Isaac Clarke finished his mission. At least, we were thinking so. EA has a bad habit: they close the subsidiary companies that are not profitable at that time. Electronic Arts company is one of the renowned media conglomerates in the world. So, they can allow these risks. The Visceral Games team gave us some great experience of horror with elements of gore and action. Ishimura’s corridors are one of the most atmospheric locations of the genre.
But this golden age of Dead Space ended about seven years ago. The third installment of the series was a box office bomb. This was the main reason for shutting down Visceral Games. But in 2021 EA brings us some hope about the future of the space engineer’s misfortunes. What do we want from the resurrected series? That’s simple:
- a solid and content atmosphere of fear and fragility. No hope at all, only your skills;
- various and original types of weapons, with a lot of modifications. The first part gave us some vending automatons. This formula is working well since the Bioshock;
- the main character is not invincible. The protagonist will hide and crawl a lot. This is the key to surviving.
Newsflash: the old title will live. The bad part is the content. We don’t know anything but some rumors. Though, skeptics have some heavy reasons for the quality of the new, refreshed version of the cult horror. The reputation of EA through last year is not crystal clear, at least. Their main products are sport conveyor games with lesser changes in gameplay. Some talented studios, like Bioware, are in heavy stagnation now. Maybe, the destiny of Dead Space will be luckier? Let’s see, what do we know precisely?
Rumors and perspectives
The first point is the name of the successor. Today we know that EA Motive will be in charge. This is a lesser division of the mothership company. The founder of Motive is Jade Raymond – one of the key names behind the Assassin’s Creed series. She worked on the first AC parts, which were fresh, dynamic, and pretty joyful. The lady knows a lot about good storytelling. Desmond Miles is still one of the strongest characters of Ubisoft.
The next take about the team is optimistic too. Eric Baptizat, another veteran of the Assassin’s Creed series, also is on board. Eric made a significant piece of design through the last 16 years. Also, he has an illustrious career in the computer Star Wars franchise. Baptizat initially was summoned for another project from a galaxy far, far away. But then game columnists revealed the truth about the Dead Space reboot by EA Motive.
The biggest issue with the studio is its portfolio. Let’s see:
- Star Wars: Battlefront II. The team made a story campaign. According to the acclaim of the gamers, it was more than mediocre;
- Anthem. A catastrophe for Bioware. EA Motive made a social hub only. Who needs social functions in the game with totally dead online arenas and completely broken balance?
- Star Wars: Squadrons. Space immersive simulator is like Elite: Dangerous, but not that complicated. At least, we have a decent game with a good astronaut’s environment.
As we can see, the team is learning pretty quickly. Its first project was launched in 2017. Now it can make some correct space simulators. Will it be enough for the revival of the cult franchise? Who knows. Some gambling places, providing free slot machine games without downloading, have had a rollercoaster of popularity. And now they are on top.
The roots and hopes
It is reported frequently that EA Motive will make a game with a heavy impact of Resident Evil. This could be a gold mine, but we have seen a lot of risks there also. The developers are not from Japan. And the eastern horrors (even in the American setting) are really complicated to follow or copy. Also, the core gameplay of original RE’s wasn’t a perfect example of the industry. Last HD remakes witness that old design solutions are not always the best way.
The good part is about horror and inevitability. Dead Space 3 was a massive fail because of the game pacing. Without a fragile protagonist and with a lot of guns, we don’t have the right feelings. This is not Dead Space, inspired by the classic Alien. This is Gears of War but with lesser effort and cheaper epic. Also, the personal Drama of Isaac Clarke almost vanished till the end of the trilogy.
A potential resurgence will bring us new effects and gore, no doubt. EA has a lot of funds. But can the small team make it properly? They have a group of good storytellers, and we are waiting for the secondary creation of talented people. The game engine will be standard, Frostbyte probably. EA has tons of assets, which makes the developing cycle much easier compared to its predecessors.
As game magazines say, the roots of the new game will be based on the first entrance, with some of the game mechanics from the following parts. Well, let’s wait and see what they are planning now. But when will the company launch the game materials? The media knows nothing but rumors, again. In July 2021, there will be a huge event: EA Play Live month. The announcement of a new Dead Space has been waiting for about the 22nd.