Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Cowboy wrestling takeaways

Stika, Young show potential

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

As Sam Schuyler arose from the mat, centered inside of Hilton Coliseum, he pumped his fists in the air.

Cheers echoed from the stands as recording of a tornado siren blared throughout the arena. The Iowa State heavyweight had just recorded a major decision victory against Kyle Haas, who was wrestling in-place of Konner Doucet — the usual starter for the Cowboys. Both wrestlers walked over to their designated sides of the mat as the two teams lined up to shake hands, concluding what was a rather back-andforth dual throughout.

No. 10, the sophomore 141-pounder has since fallen below the top 30 rankings for his respective weight class — including being pinned by lower-ranked Mat Kazimir in a dual against Columbia earlier in the season. While the lows have frustrated both Young and OSU coach John Smith, perhaps a 2-0 weekend for the young wrestler could shift the trajectory of his season in a positive direction.

On Saturday, he recorded a 15-7 major decision over No. 8 Cael Happel in a win over No. 15 Northern Iowa. Young’s past would have indicated a loss the following day. However, that didn’t happen.

Carter Young increased his record to 9-8 on the season with two wins this past weekend.

Young gets back into form during Iowa trip

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

OSU coach John Smith asked a a question as 141-pounder Carter Young walked by during Smith’s weekly press conference.

“Have you met seven and eight?”

As Carter Young walked into the locker room, he responded, “it’s better than that,” Smith returned with, “no it isn’t! You’re seven and eight.”

After No. 10 OSUs trip to Cedar Falls and Ames, Young left with two wins against top 20 opponents, pushing his record to 9-8. Smith can’t

call Young seven and eight anymore. Ranked as the 32nd best wrestler in the nation, Young entered both duals unfavored as he took on No. 8 Cael Happel of Northern Iowa and No. 19 Casey Swiderski of Iowa State. No. 26 Wyatt Sheets’ pin over No. 10 Austin Yant stole the headlines from Young in OSU’s 19-17 victory over No. 15 UNI. Young picked up his second top10 victory over Happel, his first since defeating then-No. 3 Jake Bergeland in December against Minnesota. Young picked up a 15-7 major decision over Happel and finished his weekend with a 3-0 decision over Swiderski

on Sunday.

Young was the immediate aggressor against Happel as he totaled 12 points in the first period. Young started with a takedown and allowed Happel to get to his feet just before taking him down again, going on a tilt-spree. Two, four, two were the order of near-fall points he received as Happel fought to avoid a pin. Happel got three takedowns to finish the match, but Young got out from underneath every time.

While Young has been one of the main inconsistencies in the Cowboys’ lineup, his performance on the mat during the Iowa trip showed why he’s stayed in the lineup

instead of being shifted out. Smith has stated all season that Young’s inconsistencies aren’t because of his strength, talent or toughness on the mat, but rather a lack of mental awareness and toughness in certain situations. OSU split the Iowa trip 1-1 as they fell to No. 4 Iowa State 18-11 on Sunday after beating UNI on Saturday. Although the Cowboys may be unsatisfied as a team after the Iowa trip, Smith is likely impressed with what he got out of Young during one of the Cowboys’ toughest road trips.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Alec Baldwin, armorer officially charged with involuntary manslaughter over fatal ‘Rust’ shooting

Anousha Sakoui and Meg James

Los Angeles Times

Actor Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, alongside the armorer of the western “Rust,” in which he accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin and Hannah

Gutierrez Reed were each charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Oct. 21, 2021, shooting. If convinced of the most serious charge, they could each face a

mandatory five-year prison sentence.

New Mexico’s 1st Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor

Andrea Reeb also released the details of the plea deal struck with first assistant director David Halls. He pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon in exchange for a suspended sentence of six months of unsupervised probation. The filings were announced earlier this month by New Mexico prosecutors.

See Baldwin on page 6

On Sunday afternoon, No. 10 OSU’s eight-dual win streak came to a close in a loss to No. 4 Iowa State in Ames 18-11.

