EA Motive's upcoming Dead Space game is, definitively, a modernized remake. 14 years of improved technology and a pair of sequels have left plenty of room for the 2008 release to grow, and the remake is set to fill this room nicely. However, the franchise's core identity remains, as do plenty of details. With roughly the same plot, setting, and characters as the original, the new Dead Space remake cares more about faithfully bringing a classic game to modern platforms than it does about exploring new territory. This design philosophy is observable in microcosm by one of the game's most important features - the iconic plasma cutter.

Where most action games thrive on making players feel powerful and competent, horror games are often an exercise in disempowerment - and despite Dead Space's incredibly visceral gore and at times high-intensity gameplay, it still manages to fit the bill. Protagonist Isaac Clarke is an engineer, not a soldier, and yet is faced with hordes of hostile monsters to kill. The plasma cutter is a key piece of Isaac's arsenal, a tool repurposed as a weapon that just so happens to slice necromorphs to bits. When aimed well, its superheated linear beams can tear off their limbs, hampering their ability to fight back.

Related: Dead Space Remake Will Not Be On PS4 Despite Recent Trailer

This plasma cutter mechanic quickly became synonymous with Dead Space. The sequels all feature the plasma cutter prominently and build upon it. Dead Space 2, for example, allows players to fire chunks of dismembered necromorph back at foes, potentially impaling them to walls or floors (a feature that Screen Rant's preview of Dead Space revealed will be present in the remake).

Dead Space Remake's Plasma Cutter Is Still The Best Weapon

Isaac Clarke in the new Dead Space Remake gameplay trailer, holding a plasma cutter ready.

As Isaac's arsenal grows, the plasma cutter remains a reliable weapon option. What it does, it does well, and there's no shortage of necromorphs to tear apart. The abundance of foes can be frightening, but especially on higher difficulties, a subtler horror creeps in as Isaac begins to run low on resources. The plasma cutter is effective so long as it has ammo, but that feeling of power can be fleeting when the player is forced to get in close to stomp on necromorphs instead.

Truthfully, a fair amount could change from the original Dead Space without fundamentally altering the game's DNA. The Dead Space remake is a bit more than just a facelift; several elements from the sequels, including a fully-voiced Isaac Clarke, return, infusing some of the series' later evolutions into its beginning. It's still very much the same Dead Space, though, down to the general layout of the game's levels. As such, the execution of the iconic plasma cutter is vital. It's likely the weapon that players spend the most time with, and it needs to simultaneously evoke the feeling of the original game's while working in the context of a modern game's design.

The limb-slicing functionality returns in the Dead Space remake's plasma cutter, complete with the adjustable angle for precise attacks and the glowing blue targeting lasers. The visual and audio effects really sell the experience too, especially since EA Motive updated the sounds based on player feedback. Overall, it's a shining highlight in Motive's quest to make their version of Dead Space both faithful and modernized. If the rest of the game follows suit, Dead Space will be well-positioned to capture what made the original work so well as a standout among survival horror games.

Next: Dead Space Remake Promises No Camera Cuts Or Loading Screens