EA Motive has once again presented its Dead Space remake project, this time offering us a release date and new information on the return of this great classic of horror games.
[Mis à jour le 13 mai 2022 à 11h59] Whether you’re a fan of horror games or not, you’ve probably heard of Dead Space. Created in 2008 by the Visceral Games studio, since closed by Electronic Arts, this franchise marked the nights of thousands of players until the release of its last installment, Dead Space 3 in 2013. A particularly sinister and claustrophobic atmosphere in the silence total space vacuum, a dark story, an impressive artistic direction, this survival series was very quickly projected to the rank of classic despite a third part a little less appreciated. And many players have mourned its abandonment by EA in recent years. But the franchise is back, and it’s confirmed. EA Motive presented us this week with the progress of its remake project of the first Dead Space, even offering us a release date, or rather a ticket for a horrific journey, in the dark confines of the USG Ishimura.
It was therefore for an hour and a half that the EA Motive teams presented to us the progress of this remake of Dead Space, next-gen style. On the menu, discussions, concept art, some 3D models and above all a detailed dive into the sinister world of USG Ishimura. At the time alone, Dead Space had shocked us all with its realism and terrifying silence, and we will think twice before setting off again through the corridors of the ship infested with necromorphs, this time in a universe carried by the technical capabilities of next-gen consoles.
Moreover, when it comes to soundscape, Isaac Clarke will not be silent in this remake. We will find his official voice actor in Dead Space 2 and 3, Gunner Wright. A decision announced with fanfare and hailed by the many fans who obviously wanted the return of the original voice actor. More than a wink, it’s an ode to the original titles but also one more element that shows the desire of the EA Motive teams to respect the legacy of these legendary games. It is true that it is not always easy, in this kind of project, to bring innovations while preserving the essence of the original games. But Motive Studio seems to be on the right track.
If you don’t know the story of Dead Space, we will try to present it to you without spoiling you too much. The action takes place in 2508. The Earth can no longer meet the needs of its inhabitants, Humanity sets off in search of resources in the vastness of space, aboard immense mining vessels, the surface breakers. One of them, SG Ishimura, suddenly stops responding to communications. A small team of engineers is then sent on board to try to restore contact, and among them, Isaac Clarke, the character you play.
Confirming some rumors about a possible delay of the release of Dead Space to 2023, EA Motive has fixed the release at January 27, 2023. We will then celebrate the return of this great classic more than 14 years after its initial release, before quickly erasing the smile from our faces, once confronted with the horrors that await us in the great void of space.
For the moment, we know very little about this remake. We know that it will be developed by Motive, the studio behind Star Wars Squadrons, and that it will be based on the Frostbite Engine, the flagship of graphics engines (Battlefield 2042, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Star Wars Squadrons…) developed by DICE, and which has become EA’s choice par excellence . A remake that promises to be more realistic than ever and which risks haunting the nights of even the most seasoned players.
In an interview with IGN, Roman Campos-Oriola, the creative director behind this new project said that the Motive teams are basing their work on the original assets of Dead Space, while rebuilding them from scratch: “There is no question of increasing the resolution textures or adding new polygons to the models. It’s really about reconstructing all these elements, capturing the animations, et cetera…” It is true that there are two types of remakes today, from the simple graphic improvement (Skyward Sword HD, Age of Empires 2 HD) to total reconstruction (Resident Evil 2, Final Fantasy 7 Remake…) and it would seem that Dead Space is placed in the second category. Excellent news and an extremely welcome modernization for a game that had been a great success since its release, 13 years ago.
Although EA has revealed little information about this highly anticipated next release, we already know that it will be on next-gen consoles and on PC. A decision that seems logical if we take into account its probable release date. Indeed, if this title is released in 2022 or early 2023, it is very likely that next-gen consoles will dominate the market by then. It is true that the current situation of their stocks does not bode well, but if we are to believe some analysts, this permanent disruption of supplies should end during 2024.