EA Motive took to Twitch earlier today to talk about the ongoing development of the Dead Space remake. While the game is still super early in development, the team had a lot to talk about today when it came to what they hope to keep the same, what they hope to expand upon, and what they hope to introduce to the franchise.
We were given a brief look at some of the graphical improvements the team is making in the remake. We were also given a little look at some of the combat physics, their new "Peeling" system for showcasing body damage, and we even learned that Gunner Wright is returning to voice Isaac Clarke. Yes, Isaac will talk in this remake while he was near totally mute in the original release, but it shouldn't be too jarring. More on that in a bit.
First up, it's important to note that everything that was discussed and shown off today centers around a very early stage of game development. Things can and will change. Things can and will improve beyond what was shown off.
The Dead Space remake is already looking visually impressive when compared to its source material. There will be more details in familiar areas such as better textures, better lighting, improved world geometry, better character models, and more. We were given a comparison shot of Isaac walking through a hallway, with the top half showing what it looks like in the original release and the bottom half being what that same scene looks like in the remake.
The big gameplay mechanic from the series is the fact that in order to kill the Necromorphs, you need to dismember them. That is obviously making a comeback in this remake. However, EA Motive is adding in another layer of destruction to the mix. They're implementing a system that they're called "Peeling" that will find Isaac shooting the flesh off of his foes, exposing their bones and guts depending on where you hit them.
The bits that get exposed by shots are highly dependent on what type of weapon you're using, the angle of attack, and the power of the shot itself. You can shoot an arm to reveal the bone beneath or their head to reveal an exposed skull section. Some weapons, like the trusty Plasma Cutter, will be better for outright removing limbs while others do more of this "Peeling" damage.
In the first Dead Space, Isaac was largely mute save for some random grunts and yells. He didn't really have a lot to say about his situation until Dead Space 2. EA Motive is going to change things up just a bit when it comes to this. First, they have Isaac's original voice actor, Gunner Wright, returning to voice Isaac in this remake.
Secondly, EA Motive has a couple of hard rules when it comes to Isaac suddenly finding his voice. He won't be a chatty Cathy. Instead, Isaac will only speak when spoken to. In other, more rare instances, Isaac will only speak "in a situation where it would feel weird if he remained silent."
In an effort to expand upon the original gameplay while still remaining true to the original franchise, EA Motive will be making slight adjustments to gameplay here and there. For instance, the studio says they are improving the physics and movement in zero gravity. Being able to use thrusters and move about freely in zero-g wasn't added until Dead Space 2 (remember that the original just had you doing zero-g leaps where you aimed). However, EA Motive are adding this gameplay feature in to this remake. This is allowing EA Motive to make add in some additional pathways to explore in what are otherwise very familiar locations.
Finally, EA Motive flat out confirmed that there will be no microtransactions in the Dead Space remake.
There is no release date set for the Dead Space remake just yet. It's still very early in development so I wouldn't expect to see it any time soon. When it does get released, it will be available for the PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
