The Dead Space remake is still several years away, with EA making it clear during a recent earnings call that Isaac Clarke’s return is “a ways off” from launch. However, that doesn’t mean details surrounding the revival are slight. EA Motive has revealed some new information that allows us to delve into exactly what shape this reboot will take, and how it will differentiate itself from the 2008 original.
Given the original still holds up remarkably well, the remake will need to try a number of new things while ensuring it remains faithful to our memories aboard the horrific USG Ishimura. It seems it will, with the development team confirming that Dead Space will incorporate an unbroken camera system similar to God of War. In theory, the entire campaign will be a single cohesive shot that never compromises immersion. Its existence as a next-gen exclusive also means loading times won’t need to be disguised as gaps or overlong cutscenes. It should all be seamless, which is a perfect approach to a horror experience like Dead Space.
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Horror is at its scariest when you can’t escape it, knowing there’s no option to run, hide, or look away from the terrors surrounding you. The original Dead Space allowed for this, giving Isaac Clarke enough movement speed and firepower to deal with the majority of Necromorphs that stumbled toward him. An unbroken camera system could change this chemistry, with the developers making sure our attention is always focused on the horror. God of War used its single shot method to emphasise the dramatic narrative and relationship between its characters, while Dead Space could focus on something entirely different. The story still matters, but we’re really here for the scares.
The original game was split up into several chapters, each of which began and ended with Isaac stepping aboard a transit system and being whizzed across the station to new levels. Hardware restrictions at the time meant it was impossible to render a single, cohesive world without loading screens and individual locations dictated the entire thing, but so much has changed since 2008. Even Dead Space 2 and 3 were fragmented in the traditional sense, and arguably more linear than their predecessor when it came to funneling you down a single path.
Dead Space saw you returning to earlier areas a number of times, equipped with new abilities and weapons that granted access to areas that were previously off-limits. It wasn’t Metroidvania-level exploration, but for a horror game it was surprisingly refreshing. As I’ve said in another piece, it’s Resident Evil 4 in space – even if it apes a few of its key systems a little too often for its own good, that’s definitely a good thing.
With its new one-shot philosophy, the reboot stands to be unlike any horror game we’ve played before, especially given that it has an established legacy to rely on as it experiments with new ideas. I do have concerns with the Necromorphs growing a little predictable like they did in the original – even with the camera never pulling away from their grotesque shapes, over-the-top body horror can only be unsettling for so long before it borders on comedy.
Knowing this, Dead Space can’t just recreate its progenitor and call it a day. It needs to introduce new takes on existing tropes and explore its idea of horror in ways it wasn’t able to back in the noughties. I imagine EA Motive is aware of this, saying that elements of the 2008 classic will be cut in service of new additions. That being said, it could be the best of both worlds, acting as both a remake and a reboot that will establish the iconic series as a major player in contemporary horror. Just try not to focus test it into the ground this time.
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