Today, Dead Space fans were treated to a first look at gameplay from the upcoming remake of the 2007 original. As part of an hour-long stream from developer Motive Studios, we got a glimpse of how the game’s development is going. This mainly focused on showing off early builds and concept art, with footage of the very early development stages. Of course though, Dead Space is a horror franchise – so there’s plenty of blood and guts.
The Dead Space Remake Is Doing Gore Like Nobody Else
Yes, it seems like Dead Space’s leap to next-gen consoles will also see a vast improvement in graphical fidelity and visual gore. While there isn’t any out-and-out final build gameplay in the stream, the developers from Motive do go in detail about how gore works. Now, the gruesome Necromorph enemies are much more detailed, rather than the single-layered monsters in the original trilogy. There are multiple layers to their design and function. As such, a shot from a laser cutter can dig into what lurks beneath their skin.
This is best demonstrated as the developers use a mapping tool to show the layers of tissue, skin and bone within the Necromorph. Different parts of their bodies will react differently to trauma, too. For example, the jaw of a Necromorph can be totally severed off, while a headshot will reveal the bony skull beneath. There’s also very detailed texture on their ribcages, meaning body shots might lead to an explosion of blood and guts.
The gameplay that is in the trailer isn’t the finished product, but it certainly is impressive. The graphics are unsurprisingly overhauled, with a particular focus on lighting and smoke effects. The biggest change is in dialogue though. The protagonist Isaac will speak this time around – something he didn’t do in the original. Rather than flat-out dialogue, Motive have two playful rules. He’ll only speak when spoken to, and if it would be awkward if he remained totally silent.
Dead Space will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2022.
