This isn’t a new problem for Tesla. Production of the Model 3 started in July 2017, but was very limited until mid-2018 as the company struggled to clear factory bottlenecks. The Cybertruck poses unique challenges, however. Its signature cold-rolled steel body is said to be extra-tough, but also requires manufacturing techniques not normally used for cars. Most production is expected to take place at the Giga Texas factory near Austin, which formally opened last April.

The revised timeline may create problems. The Cybertruck is already entering a fiercer competitive landscape that includes the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T. By the time Tesla’s production is in full swing, it will likely have to take on the Ram 1500 EV and Chevy Silverado EV as well as more affordable versions of existing trucks. An electric pickup is no longer the novelty it was four years ago, and it’s not clear if the finished Cybertruck will offer major advantages over its rivals.

Source: Engadget – Tesla Cybertruck won’t enter mass production until 2024

In the remake, the Ishimura is a maze of twisting metal corridors and locked rooms, and it’s bursting with secrets. I found myself checking every corner for glowing boxes to stomp on or shiny bits of ammo and credits, and my exploration was often richly rewarded. Never too rich, though — asset management underscores the game’s tension, and Isaac is constantly at risk of running out of ammo, stasis energy, oxygen or health. He’s always vulnerable in some way. In an action-horror game, this feeling is paramount.

Isaac has his classic arsenal of improvised and scavenged weapons, including the plasma cutter, disc ripper and flamethrower, but with some modern updates. The secondary mechanism on the flamethrower, for instance, deploys a wall of fire rather than an explosive orb, and it’s an ultra-satisfying way to cut off encroaching hordes. Shooting the necromorphs’ long limbs will always be more powerful than a headshot; stomping on mutant corpses still releases goodies (and any lingering player frustration), and the stasis ability remains a critical tool in managing enemies, temporarily freezing them in place. Kinesis is incredibly useful as well, allowing Isaac to pick up and hurl objects at any time, with unlimited duration.

Isaac gains new weapons and abilities at a rapid pace, and these tools flow into each other smoothly during locked-room combat scenes. Players are able to approach fights in a variety of ways and swap strategies on the fly — though stasis, shoot, stomp is always a valid approach. Save and refill stations are positioned generously throughout the environments, while ammo and health drops tend to appear right when they’re needed. In general, it doesn’t feel like the game mechanics are working against you — that’s only the murderous mutant space monsters.

Aside from significant graphical improvements, the single biggest enhancement in the Dead Space remake is the addition of zero-gravity flight. This mechanic opens up the game in a way that feels authentic to the source material — as if this is what developers wanted to do back in 2008, but hardware limitations made it impossible. In the original, Isaac leapt from surface to surface in zero-gravity, but now he floats and soars freely through these scenes with boosters on the soles of his boots. While flying, he can shoot, freeze and fling objects at enemies in any direction. 

Boss fights and large-scale puzzles are dynamic in zero-G, and flying changes some sections of the game drastically. Isaac’s final fight against the Leviathan (a big tentacle blob) is now a fast-paced, no-oxygen, in-literal-space event with three turrets, requiring a combination of kinesis, mid-flight strafing and shooting skills. In the original Dead Space, this fight has Isaac firing on the tentacles from a gunner seat inside the Ishimura. There’s no denying, the remake does it better.

Dead Space is bloody and beautiful from start to finish on PlayStation 5. The game includes full voice acting, expanded narrative arcs, fresh mechanics, new puzzles and no loading screens (just a few suspiciously long tram rides that developers at Motive claim exist purely to increase the tension). 

Only a couple of sections in my playthrough came close to tedious. More than halfway through the game, I was grabbed by a giant tentacle and had the wrong weapon equipped to shoot its glowing weak point. It took half a dozen deaths for me to properly swap guns and land enough shots to end the sequence. This felt unfair and deflating after an entertaining and challenging boss fight. However, I’m happy to say this was my largest gripe with the remaster — despite minor hiccups like this one, Dead Space is a master class in action-horror game design. 

There’s a surprising amount of restraint to this remake: EA updated the right things in the right way, while avoiding the baggage of modern AAA games. You’ll find no procedural generation here, no open world, no way to communicate with other players, not even a HUD; just a limited set of skills and a spaceship filled with violent, half-dead, long-limbed monsters.

Playing the Dead Space remake feels like snuggling into a cozy sweater made out of bloody, infected flesh and razor-sharp bone fragments. It’s scary, yes, but in a way that makes you laugh after jumping in fright. It’s a lot like being spooked by a friend — or, maybe, getting hugged by a necromorph.

Source: Engadget – ‘Dead Space’ is the new benchmark for video game remakes