Young caps off successful weekend:

Carter Young’s career at OSU could be pinpointed as one highlighted by ebbs and flows. After beginning the season ranked

He built off of his upset win from one day prior with a 3-0 decision over No. 19-ranked Casey Swiderski of Iowa State. Not only was the victory alone an encapsulation of Young’s potential, but in both bouts, he showed no signs of struggles on bottom — a recurring issue for him throughout his career — and showed improvement on top, earning a riding time point in his win over Swiderski on Sunday afternoon.

See Stika on page 2

Breaking down OSU’s 2023 Big 12 schedule

known.

Here is a breakdown of OSU’s 2023 schedule.

Week 4: at Iowa State

Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor

After some delay, on Tuesday, the Big 12 released its 2023 football schedule.

OSU’s first three weeks were already established, with games against South Alabama, Arizona State and Central Arkansas, and now, the other nine games for the Cowboys are

To open conference play, OSU will travel to Ames to face Iowa State. The Cowboys are 4-1 in the last five matchups at Jack Trice Stadium, and are 9-2 against the Cyclones since 2012.

Week 5: BYE

OSU’s bye week was in week four last season, and this year it will be only one week later.

See

Molly Jolliff

File Photo

The Big 12 released its conference football schedules on Tuesday afternoon. The Cowboys will host two of the conference’s newcomers, Cincinnati and BYU.

of

Stika...

Continued from page 1

Stika showcases potential:

Prior to the road trip, John Smith reiterated his intention to toy with his starting lineup in the coming duals.

He did that this past weekend, replacing No. 12-ranked Travis Wittlake with Gavin Stika at 184 pounds.

In the end, Stika went 0-2. In hindsight, however, the backup wrestler did all he could against two ranked opponents. He showcased quality defensive ability, coming just short of a reversal in Sunday’s bout with No. 4 Marcus Coleman of ISU, limiting one of the more prominent wrestlers to a victory by decision in just his second start of the season.

OSU proves ability to compete with treacherous stretch:

There was no way around it.

Heading into the weekend, OSU had an arduous four-dual stretch awaiting. Four ranked dual meets, three of which featured Top 10 opponents.

It was imperative that Smith’s team at least came out of Iowa with one win over the weekend. That they did with a narrow win over No. 15 Northern Iowa. The Cowboys followed by taking No. 4 Iowa State to crunch time in Sunday’s loss. Multiple OSU wrestlers proved their worth, staying close with higher-ranked opponents, and even giving themselves opportunities to win in the end, but coming up just short.

Smith’s wrestlers showed they could compete with top tier talent. The development of a young and rather inexperienced roster is showing. Now, it’s a matter of finishing. The following week will be no easier. No. 3 Michigan and No. 9 Missouri await. Yet, based off of the performance the past two duals, Smith can’t be anything short of encourage moving forward.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Molly Jolliff

OSU 184-pounder Gavin Stika filled in for starter Travis Wittlake during the Cowboys’ trip to Iowa. Stika went 0-2 and allowed a bonus point win as the heavy underdog.

Big 12...

Continued from page 1

Week 6: vs Kansas State

The reigning Big 12 champions will come to Stillwater on a Friday night during week six to face OSU. The Wildcats blew out the Cowboys 48-0 in the teams’ game in 2022. Kansas State has only defeated OSU in Stillwater twice since 1999.

Week 7: vs Kansas Kansas defeated OSU for the first time since 2007 last season, defeating the Garret Rangel-led Cowboys 37-16. The Jayhawks are coming off their best season since ‘07, and are looking for their first back-to-back win against OSU since 1995.

Week 8: at West Virginia

OSU will get on the road for the first time in a month to play West Vir-

ginia, a team it’s 7-1 against in the last eight meetings.

Week 9: vs Cincinnati

For the 102nd OSU Homecoming, the Cowboys will play new Big 12 member Cincinnati. It will be the fourth meeting between the teams, and the first since 1983. Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield will be in his first season taking over a team that was in the College Football Playoffs in 2020.

