A new Dead Space is coming from EA Motive, but the brief trailer shown at EA Play makes it a bit unclear as to whether it’s a true Dead Space 4 sequel, a remake, or a remaster. Fortunately, there’s a definitive answer for this question, one that brings the possibility that EA will revitalize the fan-favorite horror series. Here’s what players can expect from the new Dead Space game.
Is Dead Space 4 coming, or is the new game a remake or reboot?
With what little information we have, it seems like the upcoming Dead Space game from EA Motive will be a remake of the original. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see much, but we know that it takes place on the USG Ishimura, and it appears that Issac Clarke’s motivation will remain the same. He’s come to the Ishimura with a repair crew to find his girlfriend Nicole, who was stationed aboard the massive mining ship. But, unfortunately, when he arrives, he finds a horrific disaster has befallen the vessel, and he must fight for his life against the alien Necromorphs.
The press release states that the game is being built from the ground up on the Frostbite Engine. The change in engines indicates it’s likely a complete remake as opposed to a remaster. Visceral Games made the original game on a weird amalgam of The Godfather’s engine with parts of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour engine and Havok physics thrown in for good measure. Given that the original developer was disbanded a few years ago, a remaster was likely impossible.
Having played the original version of Dead Space a few months ago, I can report that it holds up exceptionally well 12 years after its original launch. However, it’s finicky on modern PCs, and it’s one of those games where physics are tied to framerate, so things start getting wacky at 60fps and above. It also tends to get crashy when modified to crank the graphics up. Fortunately, with a remake, these issues should be fixed.
