Roman Campos-Oriola (the creative director) began the presentation of Dead Space Remake with a confession: with Dead Space 3 (2013), the series had finally moved away from this anxiety that one could feel when exploring the 'USG Ishimura, the theater of horrors faced by Isaac Clarke. To reconnect with the DNA of the license, the teams focused on three pillars which, according to them, defined the original game, starting with immersion. Roman Campos-Oriola insisted on the fact that Dead Space did not have a lot of cut scenes, the goal being that the player almost never let go of the controller. We understand better why the developers wanted to make the remake a sequence shot; that is to say that apart from the inevitable deaths, no cut or loading time will occur on the screen. Yes, it will be possible to go from one end of the ship to the other in one go. The last studio to set themselves this challenge was Santa Monica Studio with GOD OF WAR, and the result was sublime. We can already imagine what this could give in a horrific universe. On the other hand, where Dead Space Remake contrasts with its illustrious predecessor is that Isaac Clarke will be more talkative where EA Redwoord Shores – which later became Visceral Games – had decided that he would not even let go. a syllable. It will be interesting to see if the increased interaction with other characters will not detract from the unique atmosphere of Dead Space.
We understand better why the developers wanted to make the remake a sequence shot; that is to say that apart from the inevitable deaths, no cut or loading time will occur on the screen. Yes, it will be possible to go from one end of the ship to the other in one go.
If the Spencer Manor has marked the history of survival horror, the USG Ishimura does not have to be ashamed of the comparison. Its architecture makes it an imposing, labyrinthine and stressful vessel, the slightest narrow corridor making you fear the worst. Finally, the third pillar is none other than the mythical dismemberment which added a tactical dimension to the fighting. Instead of relying on the traditional headshot, Dead Space encouraged players to target members of Necromorphs to better weaken them. Thus, with one leg or arm missing, the creatures were no longer able to perform some of their attacks. It is obviously one of the iconic aspects of the saga which has been retained in the remake, and even sublimated. Indeed, the Peeling System has been introduced to accentuate the gory nature of the game. More concretely, each dismemberment will be an opportunity to see the skin and the flesh being shredded, and reveal the tendons and bones ready to be broken in two. . “It adds an extra degree of precision and depth to the fights, and therefore creates new gameplay opportunities and better synergy with weapons. “, according to our host. After fully understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Dead Space, EA Motive defined four priorities that guided it throughout the development of the game.
The first – and it seems obvious – was to remain faithful to the original work. “You are Isaac Clarke and are trapped in the USG Ishimura, explained the creative director. This is not a remaster but a real remake. “ Electronic Arts obliges, it is around the Frosbite that this “improved vision” of Dead Space was designed, knowing that the game will only be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC and PS5. The assets have been completely redone, the sound design completely reworked, and new narrative sequences have been added. On this subject, Roman Campos-Oriola underlined the fact that the new activities designed for Isaac Clarke would be part of the lore of the series, which will make it possible to learn more about the other characters. Unsurprisingly, the developers went to great lengths to make this remake as terrifying as the one sculpted by Glen Schofield, and fans are bound to remember the scene where the first Necromorphs go after the crew. A moment of great tension that seemed to leave the hero unmoved. We exaggerate a bit, but in his gestures, Isaac Clarke did not seem to panic. "Thanks to our ALIVE system, Isaac is more human than before," assured Roman Campos-Oriola. You will be able to hear his heartbeat as well as his breathing which will vary depending on his level of stress. This will allow you to immediately get an idea of his mental, emotional and physical state. »
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS
That's not all, since we are told that the monsters will be much less predictable thanks to the feature called Intensity Director. Clearly, the events that will take place under the eyes of Isaac Clarke will not be scripted; in any case, much less. After a failure, if we take the same passage, it is not said that the creature will burst into the same place or attack in the same way. Same for lighting, sound and various visual effects. This Intensity Director is undoubtedly one of the focal points of the game if the promise is kept. Since we haven't had the opportunity to get our hands on Dead Space Remake, it's hard to know if the "more creative gameplay" sold by the developers is really there. We've just been assured that Isaac will have to rely on the ship's various systems – such as gravity, for example – to navigate the different sectors. There is no doubt that new puzzles have been studied to surprise the followers of the first hour. Finally, as previously announced, from the beginning of the development of the game, EA Motive made the choice to include purists and to act in complete transparency with them, by soliciting them in particular at each of the key stages. And obviously, some of their remarks were taken into account without having any impact on the planning of the studio.