Week 10: vs Oklahoma

In the second to last Bedlam football game for years, and the last one in Stillwater, OSU will host OU at Boone Pickens Stadium on Nov. 4. Mike Gundy is 3-15 against the Sooners, with two of those wins at home, and this may be his last chance to get another home win.

Week 11: at UCF

OSU will play UCF for the first time in history, but the Cowboys are 3-0 in Orlando. The Knights have only had two losing seasons since 2012, and self-

proclaimed themselves 2017 National Champions after being the only undefeated team that season.

Week 12: at Houston

Oddly, OSU will only play one game in Texas, a Nov. 18 matchup with new member Houston. It will be a reunion of Gundy and former OSU offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, and former Cowboy receiver Stephon Johnson, who transferred to Houston earlier this month.

Week 13: vs BYU

To close out the season, OSU will play the final remaining new Big 12 team, BYU. The Cowboys and Cougars have met twice before, in the 1974 Fiesta Bowl and the ‘76 Tangerine Bowl, with OSU winning both.

Cowboys 2023 schedule

Sept. 2: Central Arkansas

Sept. 9: at Arizona State

Sept. 16: South Alabama

Sept. 23: at Iowa State

Sept. 30: -BYE-

Oct. 6: Kansas State (Friday)

Oct. 14: Kansas

Oct. 21: at West Virginia

Oct. 28: Cincinnati (Homecoming)

Nov. 4: Oklahoma

Nov. 11: at UCF

Nov. 18: at Houston

Nov. 25: BYU

Oklahoma State will not play Texas in the regular season for the first time since 1995. The Cowboys will also not meet Baylor, TCU or Texas Tech.

OSU preparing for ‘second crack’ from OU, Sherfield

Braden Bush Assistant Sports Editor

Mike Boynton said beating an opponent, especially a rival such as OU, gives a team confidence it can do it again. He also said there’s just one problem with that in the Big 12.

“Everyone knows they get a second crack at you.”

That’s where OSU finds itself when it travels to Norman on Wednesday for round two of Bedlam – a game in which the Cowboys turned a halftime deficit into a runaway victory. As Big 12 play reaches the midway point and both teams are in the postseason hunt, the second edition is a big one.

And OU has been thinking about it. \

“We didn’t play well in the second half,” OU coach Porter Moser said. “We were up at half, and then in the second half they just took it to us. And that’s in our stomach.”

Two weeks ago, the Cowboys held Grant Sherfield, who averages 17 points a game, scoreless in the second half. And they did so without Moussa Cisse at the post.

Again, OSU showed it could do it once, but Boynton said doing it again is another challenge.

“There’s very little that’s just going to carry over from that matchup to this one,” Boynton said. “You know who’s most aware that they didn’t score in the second half?

“Grant Sherfield.”

Starting in the second half of Bedlam, Sherfield, who scored in double digits in 17 of his first 18 games, scored just 13 points in his next five halves of basketball. But he woke back up against No. 2 Alabama, scoring a

season-high 30 in the upset win.

Boynton said the Cowboys’ job is to not let that confidence carry over and give him any easy shots. Forwards Tanner Groves and Jalen Hill, who combined for 12 points in the first Bedlam, also had big games against Alabama.

“Going into the game, we want to start the game being tough, physical and just locking up and doing what we

do best on the defensive end,” guard John-Michael Wright said. “And then the offense will take care of itself like it did in the previous game.”

The Cowboys enter with a 2-5 road record and neither win came in conference. OU is 1-3 in home conference games. As OSU sits seventh in the conference and is on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, this is an opportu-

nity for a quality road win.

“I don’t put as much stock into the bubble talk at this point as much as I do it’s a really important road game for us – one that certainly wouldn’t hurt as we move toward having those types of conversations,” Boynton said.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

The Cowboys already topped the Sooners once, but Boynton said this is a completely different game.

3 aspiring rappers headed to a Detroit club. They haven’t been seen since

Mark Hicks

The Detroit News

DETROIT — For Armani Kelly, 2023 was shaping up to be a major year.

