The creative director of the new Dead Space remake reveals how EA Motive went about making a good remake. Remakes are quite common in this new generation of consoles, as now developers have the tools to create the game the way they wanted to without the limitations that affected them in generations past. However, for games that are already considered to be an exemplary title of the genre, such as the original Dead Space, it can be a daunting task before development even starts, a weight upon the shoulders of newer developers.
The original Dead Space, released in 2008, received critical acclaim by journalists when it came out, adding another fantastic survival horror game to the list dominated by giants such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil, the latter of which inspired Dead Space with Resident Evil 4. Dead Space was praised for its gameplay, atmosphere, and sound design, winning many awards. So when the remake of Dead Space was first announced, there was some doubt as to whether it would be able to live up to the qualities of the original. Thankfully, when it did release, it was also received with nearly the same critical acclaim as the original.
On a bonus episode of the game industry podcast Rise Above, the original Dead Space's creative director Bret Robbins, and the Dead Space Remake's creative director Roman Campos, had a wonderful conversation about the Remake and how it managed to recreate the same experience that people loved. One of the more prominent subjects talked about was Dead Space Remake's zero gravity gameplay, which Campos says, "In the pillar of being true to the original. The way we were defining it inside the team: it's not to necessarily recreate the original as it was, but recreate it as you think you remember it," which can relate to the development of the Remake in general.
Along with that, there are countless good moments in the podcast's conversations between Robbins and Campos. Some of these conversations include giving Isaac Clarke the ability to speak in the Remake, the original Dead Space's notorious Chapter 4 turret sequence, and the game's general scares, among many others. Near the end of the podcast, Robbins praises Campos and the EA Motive team, saying "I knew I'd be a fan, but I was nervous. I think the changes have made it better. You guys really did a great job."
There are so many decisions when it comes to game design, and for remakes, one of the biggest ones is what should be changed. It can never be easy to make a change to a game that is so beloved by many, as it's not guaranteed that people will like it in the end. Luckily, Dead Space Remake topped the sales charts, the changes made from the original resulting in an amazing game that not only lives up to the experience of the original but improved upon many of its mistakes, a fact backed by the original Dead Space's creative director himself.
Dead Space is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Rise Above