Dead Space is a classic survival horror game from way back in 2008. At the time, EA had to take a chance on this one, as horror wasn’t as prominent as it is today. Thankfully, the game was a hit and spun into a full-fledged series, one with a cult fanbase. The Dead Space series took a break after the third installment in the franchise as it took a low point in the horror community. The landscape for horror was changing, and the developers knew it.
Games such as Amnesia or Outlast were the next big thing in the horror world. This first-person view gave a new level of immersion to the players. Now, you are in the character’s shoes, running away from crazy monsters, hoping and praying they don’t catch you. However, as trends tend to do, over-the-shoulder, 3rd person-view horror is coming back. With the remakes of the original Resident Evil titles and the recently released The Callisto Protocol, the horror community has begun to swing the momentum back in that direction. EA Motive discussed with IGN how they plan to bring a new level of immersion to survival horror with their Dead Space remake.
The discussion between developers discusses vital points in what makes a good horror game/movie feel scary. A big note is lighting. Thanks to modern technology, the developers have new tools to create a darker and more detailed world than they did back in 2008. The iconic USG Ishimura ship has been recreated so players can explore the entire ship from front to back. This level of immersion brings players out from loading screens and disbands the feeling of going from mission to mission like a checklist. You can explore, travel, and see the ship in all its glory and backtrack when needed. The new lighting mechanics for the developers manage to let them play with how dark they want the rooms to be and even play around with fog, which monsters can run and hide in.
Another feature the developers have implemented in the new remake is this new Intensity Director; to be precise, it’s an AI spawner. However, the developers note that this is more than just an AI scare spawner, as they have programmed over 400 random occurrences into the program, which will shoot out randomly at the player. This Intesity Director has been programmed to keep players on an intensity horror curve. When you’re exploring the ship or circling back from a mission, the AI will give random scares that the developers have not explicitly scripted. This uneasy tension as you walk through will vary from player to player, bringing a ton of different scenarios and making each feel unique. Creaking ship noises, lights flickering, lights exploding, and so much more will keep players on their toes as there won’t be too much downtime with no scares in between.
Check out the full IGN First discussing the re-imaging of Dead Space in modern-time down below:
The Dead Space remake seems more than just a remaster of a classic title. Fans of the original title and newcomers alike are in for a treat with this one. And as big as horror is right now, there is no way this game isn’t a smash hit within the gaming community in a month. Dead Space has received a ton of news, trailers, and details as we approach its release date. For those who want to catch up even more on the upcoming horror game, check out our dedicated page right here!
Dead Space remake is set to release on January 27, 2023, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms. Are you excited about the upcoming remake? Let us know in the comments below!
