A Dead Space Remake Is Unnecessary


While Resident Evil was dipping their toes into the action genre with Resident Evil 5 at the time, Dead Space arrived at the perfect interval to carry on that survival-horror baton.

EA's IP placed pulse-pounding, Resident Evil-like gameplay into a universe inspired by Ridley Scott's Alien movies. There was no other game franchise like it at the time.

And then the games kind of just stopped...

But, recent reports indicate that EA will be bringing the cult horror back into the limelight at their upcoming EA Play Live. But, as a remake? I think this route might be the least exciting and most redundant direction to go for such a rich establishment.

Read More: Dead Space 4: Everything We Know

Unlimited Potential

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Despite placing the player in the vast reaches of space, Visceral Games maintained a claustrophobic nature when traversing spaceships and on planets/ moons. While playing as Isaac, we were introduced to Uxor, Aegis VII, Gliese, and so many other terrains and environments. The potential to expand on the planets is evident.

While Isaac's story may be over, there have to be more people in space to invest in? The Necromorphs or an offspring of these enemies could still exist? EA has the passport to exploring an unimaginable universe of planets, characters, worlds, and enemies.

Remaking the first game, where all said assets have already been explored, would amount to wasted aptitude.

Follow In The Footsteps Of Giants

Resident Evil is the clear inspiration for the Dead Space games. From the horror tinge, rationing limited resources, the 3rd person perspective and even encouraging exploration of mythology, the RE franchise set the foundation for EA's shooter. But the RE games have come a long way since the last Dead Space entry.

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With Biohazard and Village heading into the first person direction, Dead Space could follow suit. Granted, Dead Space Extraction was an attempt to go first-person. But, this instalment was treated as a weak, unpolished spin-off rather than a true entry, unlike how Biohazard and Village remain part of the numbered RE entries.

Sure, Dead Space does not have to follow this exact formula. But, RE is just an example of how Dead Space does not need to stick to its third-person perspective or even involve fighting just Necromorphs.

Rather, EA's games can be creatively expanded to offer multiple, unique gameplay possibilities and story specialities. A remake would refrain from being as creative as a brand-new entry that does not follow all of these beats.

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Granted, Dead Space 3 did try and change it up a little by offering co-op multiplayer and another protagonist. However, the last part of the trilogy detracted from the tone of the previous games while continuing with Isaac's story. The drastic shift was not entirely well-thought-out, given the context of the previous games and the continued story.

Other factors can be considered when trying to expand on the foundation the original 3 already set out.

RE 2 Remake As A Comparison Is Misguided

In reports supporting claims of a Dead Space remake, Resident Evil 2 Remake and its success were shown as a heavy decider in encouraging the development of a Dead Space remake. But, I would argue RE 2 should not be taken as a factor in driving EA's remake.

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Despite being adored by fans, the original RE 2 had a fixed camera gameplay narrative. The remake updates this style, providing immersive 3rd person gameplay. This is aside from graphical and audio improvements.

Given the fact that the original Dead Space was released several years ago and still follows the 3rd person perspective, the remake will add no other adjustments other than visual and sound. Sure, the level design and AI may feel outdated. However, I don't feel these enhancements are enough to warrant the complete reproduction of an entire game.

Instead, these same resources and talented should contribute towards reinvigorating the franchise with a new entry.

The Dead Space remake is still a rumoured project. Given the potential for continuing the franchise's story, a sequel or spin-off would be preferred to an uninspired and futile remake.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Dead Space and Features page.