Memoreum Preview: Dead Space is finally getting its spiritual successor in VR
Patient 8 Games is bringing sci-fi horror to VR with Memoreum, a game that channels Dead Space's DNA in all the right ways. I got to try an early demo. Survival horror fans should pay attention to this one.
Picture this: I'm creeping down a cramped corridor, its walls covered in pulsing red biomass. Blood trails mark the floor, while distant metallic clangs and bone-chilling screams echo through the ship. Steam hisses from broken pipes under flickering neon lights. Then it happens — a glowing yellow maw erupts from the growth above me, spewing acid in my direction.
This could easily be a scene from Alien or Dead Space, but it's actually Memoreum, a new VR survival horror shooter from Patient 8 Games and 2080 Games. The developers just dropped a new trailer at the VR Games Showcase, announcing a September 2025 release. After spending 30 minutes with the demo at last year's Gamescom, I can tell you — this one's going to get under your skin.
Dead Space, is that you?
The year is 2311. You play as Dr. Otto Hudson, waking from cryosleep to find humanity's last spacecraft transformed into a nightmare. A mysterious infection called "Ichor" has spread throughout the ship, spawning massive organic growths. The crew is either dead or mutated into creatures that want nothing more than to tear you apart, and a mysterious voice guides you through the darkness — sound familiar?
While Memoreum openly borrows from sci-fi horror movie classics like Alien and Event Horizon (the same ones that inspired Dead Space back in 2008), it feels more like an homage than a knockoff.
The signs on the wall — Dead Space sends its regards. | Image: Patient 8 Games
The developers told me they're aiming for 14+ hours of gameplay built on three core elements: horror, combat, and puzzles. During my demo, I had to crack number codes for door locks and solve circuit puzzles. The game also features data logs scattered throughout, adding depth to the narrative during quieter moments.
Smart design choices
Combat starts with the "Hikari Pistol," a basic plasma gun with infinite but weak ammo that needs manual reloading. Like Metro Awakening or Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 2, you access your inventory by reaching over your shoulder. The backpack holds additional weapons — I found a submachine gun and a double-barrel shotgun.
Memoreum marks the mutants' weak points with glowing pustules. | Image: Patient 8 Games
The game includes clever tools like a flame cutter for removing door locks or a cable detector for tracing power lines through walls, which you'll need to restore power to various systems. The Hikari Pistol also doubles as a charging tool for depleted energy cores.
Reloading is fully manual — with the shotgun, you'll open the barrel, load shells, and snap it shut. This makes the weapon's power feel earned, especially during intense encounters. But you can also dual-wield weapons, letting you complement the shotgun's limited ammo with the faster Hikari Pistol.
Like Dead Space, you need to dismember enemies to take them down efficiently. The developers adapted this for VR by adding glowing pustules to mark removable limbs — a smart choice that makes targeting easier in VR's more physical combat system.
Not (yet) quite as intense as the original
The demo's fights still needed work. While Memoreum creates tense scenarios, the mutants' sometimes awkward animations can break the immersion, turning threatening monsters into clumsy polygon collections. But this is a common VR horror challenge — even Dead Space's impressive creatures became less scary over time.
With some polish before release, Memoreum could deliver the sci-fi horror experience VR fans have been waiting for. If you enjoy Dead Space or sci-fi horror in general, this one deserves a spot on your watchlist.
Memoreum launches September 2025 for Meta Quest 3, Quest 3S, and Quest 2, with PC VR and Playstation VR2 versions coming later.
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