2022 has been a great year for games, and while the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were still prevalent with many highly-anticipated games being pushed out of 2022 to next year – games such as Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7 have stood upon their lofty promises while others like Sifu and Stray have turned out to be surprise hits, and rightfully so. As we shift our attention towards next year, there is just so much to look forward to and get excited about – including but not limited to the Dead Space remake. EA Motive’s upcoming game is looking really promising, and there are many factors at play that could come together to make it one of the biggest hits of the year.
Dead Space is easily one of the best survival horror series of all time, and while the series has remained on hiatus for some time now – it’s still remembered in high regard by survival horror fans to this date. So when EA Motive announced that it would be remaking this classic from the ground up, there was a fair bit of skepticism that came along with the excitement and anticipation for the game. And sure, until the game gets released in full – no one can really guarantee that it will be great – but from what we have seen up until this point, it certainly seems to be the case.
Firstly, EA Motive has just the nailed core visual make-up of the first Dead Space. The original used a rather dull color palette mostly of brown, grey, and black along with dimly lit environments to create an unsettling vibe throughout the experience. Players would often be forced to walk down cramped corridors lit by flickering lights, as distant screams and voices of Necromorphs could be heard against the backing music. While many games of that era would resort to such colors to hide inherent problems with low-resolution textures, its usage in Dead Space just makes so much sense and adds so much to the constantly horrifying experience.
The remake has expanded upon the original visuals with higher-quality assets, and better lighting tech – but it retains the core feel of the experience in every way. Everything from the enemies to the room layouts and character models has really been souped up for a modern feel and suffice to say – they look superb, which has us excited for the final release.
Coming over to the gameplay side of things, EA Motive is also bringing many meaningful improvements to the table. While the original still holds up to this date in so many ways, some cracks have started to show with the passing of time. And most if not all of these issues are being cleaned up with the remake, such as smoothed-out animations for movement and better shooting mechanics among other blemishes that one can expect with a remake of this caliber. It might not be immediately evident at first, but you will be able to see those subtle improvements when you pit the two renditions of the game against each other.
Of course, accompanying those minor changes are some rather substantial changes to the experience, with the first one being the change to an open-world styled exploration. The original Dead Space would space out its many zones with loading screens, which was a direct result of the hardware limitations, and the remake will allow players to freely explore these areas without any interruptions. On that note, we should also mention that some room layouts and positioning have been changed in the remake – while other places and certain jumpscares remain identical to the original release. And yeah, our beloved protagonist finally has a voice in this game – and EA is bringing the original cast back with Gunner Wright reprising his role as Isaac Clarke.
It’s clear that EA Motive is placing a lot of focus on improving the exploration aspect of the experience. The remake will be adding side quests, locked doors, and item containers to incentivize players to return to previously explored areas and get access to better gear which by the way will have some new upgrade options as well. Similarly, zero-g sections will also give players the ability to freely explore the environments which could also house some interesting secrets of their own.
All of this has us believing that the developer has a great appreciation for the source material, since it’s rather easy to go overboard with changes and revamps when it comes to remakes. And sometimes, that temptation can lead to disastrous results – but EA Motive seems to really understand the importance of restraint in such matters, and how to strike the perfect balance between the new and the old.
Dead Space Remake was initially supposed to release in 2022, but as mentioned previously – the game has been pushed to next year. While that may have come as a disappointment to some fans, it’s also a blessing in disguise. Now that it will be releasing in January which is usually pretty sparse when it comes to video game releases, it will get plenty of spotlight and coverage around its release – which could definitely help in making it one of the biggest games of the year. We saw the same happen to Pokemon Legends: Arceus this year, so there is a fair possibility for the Dead Space remake to benefit from such a situation as well.
One could argue about how EA’s tarnished reputation could hold some serious ramifications for Dead Space, but the developer has made the right moves in reassuring fans about any doubts they may have regarding the game. Dead Space 3 was heavily criticized for its utilization of microtransactions, but EA has reassured fans that the upcoming remake wouldn’t feature any such predatory business practices. Just good old single player fun.
Another factor that seems to be working in Dead Space’s favour is the void for a AAA survival horror experience. The last great game that checked off those boxes was probably Resident Evil: Village, and with The Callisto Protocol having turned out the way it did – survival horror fans are sure to be starving for a game that meets their expectations. And thankfully, the Dead Space remake is just arriving at the perfect time. From what we have seen up until this point, it seems to be everything that fans would want from such an experience – so it could certainly satiate the desires of those thirsty survival horror fans out there, and end up becoming the game of the hour.
But regardless of whether the Dead Space remake ends up meeting whatever sales targets EA has projected, it’s an important game for the future of the franchise nevertheless. Despite its long absence from the market, Dead Space is a series that can really survive and thrive in today’s market. And thankfully, EA is giving it a chance to prove its worth. As such, we really hope that this remake ends up paving the way for the future of the series. We’re just keeping our fingers crossed for now.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
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