Months after his release from prison on an armed robbery charge, the 27-year-old Oscoda resident was working, taking college classes, laboriously pursuing rap music and planning a wedding.

“He really turned his life around,” said his fiancée, Taylor Perrin, who has known him since they were teens growing up in Lansing.

Now, that life has been upended.

Detroit police and agencies in multiple cities are seeking tips to find Kelly and two friends, Dante Wicker and Montoya Givens, who have been missing for nearly two weeks.

The aspiring rappers had been slated to perform Jan. 21 at Lounge 31 near Gratiot, Cmdr. Michael McGinnis told reporters Monday.

“It’s our understanding that the performance got canceled and from there we just have a whole lot of unanswered questions that we’re trying to find answers for,” McGinnis said. “… We want to find them and get them home to their loved ones.”

Meanwhile, Perrin and Kelly’s mother, Lorrie Kemp, as well as other relatives are pushing to keep the case in the public eye. They have crossed the state to post flyers in his hometown, pepper Metro Detroit police with questions and spread the word online.

As days pass without clear answers, fear and frustration have settled in.

“I just don’t understand how this happened and how there’s three grown men missing and nobody seems to know anything,” Perrin said.

Armani Kelly lives in Oscoda and performs as a rapper.

Kelly, who performed under the alias Marley Whoop, was believed to have picked up Wicker and Givens before the show, according to a poster released by Missing in Michigan.

All three met in prison, Perrin

said. Kelly has long loved to rap, even carrying a notebook filled with rhymes as a teen, and connected with a producer after his release. He performed his first show last year and planned the second in Detroit, a much larger and well-connected market, Perrin said.

“He just really wanted his music out and was just trying to promote it.”

The Saturday night of the Lounge show, Kelly told his fiancée the gig was canceled over an equipment issue, so he planned to link up with others. But texts, calls and Facebook messages went unanswered sometime after 7:30 p.m., she said.

Authorities still are working to determine if the group ever reached the venue, McGinnis told reporters Monday. “At this point ... there’s nothing to suggest they did.”

Worried about Kelly’s silence, Perrin alerted Kemp and the pair rushed to Metro Detroit.

With help from OnStar, Kemp tracked his 2017 Chevrolet Equinox to Warren.

It was eventually found muddy, without a license plate, at an apartment complex near Queens Court, Perrin said.

Warren police recovered the car on Jan. 23. Authorities have been examining it for evidence, McGinnis told reporters.

Meanwhile, after news spread online, relatives of Wicker and Givens reported them missing to police in Melvindale and Detroit, where they lived, the commander said.

Investigators have reviewed phone records for the three men and found no activity since late Jan. 21 or early Jan. 22, he added.

“In this case, the fact that the three of them are missing together is very concerning and alarming for us,” McGinnis said.

Perrin fears she won’t be able to realize her dream of starting over with Kelly in Grand Rapids.

“It doesn’t look good how many days it’s been, that he’s still alive, but I’m not going to give up until I see his face again,” she said. “... We were so close to be able to start our life

and somebody just took it all away. I just beg for help, for anything. I need answers and, if it comes to it, I need closure, because I will never forget and I will never stop.”

Kemp has been posting frequently online about the case, seeking tips.

“I WILL NEVER stop looking 4 him!” she wrote Sunday on Facebook. “I appreciate all the prayers. I’m going crazy! Some1 pls help me bring him home to his resting place. I plead with u as a mother of a son who had his whole life ahead of him! May God bless u who hurt my baby!”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detroit police at (313) 596-5600, Melvindale police at (313) 429-1070 or Warren police at (586) 574-4700.

Like Kemp, Perrin has pushed back against online criticism about Kelly and his missing friends having

criminal histories.

“They did their time. Everybody mistakes in life and they were charged with crimes. They did their time and that’s it,” she said. “Armani did his time and came out as a whole new person. He knew what he did was wrong and that is not the path he wanted to travel on. ... At the end of the day they’re still a human being and they deserve to be seen and heard.”

