll run into some, even if they’re not as intelligent or organized as the Necromorphs.
Fraternizing (or fighting, depending on the situation) with aliens is one thing, but there are so many amazing aspects of sci-fi that both games incorporate. Sci-fi stories set in space are usually all about exploration; be it of new interstellar frontiers, discovering new homeworlds for humanity, or even exploring the way that humans interact with each other. Starfield’s exploratory credentials are clear, as players take on the role of a member of Constellation which is an organization consisting of space explorers. They can also join different factions and engage in a multitude of different activities associated with these organizations.
The Dead Space Remake doesn’t feature quite the same level of adventurous investigation as Starfield, and its action is mainly confined to one ship. However, Dead Space still has some of those classic sci-fi tropes that scratch a similar space-faring itch. With an unknown planetary mining ship to explore, a mystery to solve, and a terrifying alien species to contend with, Dead Space wears its sci-fi influences on its sleeve.
Terror vs. Travel
Both Starfield and the Dead Space Remake can cater to very different audiences. One appears to be an expansive exploration game with old-school RPG elements, whereas the other is a horror game wrapped up in sci-fi trappings. Dead Space’s claustrophobic examination of how quickly the human mind can crumble (but also how resilient the will to survive can be) focuses on humanity’s interactions with something “other.”
Starfield, on the opposite end of the spectrum, has a carefully constructed ecosystem of varied human factions and groups, each one working out how to survive in the ever-expanding world of interstellar living. Humans may be their own worst enemy in Starfield, with the game taking place 20 years after a devastating Colony War, but both games ask similar questions of their players — what would humans be like if they lived among the stars, how would they cope with the challenges this would inevitably bring, and also how fun it would be to shoot things in space.
The last one is perhaps just as important as the themes and issues that these games explore. Although sci-fi can be a fascinating and boundary-pushing aspect of speculative fiction, games in the genre are at their best when they combine harder-hitting themes with dynamic and enjoyably challenging gameplay. Hopefully, both Starfield and the upcoming Dead Space Remake will deliver on their pre-release promise, and provide sci-fi fans with something truly spectacular.
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