Over the past few years, the definition of a “true remake” of a video game has massively changed. We’ve seen The Last of Us Part I release, which serves as Naughty Dog’s true vision of the title, although it didn’t particularly alter much aside from freeing itself from the shackles of 2013’s technology. Conversely, we’ve also seen Resident Evil 2‘s remake blow open the floodgates by changing quite a bit while retaining its core identity.
Dead Space was put on ice after the third entry sunk the franchise into the darkest corners of its space setting. The prospect of the remake excited many, yet it also raised the question of how much Motive Studio would change. For those who may fear the result, read on to find out five of the biggest changes the Dead Space Remake has over the original.
Biggest Dead Space Remake Differences Compared to the Original
1. Gunner Wright is Back
Starting with a freebie, if you haven’t heard the news or his voice, Isaac Clarke is fully voiced over in the remake, with Gunner Wright reprising his role as the engineer. For the unaware, in the original Dead Space, Isaac Clarke was a silent protagonist, which was hot and trendy back in 2008. Oddly enough, Isaac did have a voice actor to make noises such as grunts or to react to pain, but development team Visceral Games wouldn’t give him a full voice until Dead Space 2 in 2011.
It’s quite the change that may have been a cause for concern, as his lack of a voice really amplified his struggle aboard the Ishimura. However, rather than Clarke becoming a fountain of dialogue in the remake, Motive Studio carefully thought about his revamped voice as our hero cautiously picks and chooses his moments to speak.
Most of his dialogue is a reflection of his profession as an engineer, as characters will talk about ways to fix something, and he will chime in with his engineer jargon and potential solutions. It works well, especially as there was a fine line with giving a character a voice after they didn’t have one fifteen years ago. It does take some time to get used to, but Wright and Motive Studio nail this design choice.
2. Graphically Stunning
The Dead Space Remake has been remade from the ground up using EA’s Frostbite Engine after Visceral Games implemented an engine the studio created itself. Frostbite is EA’s flagship engine that has been in use for quite some time, and it does absolute wonders for the game if you couldn’t tell from media or through playing the game.
The original Dead Space did a fantastic job of creating a world that felt so real, despite being set somewhere in the far future. Traveling aboard the Ishimura was a treat, as players shuffle through the gigantic ship’s different sections, each boasting its own distinct identity. Motive Studio fully embraced the sci-fi nightmare that is the Ishimura, recreating areas from the original while leaving its own mark on the ship. It feels familiar, yet it also feels fresh.
Outside of the location, character models received a well-needed facelift, highlighted by Gunner Wright serving as the face model for Clarke. The Necromorphs are more nightmarishly gruesome than ever, with a new visual update that ramps up their grizzly appearance as you slice off bits and pieces of them in combat. It also helps that the remake runs exceptionally well, with a variety of graphical modes to boost the frame rate or take advantage of ray tracing for beautifully rendered shadows.
3. Remastering Audio
Aside from creating such a believable world all those years ago, Visceral Games also nailed the sound design in Dead Space. There was always a palpable sense of tension, as voices would whisper in your ears, and Necromorphs snarl from afar or hastily scurry through vents. It was horrifying, yet if you go back to play the first title, it hasn’t aged that well as many of the sounds boast a can-like tone.
As with the graphics, the remake’s audio design has been revamped. Not much of the sound has changed, as the wicked whispers pierce the air and your foes still audibly scurry through the Ishimura, but it is much cleaner. Isaac’s tools of the trade also received a boost to their audio, and while it was strange at first, each one sounds brilliant, especially as you unload into Necromorphs.
One new design that can’t be ignored is a feature players of Dead by Daylight may know of. As Isaac travels through the Ishimura, there will be moments that cause his heart rate to rise as fear starts to overcome him. It’s such a neat little nod that adds an extra layer of terror-inducing moments while Isaac faces the darkest depths of space.
Going off of the last two points, it may seem silly to point out the technical enhancements as the remake was expected to have them. However, highlighting them is imperative, as it creates an experience that feels as fresh and as scary as it did in 2008. Even if nothing else changed aside from the technical perspective, this would be the definitive way to experience Dead Space.
4. Gameplay Enhancements
A few years before Dead Space was first released, Capcom redefined survival-horror with the release of Resident Evil 4. It was a massive title bearing many implications on the genre, as it embodied the perfect theme of underpowering players as they tangle with mutated forces and monstrosities. Visceral Games took many cues from Resident Evil 4, yet the team opted to give players more tools to survive the Necromorphs — that being said, more didn’t always guarantee a victory.
From a gameplay perspective, Motive Studio’s remake of Dead Space is pretty faithful to the title that started it all. Players will still slink around the Ishimura, cautiously avoiding vents and shooting bodies that look dead, and participating in familiar tasks. However, what separates this entry from its original is that the new additions are smaller bite-sized changes that freshen up the journey.
Various sections have been completely reworked to be much more satisfying, such as the zero-G areas Isaac can now hover in. Some weapons have seen revamps to ditch the powerless nature they once had. The ship is entirely seamless, meaning the tram system no longer marks the end of the chapter, allowing players to travel freely between older and newer segments. That change alone is rather massive, as Motive Studio has thrown in various side quests to further flesh out the story, encouraging players to travel to the ship’s darkest corners.
Gone are the days of using power nodes to power up doors, and in their place are generators that’ll force players to think about how they want to proceed. Would you rather open a locked doorway in the dark to access a valuable stash of loot, or would you choose oxygen over lights? It’s clever and adds a nice change of pace instead of forcing players to sacrifice upgrades for story progression.
Again, the changes here aren’t massive in scope. Yet, there are just enough small tweaks to freshen up the core loop.
5. A Fresh Spin on the Same Story
Motive Studio, again, has proven to be quite faithful to how the story of Isaac Clarke plays out aboard the Ishimura. Expect to enter the ship the same way you did back in 2008, expect to experience the same opening sequence of madness, and to take care of business just like in the past iteration. However, much like the gameplay, the upgrades are smaller story bits to clean up loose ends.
Certain characters get expanded roles in this retelling, such as Dr. Elizabeth Cross now being fully voiced over. Others receive upgraded roles through reworked audio log sections, such as Isaac’s parents, making for a much more nuanced and cohesive story. Again, everything unfolds the same, but it’s much cleaner and made whole. There is an alternate ending for the hardcore gamers, although we won’t spoil how to get it.
It’ll be interesting to see what new ideas Motive has for Dead Space, provided the team gets the green light for a sequel. A recent interview with British GQ has made it clear that the team has some ideas for the future, and that brings just enough hope that we may see the fourth entry that was canned all those years ago.
Anything else we might’ve missed out on for the biggest changes in Dead Space Remake? Let us know in the comments below, and check out some of our other Dead Space content to make your trek through space slightly less spooky.
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