In his briefing Monday, McGinnis said authorities are working hard on the case.

“We will leverage all our technology assets,” he said. “We’ve got license plate readers. We’ve got Green Light cameras, and I’m confident that using those tools will help us get the answers that these families deserve.”

Courtesy of Tribune

Detroit police and agencies in multiple cities are seeking tips to find Armani Kelly and two friends, Dante Wicker and Montoya Givens, who have been missing for nearly two weeks.

Baldwin...

Continued from page 1

The plans to file charges had already drawn a mixed reaction in Hollywood. Several actors, including the organization SAG-AFTRA that represents thousands of performers, railed against the decision, arguing that gun safety is not the actor’s responsibility. Others noted that Baldwin was a producer on the movie and may have had greater insight into the state of the production.

Early on the day of the deadly shooting, the camera crew walked of the set following a dispute over pay and working conditions, including accidental gun discharges.

The prosecution will need to convince a jury of a timeline of events. Questions remain over how a live round ended up on set and the chain of possession of the gun as it was ultimately handed to Baldwin.

They will also need to show that Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed at least demonstrated more than mere negligence in their duties that resulted in the death of Hutchins. Following the processing of charges, each defendant will be summoned to a so-called first appearance — akin to an arraignment. This may be done virtually, with dates set by the court, the district attorney’s office said previously.

After that, a preliminary hearing will be held where the judge takes on the role of a grand jury and decides whether the prosecutors can take their case to trial. While the court has yet to set those dates, preliminary hearings typically occur within 60 days of charges being filed.

Meanwhile, several of the members of the production including Halls and Gutierrez Reed were recently deposed as part of an investigation by the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.

In September, New Mexico’s

workplace health and safety bureau levied its maximum, $136,793 fine against Rust Productions LLC. The bureau. It alleged the production’s managers “demonstrated plain indifference” to employee safety. The production appealed against the allegations saying that the penalties were not warranted.

In his deposition viewed by the Los Angeles Times, Halls, who said he has retired from the industry since the incident, gives a different accounting of the shooting than Baldwin has delivered publicly.

The first assistant director told the attorneys in the deposition in December that it was Gutierrez Reed who had handed the gun to Baldwin and he denied calling out “cold gun” to announce the weapon was safe to use.

Instead, he said, it was Gutierrez Reed who used that terminology and handed the weapon to Baldwin. Halls said he did not see the armorer load the weapon, but that she had shown him the gun already loaded with what he believed to be dummy rounds.

“Hannah made a creative deci-

sion that, you know, dummy rounds should be in there to make sure that the gun looks like it’s loaded,” Halls said in deposition, first reported by Variety. That contradicts Baldwin’s account, who has said Halls told him that it was a “cold gun,” meaning its cylinder had been checked to ensure it was safe to use, and had handed it to him.

Halls declined to place the blame on any one person. Halls said it was Hutchins who directed Baldwin to point the gun in her direction.

“It’s just a series of tragic mistakes that happened, No. 1, a live round of ammunition ending up on a film set, there are all sorts of things that you cannot put sole responsibility on one person,” Halls said in the deposition. Gutierrez Reed said in a December deposition she had been unemployed for a year since the incident but recently started managing the social media accounts of an Arizona-based real estate company.

Courtesy of The New York Times

Actor Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, alongside the armorer of the western “Rust,” in which he accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Blinken visits the Palestinian West Bank, where residents are disillusioned and leaders are angry

Tracy Wilkinson Los Angeles Times

DEIR DIBWAN, West Bank — Maisoon Ali, a Palestinian banker, has a message for visiting U.S Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

She wants him to understand and acknowledge that the vision of an independent Palestinian nation living alongside Israel — the two-state solution favored by most U.S. administrations for years — is dead and buried.

“It has been killed,” said Ali, 56. “I can’t even dream it. I don’t see it. … This is what I want the secretary to hear.”

Blinken, wrapping up a three-day visit to the Middle East on Tuesday, met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah, a day after extended consultations with Israel’s prime minister, president and foreign minister.

