The launch of Dead Space back in 2008 marked a strong start for the then-brand-new IP, offering a survival-horror experience which introduced inventive mechanics in an immersive atmosphere. Unfortunately, by the time Dead Space 3 released in 2013, the series was reduced to a simple action-adventure shooter, stripping it of its uniqueness. Speaking on its failings, Dead Space 3’s writer has now revealed that EA mandated that “we weren't allowed to make a horror game from the beginning.”
In an interview on the CaptainBribo Podcast (and transcribed by PCGamesN), the writer and co-producer for Dead Space 3 – Chuck Beaver – spoke on the changes he would make to Dead Space 3 if given the chance, saying:
“Now in this [Dead Space] remake territory I would redo Dead Space 3 almost completely, but I would keep the lore beat it’s predicated on, keep the lore you find out, and I would have Ellie there but in a different relationship [with Isaac] and redo the entire main story.”
Unsurprisingly, it appears as though the genre-shift seen with Dead Space 3 did not come from the developers themselves, but was instead seemingly mandated by publisher EA, with Beaver stating:
“We weren’t allowed to make a horror game from the beginning…The plan [with Dead Space 3] was that we’d expand into other gameplay genres. All those bits together not only didn’t generate a new audience, they lost the old audience.”
With Dead Space now being revived in the form of the successful remake which released earlier this year, it will be interesting to see what changes are made with any and all future sequels. Hopefully the series sticks to its survival-horror roots.
KitGuru says: What did you think of the Dead Space trilogy? Would you like to see remakes of 2 and 3? What changes would need to be made? Let us know your thoughts down below.