Just like your favourite horror movie, the Dead Space Remake ending is packed with twists, turns, and turmoil. It’s hard not to feel bad for Isaac Clarke, as escaping the USG Ishimura sort of feels like leaping from the frying pan into the fire. So, if you’re a bit confused about what just happened after the final showdown on Aegis IV, we’re here to break things down and explain the horror game’s blood-curdling climax.
As you’d perhaps expect, our Dead Space Remake ending explained guide spills the beans on Isaac’s closing act. As such, the following recap is packed with major story spoilers, and since it’s likely to be one of the best horror games – and possibly one of the best PC games – of 2023, we’d advise proceeding with caution. However, if you’re just about to reboard the mining vessel using Dead Space new game plus, you might benefit from a recap.
Dead Space Remake ending breakdown
As morbid as it sounds, it feels like Isaac Clarke has nothing to clutch onto as we approach the Dead Space Remake ending. After finally breaking free from illusions induced by the Marker, the interstellar obelisk that sparked off the entire nightmare, we now know that his girlfriend, Nicole Brennan, is “dead”.
A video transmission reveals that Nicole actually ended her own life long before boarding the Ishimura. During those same moments, it becomes clear that the person we thought was Issac’s love interest is actually survivor Elizabeth Cross, who in turn thinks Isaac is her partner, Jacob Temple. Confusing, right? Well, it’s all thanks to a mind-meddling Marker, but even after our double-crossing crew mate, Kendra Daniels, kills Cross, it seems like the artefact isn’t quite done playing games.
We get to watch Kendra get her comeuppance just before fighting the Hive Mind, Dead Space’s putrid spaghetti monster final boss, and Isaac just about manages to flee Aegis IV before it’s hit by a meteoroid. Rather than indulging in a deserved sigh of relief, we watch our engineering heroes break as he replays Nicole’s video messages mid-flight, an emotional scene that sets the stage for one of gaming’s most iconic jump scares.
Not to sound too Dickensian, but it’s worth reiterating that Nicole was dead to begin with. With that in mind, you might be wondering who the freaky lady lunging at us during the last few seconds is. Did Nicole become a Necromorph, or is the Marker still having an effect on Isaac following his escape? The sequel to the original game, Dead Space 2, confirms that the Marker stole Isaac’s sanity, so the latter theory is more than likely.
Dead Space Remake alternate ending
In true videogame fashion, an alternate Dead Space Remake ending is also a thing, and you can unlock it by completing new game plus. During that particular run, you’ll have to collect Marker Fragments, which can be found while completing side quests. We’ll have to wait for a Dead Space 2 Remake before knowing how things actually play out for Isaac Clarke, but if the original sequel is anything to go by, things are about to get a whole lot worse for the engineer.
Now that you’ve reached the Dead Space Remake ending, make sure you read about the best Dead Space weapon upgrades and suit upgrades if you’re hopping back into new game plus – our Dead Space power node locations guide should also serve you well in that regard. We also have all the details on the Dead Space Remake cast, so you can’t quite put your finger on the name behind a voice. Finally, our Dead Space Remake review expands upon our own time aboard the Ishimura.