Nearly a decade and a half on from its launch, the original Dead Space is considered an absolute classic, a survival horror game for the ages. Motive Studio has taken on the massive responsibility of not only bringing the beloved franchise back from the dead, but by doing that by remaking the 2008 classic. Recently, we got our first proper look at the game, with EA and Motive Studio releasing a debut gameplay trailer and following that up with plenty of new gameplay and story details, and so far, the signs are certainly promising. Here, we’re going to run through a few of those key new details.
STAYS TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL
As Square Enix and Capcom have shown us in recent years, remakes that diverge from their source material dramatically can still be very successful- but it doesn’t look like the Dead Space remake is going quite that far. Something that Motive Studio has stressed repeatedly that the game is going to stay true to the original, especially where the main story and moments are concerned. “We look at the original game with the utmost respect,” says senior producer Philippe Ducharme. “So the core foundations will remain the same.”
Creative director Roman Campos-Oriola adds: “We want the fans of Dead Space to rediscover Dead Space as if for the first time, but with everything feeling familiar and recognizable. That’s something that’s really important to us.”
EXPANDED STORY
Though the bones of the experience are going to remain the same, the Dead Space remake is putting more meat on them, and it’s doing that with both the gameplay and the story. Where the latter is concerned, you can expect a meatier and more fleshed-out experience in several ways. The most significant change is that, unlike in the original Dead Space, the remake’s Isaac Clarke is going to be a voiced protagonist, with Gunner Wright – who voiced him in Dead Space 2 and 3 – reprising the role. Meanwhile, Motive Studio has also taken expanded lore and narrative elements from Dead Space 2 and 3 (as well as the Dead Space comics) and re-injected it into the original’s story.
NARRATIVE SIDE QUESTS
A rising tide lifts all boats, and with the expansion of Dead Space’s story, it turns out its supporting cast is going to have more of a role as well. Motive Studio says some characters who only appeared in the original in audio logs are going to have actual screentime and a more prominent role in the story, like Dr. Elizabeth Cross, a horticulturist working on the USG Ishimura. Meanwhile, more important characters from the main cast, like Nicole, have also been given “a bit more background and agency”, which takes the form of what the developers say is “a whole layer” of new narrative-driven side quests.
MORE NEW CONTENT
Beyond the story additions we’ve discussed, Dead Space is adding some new stuff on the gameplay front as well. It’s been previously confirmed that the remake is making significant improvements to the zero-g sections. The developers say that will entail “much more 360-degree freedom”, which in turn has allowed them to “revisit some of the old content and create new ways to navigate, new paths, and new environments with new challenges.” You can also expect more new rooms, routes, and obstacles throughout the USG Ishimura.
VISUAL UPGRADES
This one is a bit obvious, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless, purely because of how gorgeous the game is looking. We’ve only seen a couple minutes of gameplay from the Dead Space remake so far, but it’s clearly looking like a massive visual upgrade over the original. Motive Studio says that every single element of the game, top to bottom, has been remade from scratch using the Frostbite Engine. On the technical front, that includes radical improvements to the lighting, shadow effects, animations, the detail in environments and models, volumetric fog, and much more.
NO CAMERA CUTS
The original Dead Space already came quite close to feeling like an entirely seamless experience, given how completely diegetic the in-game UI and elements such as customization and upgrades were, and the remake is taking the next logical step. It’s been confirmed that the game is going to be a single, sequential shot with no camera cuts whatsoever, a la God of War (2018). That means the entire ship is interconnected and has no loading at all. Unlike the original, that also means that you can go back to previously visited areas to pick up stuff that you may have missed. The game also features improved UI map controls and an improved locator.
DISMEMBERMENT AND PEELING
Dismemberment was a crucial part of the original Dead Space, and obviously, that will still be the case in the remake. In fact, that aspect of the experience is going to be even more prominent. Motive Studio is doing that through what it calls the new Peeling System. According to EA, the Peeling System “introduces layered flesh, tendons and bones that break, tear and shatter in shocking new ways”. Apparently, it can also be used in some rather creative ways. “While strategy is key, there are increased opportunities for creativity as well,” EA says. “Shred a Necromorph’s flesh with the Pulse Rifle, shoot a Ripper blade through its arm and leave it hanging by a tendon, only to rip it off with your Kinesis and pin your enemy to a wall.”
The Peeling System is also going to make combat feel “more dynamic and strategic”, according to creative director Roman Campos-Oriola. “When you start shooting, you see the skin and the flesh getting ripped from the enemy’s body,” he says, “and then you start to see the bones underneath, and then you can cut the bones and it cuts the limb, and so on. It looks amazing—but it also gives direct feedback to the player about the amount of damage they’re doing.”
INTENSITY DIRECTOR
Dead Space is legitimately one of the scariest survival horror games ever made, delivering almost the perfect blend of jumpscares and atmospheric dread. The remake is taking that one step further by throwing some uncertainty into the mix with what Motive Studio is calling the Intensity Director. What exactly is it? Here’s how EA describes it: “Motive has built a new Intensity Director that dynamically adjusts what shows up in Isaac’s path, from Necromorph spawns and how they choose to attack them, to environmental effects such as light, smoke, particles and sound. Isaac’s heartbeat, breathing, and exertions also adjust based on his stress level to give you direct feedback into his mental, emotional, and physical state.”
PC REQUIREMENTS
Given how drop-dead gorgeous this game looks (and the fact that this is a current-gen exclusive title), it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that its system requirements on PC are quite hefty- even if you’re looking at the lowest settings. On minimum settings, Dead Space will require either a Ryzen 5 2600X or an i5 8600, along with either an RX 5700 or a GTX 1070. On recommended settings, you’ll need either a Ryzen 5 5600X or an i5 11600K, along with either a Radeon RX 6700 XT or a GeForce RTX 2070. On either setting, you’ll also need 16 GB of RAM, roughly 50 GB of free storage space, and DirectX 12.
PRICE AND EDITIONS
An increasing number of games have been launching with a $70 price tag over the last couple of years, and sadly, it looks like Dead Space is going to be one of them. On PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, it’ll retail for $69.99- which is bound to raise eyebrows, especially for a remake (even if it does look like it’s a fairly expanded experience). On PC, it’s still going to cost $59.99, which should raise even more eyebrows.
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