EA Live Play 2021 had a handful of significant reveals, but one of the most impactful was probably the Dead Space remake's official announcement. Rumors about a Dead Space revival have been floating around for some time now. EA and Motive Studio's confirmed remake of the first Dead Space game seems to put the beloved sci-fi horror franchise back on track. After the remake comes out, fans of the series could finally get Dead Space 4, something they've wanted for a long time. However, there's one thing about the franchise's revival that might leave a bitter taste in the mouths of fans: the Dead Space creators aren't working on it.
Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey created Dead Space, but Visceral Games—the studio under EA where they developed the game—no longer exists. Dead Space is out of its hands, as EA's revival of the IP without their involvement indicates. However, Glen Schofield is working on a game very similar to the IP that made him famous. Under the banner of PUBG Corporation affiliate Striking Distance Studios, Schofield is in charge of The Callisto Protocol, another spacefaring horror game set in the world of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. The Dead Space revival is great, but supporting The Callisto Protocol means supporting Dead Space's actual creators.
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For a few years, Visceral Games earned a reputation for the quality of its work thanks to Dead Space. The first Dead Space was lauded by critics and fans for everything from its atmosphere to its incorporation of action, and the sequel was equally beloved. However, although the Dead Space trilogy got good reviews, on the whole, it developed a pattern of not selling overwhelmingly well. EA advertised the games aggressively, so it had a lot of costs to recover. Unfortunately, this contributed to EA's closure of Visceral Games in 2017.
Visceral Games specialized in single-player titles like Dead Space, and at the time of its closure, many contributed to EA's decision to a perceived lack of interest in single-player AAA games among consumers. Although plenty of successful single-player games released since then disprove that notion, the fact remains that Visceral closed, and the Dead Space IP was seemingly brought to a closed. Now, EA seemingly intends to capitalize on Dead Space again, but without the help of the franchise's original developers. It's nice to have Dead Space back, but it's tragic to see EA work on it again only a few years after it disbanded the team that made Dead Space so great.
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Although they're not working on Dead Space's revival, Schofield and several other original Dead Space developers are working on the next best thing. The Callisto Protocol introduces galactic horror to the world of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. PUBG, a founding member of the battle royale genre, wants to develop lore beyond the original game, and it's doing that via a far-future story of alien encounters told in Callisto Protocol. Schofield and his team at Striking Distance Studios are clearly making use of Dead Space aesthetics in the new game, offering a spiritual successor to the acclaimed franchise that still makes use of the franchise's original talent.
What happened to Visceral Games was a real tragedy. The studio was clearly filled to the brim with talent, considering the caliber of the Dead Space core trilogy, and yet it got disbanded due to EA's financial priorities. It only seems right that Dead Space fans make a point of playing The Callisto Protocol in order to pay homage to Dead Space's creators. It's hard to imagine that the Dead Space revival will feel quite the same without Schofield and company working on it. The Callisto Protocol, meanwhile, seems extremely promising when it comes to offering the alien scares and gripping gameplay that made up Dead Space.
Dead Space Remake is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.