Summary
Dead Space’s unrelenting atmosphere combined with a twisting and heartbreaking narrative made for one of the best horror games of the generation. However, by the time of 2013’s third entry, changes in design and tone left a sour note that ended up harming the series overall. That was until last year’sDead Spaceremake proved that it was possible to update the original for the better in various areas, particularly in its expanded story moments and characterizations, but also in gameplay improvements, all while not straying too far from its roots and all-important sense of constant tension.
With this achievement and the positive reception and sales performance that went along with it, there’s hype and excitement aroundDead Space 2possibly getting the remake treatment. Though much different in genre,Final Fantasy 7’sRemakeand recentRebirthcould provide excellent blueprints for how aDead Space 2remake might work if EA Motive decides to move forward with one, which could ultimately positively affect a possibleDead Space 3remake far into the future.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth Throw Narrative Curveballs
Final Fantasy 7is one of the most beloved and iconic titles in gaming, with the 1997 original being regarded as a landmark release, often pointed to as the pinnacle of the franchise. When it came time for theFF7Remakein 2020, there were hints laid leading up to it that it would be making some big alterations to the existing storyline.
FF7 Rebirthcontinues in this vein, subverting player expectations and providing a completely new experience in many ways, adhering to the true definition of “rebirth.” The wayFF7 RemakeandRebirthreshuffled and reimagined known and expected plot pointswas a big gamble, and yet it largely seems to have paid off. EA Motive, then, should take this as evidence that making similar, well-thought-out changes in a potentialDead Space 2remake could pay off equally well in the long run.
ADead Space 2remakefollowingFinal Fantasy 7Rebirth’s pathcould potentially set up an entirely different third game, which is sorely needed. Most notably, its switch to action-heavy design and early iterations of microtransactions in a non-live-service game (which itself was in its initial stages of evolution) blemished the experience.Dead Space 3also included a co-op campaign, and while an interesting idea, none of these items gelled particularly well with the series' previous horror elements and claustrophobic undercurrent.
Now thattheDead Spaceremake has revitalized the series, it presents EA Motive with the opportunity to rectify some of the franchise’s prior shortcomings in the future. One way of doing so would be to consider taking a look at howFF7 Remake/Rebirthmanaged its approach to story and other changes and imparting some of them to a remake ofDead Space 2’s story and certain events, which would in turn inform the direction of a possibly reworkedDead Space 3afterward.
By bridging the gap and diverging from established aspects in this fashion,Dead Spacecould begin its own rebirth and lead to completely new and improved modern entries.
