To many, the originalDead Spaceis a timeless video game with iconic immersion, intense gameplay, and graphics that still hold up to this day. The highly-anticipated remake is set to release in the first month of 2023 and is expected to be one of the year’s first big hits. Fans of the original have paid close attention to the development of the remake, with developer Motive Studios providing plenty of transparency to lay any doubts to rest. With less than a month remaining until players can get their hands onDead Space, diehard fans and first-time players have plenty of reasons to get excited.
As far as remakes and remasters go,Dead Spacelooks to be one of the most faithful remakes yet. Throughout the game’s development, Motive Studios has spent much of its time showcasing the underlying systems at play to enhance what made the original so memorable. Audio, atmosphere, gameplay, and graphics all look to have been closely examined and improved thanks to the Frostbite engine.
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The firstDead Spacewas released in 2008 and there were two direct sequels in 2011 and 2013, which fans felt progressively went further away from what made the original so great.Dead Space 2was well-received due to its detailed, horrific environments, but leaned more heavily into blockbuster action and added a forgotten multiplayer component.Dead Space 3included co-op, less horror, even more action, and was heavily criticized for its microtransactions that allowed players to pay real money for better weapons and faster crafting. Due to the trending decline, the first game is still considered by many fans to be the best in the series.
Even back in 2008,Dead Spacehad DLC that included weapons and suits that made the player deal more damage, increase weapon speed, and improve damage resistance. The remake will mark the firstDead Spacegame in over ten years, so it’s a totally new gaming environment and these types of monetary practices are heavily scrutinized. Plus, Motive Studios has faced this scrutiny more than most developers, asStar Wars Battlefront 2was at the center of one of the largest controversies in the industry, a game that it helped DICE develop.Because of this, many fans had worried whetherDead Spacewould fall victim to the same modern corporate practices that nickel and dime players.
In a somewhat surprising, yet welcome change of pace, Motive Studios has openly and consistently expressed there will be no microtransactions available in the remake. However, this likely also means there will be no story DLC or expansions to come in the future either, since the developers are alreadyexpanding uponDead Space’s lore and the story for the remake. Although there is always a chance that purchasable cosmetics could be added later, it is highly unlikely given the stance the developer has taken pre-release.
The only purchasable items known so far are the ones included in theDigital Deluxe and Collector’s Editionsof the game. The Digital Deluxe Edition costs $10 USD more than the Standard Edition at $79.99 and includes five cosmetics for the player’s suit. The Collector’s Edition costs substantially more at $274.99, but adds a ton of collectible goodies on top of the cosmetics, such as posters, a soundtrack CD, a 4" sculpture, and even a full-size wearable helmet.
TheDead Spaceremake has recently gone gold, so although there likely won’t be any further developer showcases or in-depth gameplay presentations before it releases, gamers can likely expect at least one final trailer closer to launch. With the level of hype and anticipation surrounding the remake, it’s expected that the game will sell well, especially given thegrowth in popularity of the survival horror genrein recent years.
Remakes and remasters have become increasingly prevalent over the past few years, with mixed levels of success. Still, ifDead Spacedoes a better job than its spiritual successor,The Callisto Protocol, then it is possible fans of the franchise could get to see theDead Spacesequels receive the remake treatmentas well. Whether there will ever be aDead Space 4is unclear, as though it is unlikely to happen any time soon, it is certainly not impossible. Regardless, gamers thankfully won’t have to wait much longer to step back into the boots of Isaac Clarke, as theDead Spaceremake releases in January.
Dead Spacewill release on Jun 03, 2025, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
