This remake is seemingly faithful to the original game, but EA Motive expands upon the horror that fans will remember. From a visual standpoint the upscaling is evident, with new lighting technology and graphical fidelity that is a clear improvement over the original Dead Space. Isaac Clarke is modernized as well, with actual voice lines and an elaborate ALIVE system. However, one of the remake’s most intriguing additions is how it lets players choose certain challenges.
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Choices Have Gameplay Consequences in the Dead Space Remake
The Dead Space remake’s extended gameplay walkthrough introduces players to a new choice mechanic they will have to interact with. For example, in a fuel management room, players must interact with a circuit breaker and decide which power supplies they will cut in order to reassign power elsewhere. Power could be cut from life support, for example, which means Isaac begins swiftly losing oxygen and has to use air canisters.
This extended gameplay also demonstrates the option of keeping life support powered on, but cutting the lights. This choice means players will not need to worry about their oxygen depleting, but they are now at the mercy of the Ishimura’s pitch-black corridors. This particular incident is hopefully just one of many choices that players will be able to make. Having the choice between different impediments is an idea that can also upend expectations that fans of the original game will undoubtedly have.
It will be interesting to see how detrimental these choices can be in the Dead Space remake, such as letting players choose a difficult path through the whole game if they desire it. Likewise, the game’s proposed Intensity Director should take advantage of the situations players put themselves in and surprise them accordingly with new threats they may not have expected.
The Dead Space Remake’s Interconnected Ship May Introduce Nonlinearity
The idea that the Dead Space remake will have no loading screens, a one-shot third-person camera like God of War (2018), and an interconnected USG Ishimura is great. These are substantial changes that will surely have a huge effect on how the game plays, especially if EA Motive gives players a reason to backtrack, or if its choice mechanic is implemented frequently. Choices are not intended to be offered in every circumstance, but as seen in the extended gameplay walkthrough, they could break up linearity a lot.
If nothing else, allowing players to strategically decide what challenges they want to face gives the remake more legitimacy as a remake, featuring gameplay improvements that actually alter the familiar title’s events. There are many other surprises the Dead Space remake may have in store, but the improvements and additions shown so far are proof that EA Motive is passionate about delivering a faithful, yet contemporary Dead Space experience.
The Dead Space remake will release on January 27, 2023, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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