Dead Space 4 Needs to Redefine the Series Before We Get Another Remake
Isaac deserves better.
The original Dead Space was already a survival horror standout, but the ambitious remake easily cements its place among the genre’s best. EA Motive brought meaningful changes and gameplay additions that make the experience more vibrant than ever, on top of a gorgeous coat of paint that only heightens the horrific atmosphere. So what’s next for the series?
While a new survey from EA asks fans if they’d be down for remakes of Dead Space 2 and 3, it’d be a far better idea to let EA Motive flex its muscles with a brand-new entry.
Before the Dead Space remake it’d been a whopping ten years since the last entry in the franchise. Ten years is a lot of time for the game industry to change, which is why EA Motive made a host of changes to the first game, like no loading screens, optional objectives, and deeper storytelling. But many of those quality-of-life features are already present in Dead Space 2.
While Dead Space 2 may feel aged in terms of visuals, many of the gameplay enhancements brought to the remake were first introduced with the sequel.
Dead Space 2 was one of those nearly perfect sequels that improved on everything from the first game; introducing full Zero-G movement, tighter gameplay, and a deeper narrative, on top of giving Isaac a voice. The catch here is that Dead Space 2 simply doesn’t need the updates the original did, and it’s hard to even imagine how you might “improve” it to begin with.
With that in mind, it’d be far more effective to put EA Motive on a brand-new entry in the franchise, one that finally follows up on the lingering questions left by the ending of Dead Space 3. It’s clear that the studio knows what makes a Dead Space game tick, and it’d be fascinating to see what it could do with a clean slate.
All of this isn’t to say Dead Space 2 and 3 should be left in the dust, but the better idea here is to simply re-release the game on modern platforms with updated visuals, not built from the ground up like the remake, but just given a bit of polish. This would retain the original vision of the series, while EA Motive can branch off with its own ideas.
A new Dead Space game could put a fascinating twist on the series by casting Isaac as a villain, held in the thrall of the Marker.
While a new game could follow up on the cliffhanger of Dead Space 3, perhaps the better option lies in the alternate ending of the remake. This new ending sees a disturbingly cheerful Isaac aboard the escape shuttle talking to the hallucination of Nicole.
As Nicole asks “Are we going home?” Isaac gleefully responds, “Soon, I’ve gotta build a little something first.”
This ending suggests that Isaac is under the influence of the Marker, and plans to build an entirely new Marker, potentially on Earth. If a new game follows up on this ending, we could potentially see Isaac as the villain, trying to spread the Marker’s influence to all of humanity. This gives EA Motive the perfect chance to introduce a new protagonist, or put an interesting new spin on one of the franchise’s major characters, Ellie Langford, who’s first introduced in Dead Space 2.
Metroid Dread is a prime example of how a new developer can reinvigorate a franchise, and Motive could do the same thing with Dead Space.
For an example of why Motive should simply move on to a new game, you need only look at another iconic sci-fi horror series, Metroid. The studio MercurySteam came onto the franchise with Samus Returns, a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, which received solid reviews and reception. From there MercurySteam took what it had learned to make Metroid Dread, which almost immediately became the best-selling game in the entire franchise.
Metroid Dread is a prime example of how a developer that clearly loves a property can bring its own unique spin and flourish. While EA could certainly spend time remaking the previous Dead Space games, it’d be a real pity to not let the talented team at Motive run wild.
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