If you're not a fan of gore, or if body horror really has you running for the hills, Dead Space is probably just not the game for you. But Dead Space has an innovative new accessibility feature that can either provide you with a content warning for some of the game’s more disturbing moments, or it can blur the entire scene out.
EA Motive outlined Dead Space’s content warning features in a new blog update. Besides the usual assortment of accessibility options like subtitles, colorblind modes, sprint toggles, and difficulty options, Dead space has a content warning feature "that some players may choose to avoid seeing certain types of content typical in horror and gore games."
There are two options to implement this content warning. The first displays a "non-intrusive popup" that briefly describes the upcoming scene and lets you psyche yourself up to endure whatever’s coming around the corner. The second option hides the content entirely through a screen blur effect. You’ll still be able to hear the scene play out, but you won’t be able to make out the details.
It's important to note that these options are disabled by default, so you'll have to go into the accessibility options menu to enable them. Also, these options don't affect Dead Space's general gameplay. There are still going to be Necramorphs coming at you from every angle, and if some of them catch you, you'll be treated to a grisly death scene.
"Dead Space remains a horror game, with gore and blood," said senior experience designer Christian Cimon. "And furthermore, we didn’t want to go against the core of the game, so violence done to Necromorphs isn’t targeted; we’re mostly focusing on scenes involving intense violence against humans, strong psychological horror, or self-harm."
Dead Space is out today on current-gen consoles and PC. The reviews are largely positive, with most calling this a faithful and worthy remake that might be just a touch easier than the original--although, you can make it harder with several difficulty settings. Check out TheGamer's review if you'd like to learn more.