Abbas, 87, had tough words for Israel, its continued occupation of Palestinian territories and the failure of the “international community” to stop actions by Israel to seize Palestinianclaimed land and thwart efforts by the Palestinian Authority to find justice in international forums — efforts that Washington firmly opposes.

At every turn in this visit, Blinken has reiterated his government’s longstanding support for the two-state solution, even as its prospects seem more distant than ever — to both Israelis and Palestinians.

The far right that now governs Israel has long opposed independence for the approximately 4.5 million Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

For the Palestinians themselves, rejection of the two-state solution has been a slower evolution.

In an independent Palestine next to Israel, which has insisted on keeping control of some of the future state’s borders and airspace, “we would just have the name, Israel the power,” said 80-year-old Mohammed Mustafa, another resident of Deir Dibwan, who lived in the U.S. for many years and said he fought for the U.S. military in

Vietnam.

Years of failed, occasionally bad-faith negotiations, interspersed with periods of violence from both sides, have only achieved a modicum of sovereignty for Palestinians while Israel continued to permit tens of thousands of Jewish settlers to move into West Bank lands claimed by the Palestinians. The heavily guarded Israeli settlements have effectively made creating a contiguous state next to impossible.

“The two-state solution was killed by the Israelis,” Ali said. “I know (Blinken) knows it’s not working. … I look for the American government to take a stand and say it has been killed by Israel.”

Ali was born in this affluent village near Ramallah, heavily populated with Palestinian Americans, and lived in the United States more than half her life. She holds a U.S. passport, but because of her Palestinian birth is barred from using Israel’s airport and suffers other indignities, she said.

Opinion polls have shown support for the two-state vision declining steadily among Palestinians, reflecting frustration and a sense that a viable state will never happen. Instead, many Palestinians now support the so-called one-state solution, a single country with both Israelis and Palestinians but, importantly, one with equal rights for both communities. At the same time, a majority doubts Israel would ever grant such liberties to Palestinians.

One set of calculations behind that scenario suggests the higher Palestinian birthrate would eventually mean Palestinians would outnumber Israeli Jews. Failure to give the majority full rights would, in theory, be untenable, but so would the ability to maintain Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state.

The latest poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, conducted in December and released last week, showed support for a twostate solution that had been at roughly 43% for both Palestinians and Israelis in 2020 had fallen to 33% among Palestinians and 34% among Israelis.

It was the lowest level of support for the concept among Palestinians and Israelis since the poll was first conduct-

ed in June 2016, the head of the center, Khalil Shikaki, said in a statement announcing the survey.

“The hardening of attitudes is driven by deep concerns about the ultimate goals of the other side,” he said.

“Indeed, perceptions of the other have worsened significantly since mid-2017 and are currently at a low point, with the two sides a mirror image of one another.”

After his meeting with Blinken, Abbas also blamed Israel for destroying the two-state solution and for stoking violence in the West Bank. But he said he was willing to work with the United States to open dialogue and “end the occupation.”

Standing with Abbas at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah to read statements before the press, Blinken said improvements in the living conditions, prosperity and peace for

Palestinians were “best realized” by a two-state solution.

But he also acknowledged the deteriorating possibilities.

“What we are seeing is a shrinking horizon for hope, not an expanding one,” he said. “And that has to change.”

Blinken said he was assigning two senior staff members with extensive experience in the Middle East, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs Hamy Amr, to stay behind and continue work on defusing tensions and other problems. Though Blinken said the effort would build on ideas he and officials had come up with on the trip, the move might also reflect a lack of progress on such stubborn issues.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tribune

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, meets representatives of Palestinian civil society in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on Jan. 31, 2023. (Ronaldo Schemidt/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

‘A classic:’ Dead Space review

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

Let’s face it: there are too many video game remakes.

Looking ahead at the next few years of video games, a good bit of that catalogue consists of ports and remasters of older games. Not all of us are excited to play “Skyrim” again with a slightly higher resolution. It’s safe to say the market is getting incredibly oversaturated.

