1

Horror Rhetorical Analysis: Dead Space Final Revision

By Zamien Williams

2/27/2024

As someone who grew up with a mother who loved enjoying horror type media, you can

say that it was in my blood to also peak my interest in the genre. I used to watch her play this

game called Silent Hill when I was growing up, but I wouldn’t stay for long because my young

brain couldn’t handle the screams of terror and cries from help coming from the game. I was so

terrified that the mere sound of the game drove me away (imagine what would've happened if I

would have seen one of the monsters in that game). I even tried to play the game myself a year or

two ago and the old graphics plus the eerie sounds and the fear of the unknown stopped me from

playing, which I saw as strange because I’ve played other horror games and completed them

fully without any problems. One horror game that I am so grateful to experience was the remake

of the game Dead Space. It originally was released in 2008 and I never had an opportunity to

play this masterpiece until they remade the game in at the beginning of 2023. From the sounds to

the atmosphere you can tell Motive Studio knew what they were planning when they carefully

crafted this game. Through the trailer alone Dead Space gives out plenty of information to

analyze that easily conveys the dark and scary message that they were going for. They knew that

only a particular set audience would be able to withstand the horrid but creative images being

presented in such a fashion.

(I will only be going over the first 20 seconds of the trailer, due to the rest of the scenes

being extremely graphic. There is a plethora of information to gather from the beginning scenes
 2

alone). Before anything is even presented visually the audience is introduced to a scary rendition

of the lullaby song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The person singing the song does so in a creepy,

unsettling way and that already states a clear message that something is this game is not only

distorted but mysteriously sinister. Why would anyone think to turn such a sweet lullaby into a

horrific song? After a few seconds of the song playing, the first thing that the audience visually

sees is a ship in space hovering over a planet surrounded by huge rocks with the sun shrouding

the entire scene in darkness. I like how they made the color of space a dark red/orange. Normally

in most movies the color of space would normally be blue to show off its beauty and vastness but

they intentionally gave it a dark menacing color to show the bleakness in its image. Motive

Studio wants you to focus on the ship in particular based on the way they have everything

appearing closed off.

The audience are then shown several different perspectives of the ship, each image

getting closer and closer allowing the viewers to analyze the fine and intricate details of the ship.

One aspect to take notice of is the color of the ship. Most ships in sci-fi movies are made with

vibrant colors to make them stand out in space but Motive Studio used a dark iron/metallic color

which shares a resemblance to the color of space they used in the game. Looking at the ship

gives off a dark negative feeling that entices anxious and negative emotion from the audience

and I, and because of that feeling I think Motive Studio were appealing to the Pathos technique

of the rhetorical triangle. If you decide to view the rest of the trailer (or even play the game)

you’ll see and can feel disgust and horror emitting from the scene. The last and final scene that I

would like to cover is when they finally transition to the inside of the ship. What is shown is
 3

dead bodies laying on a table with blood splatter everywhere in a dimly lit room. This scene is

shown to confirm our suspicions and confirm that there was indeed a sinister plot.

Because of the graphic and sinister nature of the trailer and game itself, it was tailored

towards a specific kind of audience. The audience in question was fans of the original game,

people who like horror action/survival horror media and a more modern audience. This is evident

in the trailer itself with its horrific images, atmosphere, and tone. For example Motive Studio

adds tension to the viewer right at the beginning by using a scary rendition of the Twinkle

Twinkle Little Star song.

Based on the trailer alone Motive Studio was intent on sending a message. They wanted it

to be known to the original fans that Dead Space is back (was on hiatus after the third game) and

they are ready to compete with any new age survival horror game. They wanted to not only show

off the new graphics and gameplay, but prove how current day technology can enhance horror to

a new level by using carefully articulated sounds, ambiences, tones, and imagery. I feel as though

they accomplished their objective because the Dead Space Remake was a success, and honestly

ushered in a new standard of horror in video games.

References

Space, D. (2023). Dead Space | Official Lullaby Trailer (2023 Remake). In

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f7sJyIDU-Q

‌
4