EA's Dead Space is a hot topic among gamers recently, as the series' unexpected return made waves in the horror game community. The first two Dead Space games are highly regarded as modern classics, and still enjoy a large fan following today.
Dead Space is a critically acclaimed survival-horror series set in a science fiction universe. EA recently announced a remake of the first Dead Space in the style of Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake, and fans of both games are pointing out some critical differences that may give horror fans pause.
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With the ten-year anniversary of Dead Space 2 not long ago and Dead Space 3 passing eight years since release, it is safe to say that the series has been around for a relatively long time. However, some fans are questioning whether a remake is the best approach to reviving the series, citing Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake as an example to compare and contrast against. One fan points out the dated controls and visuals of the original Resident Evil 2 as valid reasons for a remake, and calls into question whether games that came out much later like Dead Space and The Last Of Us should be treated the same.
EA's decision to revive Dead Space is an interesting one given the series' history. After the original Dead Space's success, EA wanted to ensure the sequel would reach a wider audience, with Dead Space 2 given a massive budget and a more action-oriented focus. After Dead Space 2's critical success, Dead Space 3 changed the series significantly, adding microtransactions and multiplayer with the consequence of dividing the fanbase. Ultimately, this led to low sales and the tragic shutdown of development studio Visceral Games.
The inter-community debate between the Dead Space and Resident Evil fanbases is bringing about interesting and important discussions about both horror game series, and about the nature of remakes in general. The general consensus appears to be that Dead Space has aged very well, and as of right now it is unclear how much the remake can provide besides vague story changes. Still, players will surely welcome the Dead Space remake's lack of loading screens.
The Dead Space series is tense and terrifying, with implementation of immersive horror elements consistently praised in the first two games' rave reviews. The direction the remake will take is still relatively unclear, but the fact that the fan discussions around it range from excitement for a new game to discussions of what deserves a remake are undeniably intriguing.
Dead Space Remake is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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