“Dead Space” is about surviving on a desolate ship as it slowly gets overtaken by terrifying creatures called Necromorphs. The series died in 2013,

but the trilogy of games lives on as a cult classic among gamers. Being able to replay this gem has reminded me as to why its so iconic.

Despite this, Electronic Arts’ remake of “Dead Space” could be used as a blueprint on how to pull off the perfect video game remake. It maintains the essence of the survival horror classic while cutting the fat and improving upon all the shortcomings of the original.

Where “Dead Space” truly shines is in its atmosphere. Outside of the survival horror GOAT “Silent Hill,” this may be the most atmospheric horror game I’ve ever played. The game takes perfect advantage of tight, claustrophobic spaces to have you on the

edge of your seat as you creep down some dirty, old hallway. However, it also utilizes open spaces that have you watching your back and shuttering over every bump in the night.

The gameplay is pretty standard survival horror and it has a blend of interesting weapons, terrifying creatures and entertaining concepts to keep the tried and true formula as fresh as can be. It’s as violent as your worst nightmare and relentless as can be.

I could nitpick it all day, but my only real critique is how repetitive the mission formula can get. While the story is interesting, the gameplay loop consists of retrieving items from one location, bringing them to another location, using the item and then turn-

ing on power grids. While this sounds repetitive, you’ll probably be too busy screaming at your TV to really notice. This game is terrifying. There’s tension in every frame, every room in the game is dripping with atmosphere and every jumpscare lands beautifully.

“Dead Space” is easily the best video game remake since “Resident Evil 2.” It’s as terrifying, addictive, immersive and fresh as it was in 2008. All I could really ask for is another game in the franchise, as this blend of horror and action practically begs to be utilized on a next generation console. Dead Space is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5.

Courtesy of Steam

“Dead Space” is a survival horror video game remake of the classic 2008 video game of the same name, developed by EA Motive for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XIS and PC on the Frostbite Engine.

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Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda

Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (02/01/23). Your creativity and communications flower this year. Develop skills with disciplined practice. Make domestic upgrades this winter, before springtime muses inspire a creative surge. A professional shift redirects you over summer, leading to exciting autumn educational explorations. Write, record and share your discoveries.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Take advantage of favorable conditions for domestic improvements. Research before purchasing. Prioritize practicalities. Patiently resolve misunderstandings. Align on plans to upgrade family comforts.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Determine what you want to say before blurting out something you might regret. Take time to absorb recent news.

You can learn what’s needed.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Complications could frustrate your money making endeavors. Stick to your budget. Don’t rush off in the wrong direction. More income is possible. Patiently persist.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Despite challenges, hunt for hidden opportunities and find them. Good news affects you personally. Don’t issue statements until you’re ready to launch. Nurture yourself.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Rest and recuperate for a while. Wait for developments. Make time for private contemplation. Revise plans and preparations for new circumstances. Dream big.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Contribute to a common cause. Listen with empathy. Respond as needed. Teamwork and collaboration require diplomacy, tact and sensitivity. Lend a helping hand.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Work takes priority. Take care of business despite delays, breakdowns or confusion. Patiently clarify, assess and repair as needed. Discover unexpected or unorthodox solutions.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — An exploration could take a twist. Study and research the situation. Monitor conditions carefully before setting off. Things may not be as they seem.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Avoid distractions. Study ways to make money. Remain cautious. Assess shared financial budgets. Discover hidden solutions where least expected. Maintain patience and humor.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Listen to another’s views. Consider consequences before reacting blindly. Step aside to cool down, if necessary. Laughter heals. Collaboration requires patience and delivers results.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Notice what your body is telling you. Emotions can get stuck, affecting physical functions. Nurture health with good food and rest. Nature recharges you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Patiently persist. Things may not go as planned with a romantic or creative collaboration. Misunderstandings spark without warning. Find common commitments. Simplify to basics.

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol

and Joyce Lewis

33

Wendy L. Brandes

Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve