“Our partnership with Marvel remains strong and our multi-title, long-term collaboration continues,” said Miele in a statement.

Another statement by a spokesperson for Marvel also reiterated the same idea, saying that both companies remain dedicated to their collaboration to make original games based on Marvel’s various IPs.

“The multi-title, long-term relationship between Marvel Games and EA, a creative collaboration focused on original storytelling with various, beloved Marvel characters, remains strong,” said Marvel’s spokesperson. “Development of our console and PC titles, beginning with Marvel’s Iron Man, is led by Motive Studios.”

The cancellation of Black Panther, long with the closure of the studio working on it – Cliffhanger Games – was discovered earlier this week. “These decisions are hard. They affect people we’ve worked with, learned from, and shared real moments with,” said Miele in an email to employees announcing the cancellation and studio closure. “We’re doing everything we can to support them – including finding opportunities within EA, where we’ve had success helping people land in new roles.”

The Black Panther game was not the only Marvel game officially confirmed by EA. The company has also been working on a game based on Iron Man. However, we haven’t yet heard much in the way of details about this Iron Man game, aside from the fact that it is being developed by EA Motive, and that, earlier this month, the studio was looking to hire a level designer.

“Since [Dead Space’s launch], our focus has switched to the Iron Man project, giving us the opportunity to work (and play!) with another extraordinary property,” wrote Klaus when announcing that the studio had hit a major milestone in the development of the Iron Man game. “We’re still early in pre-production and taking our time to make sure we set the best possible foundation for development. But already, we’re finding so many opportunities to explore story, design and gameplay with Iron Man, and it’s exciting to see the fantasy start coming alive.”

According to a 2022 report by Bloomberg, Iron Man was slated to be the first of the games that would be part of the multi-game deal signed between EA and Marvel. It is quite likely that the canceled Black Panther project would have been the second game, and an unknown third-title might still be in development. It is also possible that EA has decided to replace the Black Panther game’s spot in the deal with a new project internally. However, no announcements about this have been made.

For more on EA’s recent cancellation of Black Panther, check out the thoughts of some of its developers, as well as our own thoughts on what could have gone wrong with the project.

The test will also be invite-only, with players that have signed up for Battlefield Labs getting RSVP emails confirming that they have been selected.

“Our primary focus for this test will be to verify server performance and stability with increased player counts throughout a full weekend,” wrote the company. “During this time we will have a select group of maps and modes available for play. The server performance test will conclude in all regions after 72 hours, upon which game access for participants will be revoked.”

Invitations for the test are scheduled to start rolling out in a gradual manner on May 23, 10 AM CEST. More players will be gradually let into the playtest in order to further stress test the servers. Players that are part of the playtest will also be prevented from discussing the game due to an NDA agreement that has to be signed before getting access.

EA had revealed that it would be bringing in more players from different regions into Battlefield Labs playtests earlier this month. The company had also written about the progress that had been made to the upcoming Battlefield game thanks to the playtests it had begun hosting earlier this year. Players across North America and Europe have already contributed by having played early builds of the multiplayer shooter for thousands of hours, which included “hundreds of thousands of player spawns”, and “over a million environmental objects destroyed.”

“Exploring new ideas for the future and receiving direct player feedback continues to be a crucial aspect of the Battlefield Labs process,” wrote the company. “Even if some ideas never reach release, it helps us understand and refine elements that resonate most with players as we continue to build Battlefield together. It’s been a valuable and exciting experience for our team and community so far, and we’re looking forward to continuing that collaboration alongside you!”

During an earnings call earlier this month, EA CEO Andrew Wilson had referred to the ongoing Battlefield Labs playtests as being successful, calling it “the biggest playtesting initiative in franchise history. Wilson also revealed that the poor reception of Battlefield 2042 led to the company looking to more player feedback through various playtests.

“We’ve always worked closely with the community, but we haven’t always worked as closely as we should have,” said Wilson. “We haven’t always really worked to help them understand the things that we’re building and for us to understand the things that they really want out of a Battlefield. We know that when we get it right, Battlefield is a giant franchise and often the biggest shooter in the year.”

Wilson has also expressed optimism about releasing Battlefield 6 later this year in light of Grand Theft Auto 6 getting delayed to May 26, 2026. The shooter doesn’t yet have a concrete release date, however.

How Isaac Clark Gradually Catches His Breath

Much like the original, Dead Space remake features sections where Isaac must hold his breath for a while before catching it back when you come out through the other side. When Isaac is short on breath upon entering a safe zone, you will notice that he gradually fills his air with lungs. The animation starts with rapid breathing followed by regular breaths once he attains a sense of normalcy, and while this doesn’t affect gameplay in any meaningful way it certainly adds a touch of realism to this excellent gameplay and the protagonist.

Creepy Dolls Will Scream When You Hit Them

During your adventures in the USG Ishimura, you will come across weird baby dolls at several points during the adventure. You might be mistaken to think of them as just set dressing for a level, but they are much more than that. If you hit a doll, you will hear creepy screaming voices as they flail around the environment. You can shoot them with your guns, push them with a melee strike, or throw them with your kinesis and they will make the same noise that’s sure to catch you off guard if you are not aware.

Chapter Names Contain An Acronym

While this was something that existed within the original version of the game as well, it’s a fun little detail regardless. The chapter names in Dead Space look pretty unassuming at first glance, but if you look at them closely they actually contain an acronym that foreshadows the grand revelation of the story. So if you put together the first letters of the chapter names in order, it reads (spoiler alert) “NICOLE IS DEAD”.

Gunshots Push Back Against Fog

Dead Space remake makes generous use of thick volumetric fog to instill a sense of horror within the player. There will be plenty of times when you might just be able to make out a Necromorph hiding behind a wall of fog, and instantly put yourself on high alert. But what you might not notice about the fog is that it reacts to gunshots as well, so if you fire off a bullet in the fog – the bullets will push back against the wall in a straight line before hitting the target. It’s a tiny detail, but it’s these kinds of things that really contribute to the impressive presentation of the game.

Necromorphs Will Vary According To The Areas

As you might already know, Necromorphs come in different shapes and sizes. And while there are different types of these creatures like Brutes and Slashers, you are also going to find some variety between each type of creature depending on the areas where you find them. So Necromorphs on the mining deck might have armor attached to their body which makes killing them noticeably harder, while this isn’t the case with the same creatures found on other parts of the ship.

Twitchers Can Be Stopped By Hitting The Stasis Module On Their Body

Players would most likely have come across Twitchers during their playthrough, which is a specific breed of Necromorphs that can traverse large distances pretty quickly. You might also have noticed a glowing stasis module on this enemy’s body as well, and while hitting it can be pretty challenging due to its speed. But if you do manage to perform that feat, you will unleash a stasis blast which will not only kill the enemy instantly but will freeze any nearby enemies caught within a short radius. Dedicated players can use this as a high level combat strategy, but it will require a lot of practice and effort.

Entering Vacuum Sucks Nearby Objects Into Space

Dead Space remake features plenty of areas filled with vacuum, and when you enter any such area any nearby objects will be sucked into the endless void with great force. Sure, it doesn’t affect gameplay but it is a neat little detail that showcases the attention to detail the environment artists and level designers over at EA Motive have put in the remake.

Stomping on Enemies Raises Isaac’s Adrenaline Levels

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Dead Space does a fabulous job of depicting Isaac’s frenzied mental condition and heightened senses through its new A.L.I.V.E. system. Isaac’s adrenaline levels and breathing alter depending on your actions in the game, and if you stomp on a fallen Necromorph his adrenaline levels will immediately strike to reflect his feelings of rage and fear.

Using Melee Strikes To Break Fuse Cables For Doors

Players are going to find many locked doors in Dead Space, and many of those require shooting at exposed cables to open them. One’s natural instinct would suggest shooting at those cables, and that works. But did you know that you could save up on precious ammo by resorting to a melee strike or throwing an object with your telekinetic abilities, and it works just as well? Well, now you know.

Standing Too Close To The Marker Mind Blurs Your Vision

Those familiar with the Dead Space lore would know that the Markers can be dangerous objects that use telepathic signals to communicate with one’s mind. And if you get too close to the Marker in the real game, the camera starts to blur out to signify the effect of this alien object on Isaac’s mind.

Dead Space Remake 2 Tease

Teasing future games through easter eggs has been a trend in gaming for some time now, and it seems that EA Motive is teasing a Dead Space 2 remake with a new collectible text log in the game. You can find this specific text log in New Game+, which details a conversation between two characters about employment opportunities at the Sprawl on Titan. This massive space station serves as the backdrop for Dead Space 2, so it’s pretty likely that a remake of the second game could be in the works. That said, it’s advisable to keep your expectations in check since EA Motive hasn’t confirmed anything at the moment.

Empty Cartridges Float In Zero G

If Isaac reloads his weapon during a zero-g section, the empty cartridge wouldn’t obviously fall down but keep floating in space. It’s yet another one of those little but significant instances of immaculate attention to detail that culminates to make this remake one hell of a game.

An Alternate Ending

One of the best new additions in the Dead Space remake is an alternate ending for the story, but unlocking it requires some hard work on your behalf. After beating the game at least once on a difficulty of your choice, you will have to jump into a new game plus and complete the campaign while collecting all 12 of Marker fragments scattered across the ship. Once you do that and roll credits, you will be greeted to an alternate ending where we see Isaac Clark heavily influenced by the Marker signal. He seems to be talking to his dead girlfriend, and he says that he needs to build something before they can return home.

New Armor In New Game+

Dead Space allows players to upgrade Isaac’s armor, and the max level for the same caps out at level 5 on your first playthrough. Those who jump into new game plus will unlock a cool new RIG schematic in the shop, but purchasing this would require a hefty sum of 99,000 credits so you will have to save up a good chunk of your money for this item. In addition to looking really cool and fresh with its black and white design, this armor also provides 30% extra protection against damage from enemies – so it’s a pretty useful purchase when you think about it.

As with the original, Dead Space stars Isaac Clarke, an engineer who travels to the USG Ishimura with his crew on a routine mission. Finding the crew dead, his girlfriend Nicole missing and terrifying Necromorphs on the loose, Isaac must do everything possible to survive. There’s also the effect of the Marker, a mysterious object that is affecting his sanity.

The Dead Space remake is rebuilt on Frostbite with no load screens or camera cuts. New rooms and routes have been added, while the Intensity Director features random events to keep you on your toes. Gunner Wright, who voices Isaac in Dead Space 2 and 3, also returns to bring the character to life. If that weren’t enough, there’s New Game Plus with a new ending to unlock.

Game Engine

The original Dead Space released in 2008 to rave reviews, and judging by the graphical standards of the time. It was one of the most atmospheric and technically competent games on the market. But the most surprising thing about it is the fact that it was made using a highly modified version of the Tiger Woods Engine which would then go on to be used for Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3.

Now though, EA has switched over to its in-house Frostbite Engine for most of its projects. So, it’s not surprising that the remake is also being powered by this engine. It’s a really powerful engine capable of rendering immaculately detailed worlds as seen in Need For Speed, but it’s also notorious for its complexity of usage in certain scenarios as well.

Dead Space is a rather unique ground for this specific engine, since Frostbite hasn’t been used for a linear game of this ilk in a long time. And this presents some interesting opportunities for the developers, since they can focus on maximizing the micro-level detail in the environments without having to worry about streaming issues and scale. The developers can also rely on pre-calculated lighting data for many light sources, which should also help in saving compute resources for other tasks.

Assets And Level Design

In an interview with IGN, the developers behind Dead Space detailed how they remade assets for this project. Since the original’s assets are so deeply rooted in seventh-generation console traditions, it was absolutely vital to rebuild them from scratch for current-gen machines. EA Motive was able to get a hold of all development prototypes for the original release, and the team used the best editions of that data to make changes to the original assets. So if a particular design in the original release was scrapped due to technological constraints of the hardware, those assets were rebuilt in all their glory this time around and that’s evident all around from Isaac’s armor designs to subtle changes in textures of corridor walls, just to name a few.

Level design also follows a similar philosophy, but because changing the designs would require a lot of rebalancing on the gameplay alongside other issues. The level geometry itself has remained mostly identical in the remake. But we do get to see better realized environments in the remake, complete with new props and set dressing that wasn’t present in the original release.

Lighting, Animations, and Atmosphere

When you view the original Dead Space release through the rose-tinted goggles of nostalgia, it becomes easy to forget the many flaws in its lighting department. Sure, it was scary for its time but that presentation looks really bland by modern standards. The lighting looks flat most of the time, and the anti-aliasing pass on the presentation can also cause shimmering artifacts around the edges.

For the remake however, we get a new lighting implementation, complete with all the modern tech that one would want for a current-gen release. EA Motive has already confirmed that Dead Space remake will feature ray-traced lighting and reflections, and suffice to say, it looks absolutely gorgeous with pristine reflections and lifelike lighting conditions through and through. Just a head-to-head comparison between the two versions of the game is all that’s needed to verify it.

As for the animations, the original featured rather heavy movement animations which was a direct result of the influence of other horror games of that era on the design of the game. You had to be really methodical with your movements since that could easily become the difference between life and death. Combine that with the nimble Necromorphs, and you get the brutal combat system that we all grew to love so dearly. The remake seems to be using identical animation data, but the actual movements seem to have been smoothed out a bit though that doesn’t seem to be that big of a change in the grand scheme of things.

Pitting the original Dead Space and its remake head to head, you can immediately notice how big of a leap EA Motive has made in terms of atmosphere. For instance, the original used a lot of fog to mask certain areas which was seemingly implemented by attaching a fog texture to a transparent plane which looks pretty rudimentary by modern standards. The remake changes it up with volumetric fog which looks dense and realistic. As mentioned previously as well, the changes in asset quality with respect to the environment assets also really make a ton of difference. These updated corridors of the USG Ishimura look more believable than before while retaining the same ominous vibe as before.

The Peeling System, Intensity Director and Changes To Sound

Dead Space remake is also introducing a new Peeling system, which basically simulates the impact of your shots on Necromorphs and this is meant to serve as an extension to the Dismemberment system. Enemies will basically have layers of flesh, tendons, and bones that will break with every fired shot. So, while it would usually take a couple of shots to dismember an enemy’s limb in the original, players will have to fire off more focused shots to expose the inner layers after which the limbs will come off. This makes the combat in the remake more brutal than before, which sounds really promising. In addition to this, you will also be able to use the severed limbs to attack back on enemies which could prove vital when you are short on ammo or resources.

On the same note, we should also mention the changes in the sound department. Unlike the original, protagonist Isaac Clark is now fully voiced and is being played by Gunner Wright who has previously voiced the character in Dead Space 2 and 3. Finally, a new Intensity Director system will also monitor intensity levels for the player and its judgment will govern the hazards that you will face throughout your journey. For instance, an enemy could jump out from an unlikely spot to scare you, or perhaps the lights may suddenly go off in a room, or a pipe may burst out of nowhere to catch you by surprise. According to the developer, this system can turn its dials to generate over 1200 unique events. So, you can expect to have a dynamic experience as you trudge through the corridors of USG Ishimura for the umpteenth time.

Over on the sound department, EA Motive is also bringing some substantial changes to sound effects for the remake. Weapon sounds have been recreated with punchier tones as per fan feedback, and sounds of guns like the Plasma Cutter and Pulse Rifles have been redone to give them the weight and intensity that they deserve. Isaac will also reflect any increased levels of stress with altered speech and heavy breathing as an extension of the Intensity System. Sure, this change doesn’t directly impact the gameplay in any meaningful way but it should help players feel a lot closer to the protagonist than before.

Also, Unlike the original Dead Space where the map was sectioned off by loading screens, the remake will be one contiguous experience from start to end. This means that there are no loading screens, and you will be able to get through the campaign in a seamless manner.

In conclusion, Dead Space is a faithful recreation of this iconic horror classic. While it mostly sticks close to the original script in terms of design, it still remains a horrifying experience to this date and new features like the Intensity Director and Peeling System just add so much more to this experience. Here’s hoping Dead Space returns soon with a new entry, or perhaps we can now hope for a Dead Space 2 remake?

Death Stranding 2 – Working Title

Kojima Productions’ took a huge risk with Death Stranding – a game that veered away from open-world and action-adventure stereotypes to create something that was totally different from the crowd. Sure, it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea – but it certainly managed to garner a dedicated fanbase that warranted a sequel. After a healthy round of rumours from multiple sources and hints from Kojima-san himself, Death Stranding 2 has finally been announced at the recent The Game Awards. 

The trailer stars Fragile as she makes her way out of a safehouse with a baby in hand, and we see new vehicles like a unicycle in this segment as well. Then, we cut back to the present and we see an older Sam being convinced by Fragile to take another arduous journey with her. Sure, the details are scant at the moment – and we can’t wait to know more about the sequel and see the changes in action.

Grand Theft Auto 6

Grand Theft Auto 5 was released back in 2013, and it’s shocking to see how we have been deprived of a new GTA game for almost 10 years now. Naturally, plenty of rumours and reports emerged in recent years – but Rockstar has finally announced that the next numbered entry in the series is in active development. But then some leaked gameplay also showcased some new details such as a female protagonist, shop robberies, among other things.

It’s nowhere near ready yet, and Rockstar’s insistence on keeping development details close to its chest further solidifies this belief. But at least we know its coming, and hopefully – more information will be revealed in 2023.

Beyond Good And Evil 2

Believe it or not, Beyond Good and Evil 2 was announced back in 2008 – and while we didn’t get to see much of it in action, Ubisoft did unveil a cinematic trailer of the sequel in 2018. And following that, we got to see some gameplay snippets where we see different shades of action, exploration, and player progression in the heart of the open world. 

As you can already guess, Beyond Good and Evil 2 has some pretty lofty ambitions – such as multiple giant planets (each with its own sets of rules and regulations, different quests and rewards and so on). And sure enough, it seems like these ambitions have gotten the better of them since the development hasn’t obviously been the smoothest. 

Fun fact: Beyond Good and Evil 2 has broken the world record for being the longest game in development, which was previously held by Duke Nukem Forever with a development cycle of 15 years.

The developer has confirmed that it’s still working on the game, so we can rest knowing that it will hopefully come out in the near future. 

State of Decay 3 

Undead Labs unveiled the first glimpse of State of Decay 3 back in 2020, and that was a pretty brief showing. We know that the development is being done on Unreal Engine 5, and the game will be coming to Xbox and PC. More details will probably surface in the near future, so stay tuned for that.

New Fatal Fury

Before there was King of Fighters, developer SNK was best known for its work on the Fatal Fury series. The series has remained in hiatus for more than 20 years, but not anymore. SNK has announced that a new game in the series has been greenlit. Details other than that are sparse for now, and fans are equal parts excited and skeptical about the many changes that would be happening to the series. 

Wonder Woman

Monolith Productions of Shadow of Mordor fame is moving to a new territory with its upcoming Wonder Woman game. It was announced back at The Game Awards 2021, and apart from a brief teaser showcasing a close-up of Wonder Woman’s character model – we know very little about what’s in store. That said, Monolith has clarified that will be an original story and set in an open world – so we are naturally looking forward to seeing elements from the Mordor games being morphed for this experience. The Nemesis system is confirmed make a return – though we can’t say how that will be adapted for this game.

New Iron Man Game

Remember the last time that we received an amazing Iron Man game? Me neither. But thankfully – EA Motive and Marvel are joining forces to bring a new experience starring our beloved superhero. We know that it will be an original story that will tap into the rich story of Iron Man, and that it will have AAA-level production quality – but other than that, we know very little about this game. It’s obviously some ways off from release, but we can’t wait to dive into it. 

Untitled Marvel game from Skydance New Media

There’s no shortage of Marvel games coming in the near future, but you might be surprised to know that Skydance New Media – a gaming division of Skydance Media – is also working on one such title. Amy Hennig is leading the project, and we know that it will be an original story that will revolve around Black Panther, Captain America and two additional heroes. The short trailer reveals that the game is set during World War II, and the developers have promised that it will “craft an all-new, thrilling narrative experience.”

New TimeSplitters game

Much like Fatal Fury that we discussed before, most fans had accepted that TimeSplitters is a franchise that’s been lost to the times. However, that’s not the case since Deep Silver has finally announced that a sequel is in the works. It will be developed by Free Radical Design under the leadership of original co-founders. But don’t expect it to come out anytime soon, since development is still in its earliest stages at the time of writing this feature. It has not been confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X | S yet, but given that the publisher releases its games on most modern platforms, current-gen versions of the game is definitely not out of the question.

Control 2

Remedy Entertainment struck gold with Control, a game that’s the perfect showcase of the Finnish developer’s biggest strengths. Following its success and the ending of the original, it’s only natural that a sequel would follow. After plenty of rumours, Remedy has finally announced that a full-fledged sequel to Control is in the works. We can expect it to dive deeper into the Remedy multiverse and I hope there will be some links to the events that will happen in Alan Wake 2, alongside major gameplay improvements as well. But it’s still in deep development, so there’s going to be some time before we get our hands on this game.

Dead Space is easily one of the best survival horror series of all time, and while the series has remained on hiatus for some time now – it’s still remembered in high regard by survival horror fans to this date. So when EA Motive announced that it would be remaking this classic from the ground up, there was a fair bit of skepticism that came along with the excitement and anticipation for the game. And sure, until the game gets released in full – no one can really guarantee that it will be great – but from what we have seen up until this point, it certainly seems to be the case.

Firstly, EA Motive has just the nailed core visual make-up of the first Dead Space. The original used a rather dull color palette mostly of brown, grey, and black along with dimly lit environments to create an unsettling vibe throughout the experience. Players would often be forced to walk down cramped corridors lit by flickering lights, as distant screams and voices of Necromorphs could be heard against the backing music. While many games of that era would resort to such colors to hide inherent problems with low-resolution textures, its usage in Dead Space just makes so much sense and adds so much to the constantly horrifying experience.

The remake has expanded upon the original visuals with higher-quality assets, and better lighting tech – but it retains the core feel of the experience in every way. Everything from the enemies to the room layouts and character models has really been souped up for a modern feel and suffice to say – they look superb, which has us excited for the final release.

Coming over to the gameplay side of things, EA Motive is also bringing many meaningful improvements to the table. While the original still holds up to this date in so many ways, some cracks have started to show with the passing of time. And most if not all of these issues are being cleaned up with the remake, such as smoothed-out animations for movement and better shooting mechanics among other blemishes that one can expect with a remake of this caliber. It might not be immediately evident at first, but you will be able to see those subtle improvements when you pit the two renditions of the game against each other.

Of course, accompanying those minor changes are some rather substantial changes to the experience, with the first one being the change to an open-world styled exploration. The original Dead Space would space out its many zones with loading screens, which was a direct result of the hardware limitations, and the remake will allow players to freely explore these areas without any interruptions. On that note, we should also mention that some room layouts and positioning have been changed in the remake – while other places and certain jumpscares remain identical to the original release. And yeah, our beloved protagonist finally has a voice in this game – and EA is bringing the original cast back with Gunner Wright reprising his role as Isaac Clarke.

It’s clear that EA Motive is placing a lot of focus on improving the exploration aspect of the experience. The remake will be adding side quests, locked doors, and item containers to incentivize players to return to previously explored areas and get access to better gear which by the way will have some new upgrade options as well. Similarly, zero-g sections will also give players the ability to freely explore the environments which could also house some interesting secrets of their own.

All of this has us believing that the developer has a great appreciation for the source material, since it’s rather easy to go overboard with changes and revamps when it comes to remakes. And sometimes, that temptation can lead to disastrous results – but EA Motive seems to really understand the importance of restraint in such matters, and how to strike the perfect balance between the new and the old.

Dead Space Remake was initially supposed to release in 2022, but as mentioned previously – the game has been pushed to next year. While that may have come as a disappointment to some fans, it’s also a blessing in disguise. Now that it will be releasing in January which is usually pretty sparse when it comes to video game releases, it will get plenty of spotlight and coverage around its release – which could definitely help in making it one of the biggest games of the year. We saw the same happen to Pokemon Legends: Arceus this year, so there is a fair possibility for the Dead Space remake to benefit from such a situation as well.

One could argue about how EA’s tarnished reputation could hold some serious ramifications for Dead Space, but the developer has made the right moves in reassuring fans about any doubts they may have regarding the game. Dead Space 3 was heavily criticized for its utilization of microtransactions, but EA has reassured fans that the upcoming remake wouldn’t feature any such predatory business practices. Just good old single player fun.

Another factor that seems to be working in Dead Space’s favour is the void for a AAA survival horror experience. The last great game that checked off those boxes was probably Resident Evil: Village, and with The Callisto Protocol having turned out the way it did – survival horror fans are sure to be starving for a game that meets their expectations. And thankfully, the Dead Space remake is just arriving at the perfect time. From what we have seen up until this point, it seems to be everything that fans would want from such an experience – so it could certainly satiate the desires of those thirsty survival horror fans out there, and end up becoming the game of the hour.

But regardless of whether the Dead Space remake ends up meeting whatever sales targets EA has projected, it’s an important game for the future of the franchise nevertheless. Despite its long absence from the market, Dead Space is a series that can really survive and thrive in today’s market. And thankfully, EA is giving it a chance to prove its worth. As such, we really hope that this remake ends up paving the way for the future of the series. We’re just keeping our fingers crossed for now.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

“Who wants to change the Plasma Cutter? It’s perfect as it is,” says creative director Roman Campos-Oriola. “I’m joking a bit, but it’s exactly the way we approached that weapon during the development.”

Campos-Oriola goes on to talk about how the it is such an iconic weapon that it became linked to the Dead Space franchise in every way possible. However, the studio has still made some changes to the weapons to make it feel more modern. These new details are small, but noticable if you pay attention to the weapon.

“We really had to go back to the drawing board,” Campos-Oriola said. “With the visual fidelity, both in terms of graphics but also in some of [the] animations that we have today, we had to go much more in detail […] on how that thing actually works. What is each piece? What are those little elements really doing? Whether or not we’re using that afterward in game, we had to really define how that thing would move and behave if it was a real tool.”

Other changes to the Plasma Cutter revolve around the new upgrades system. Each of the weapons in the upcoming remake will feature an upgrade part that attaches to the weapon in question as a new physical part. Essentially, it brings a system similar to what was seen in Dead Space 2 to the first game.

“One thing we’ve been bringing from Dead Space 2 and expanding a little bit on is the concept of special upgrades,” says Campos-Oriola. “So those upgrade nodes that actually have a broader impact on the weapon. So one of those upgrades [came] straight from DS2. It’s the fact that when you shoot with the Plasma Cutter, if you have that upgrade, the limb of the enemy that you shoot at is going to catch fire. And so it’s going to burn the flesh and do a bit more damage. So we made some adjustments or improvements like that.”

Campos-Oriola goes on to talk about changes made to other weapons in Dead Space. The Pulse Rifle, for example, now features a proximity mine launcher as the alternate fire, similar to the grenade launcher from the Dead Space 2 Pulse Rifle.

“We keep, for most of the weapons, the primary fire [exactly the same] because they’re iconic and they serve different functions in terms of the way you fight enemies,” says game director Eric Baptizat. “But we [found] out that there [was] something we could push even more to give more tools for the player to do some crowd control with enemies. And we wanted to give a unique value for each weapon.”

One of the biggest changes being made is undoubtedly to the Force Gun. Originally a weapon used for just pushing enemies away, the Force Gun can now create a gravity well that pulls enemies to its center. While it deals no direct damage, the ability to group enemies together for a more devastating attack from another gun will likely come in quite handy.

“What is super interesting is that you can combine [the gravity well] with all other weapons,” says Baptizat. “So with the primary fire of the Force Gun itself, or with the trap of the Line Gun. So you can have fun [placing] your trap, attracting the enemy onto this place [with the gravity well] and putting them together with the proximity mine of the Pulse Rifle. Basically, the idea was to create new tools to be able to play with enemies and create new strategies.”

The changes to these weapons now also go hand in hand with the new peeling system in the Dead Space remake. Essentially, the skin from enemies starts peeling in response to taking hits from the player’s various weapons.

“Now when you shoot with the Force Gun, the same slasher falls on his ass, stands up, and now he is really skinny because all the skin, all the fat, all the muscle is gone,” says Campos-Oriola. “There’s almost just the skeleton left on that guy, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, pretty sure he is about to die.’ Where it’s become even more useful is that it’s a great weapon to combine with another, because now with just one shot of the Plasma Cutter you will be able to cut that limb because the bones are [revealed].”

The remake to Dead Space is slated for release on January 27, and will be coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

The gameplay represents an early build, as evident by a few audio bugs and a missing death animation at one point. Nevertheless, the lighting and particle effects look especially gorgeous. Chapter 3: Course Correction sees Isaac attempting to refuel the Ishimura while getting the Gravity Centrifuge working again.

After fighting off Necromorphs (which showcases the new Peeling System), he’ll also venture into zero-gravity environments. Dead Space remake offers several other improvements over the original, including a new Intensity Director, new rooms, and some changes to scenes. It’s out on January 27th, 2023, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. For more details, head here.

Dead Space just got a trailer that showed off some of its gorgeous in-engine graphics and gameplay. The sci-fi survival horror shooter is a remake, the original having originally been released on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 back in 2008.

The trailer showed off a fair bit of variety in the game, including zero-gravity traversal as well as the Leviathan. It also showed off simpler, tense battles against Necromorphs.

Alongside the trailer, the studio at EA Motive also revealed a few details about the game, including a name for the franchise’s famed dismemberment system—the Peeling system. The combat in Dead Space revolves around disabling attacking Necromorphs by taking out their limbs, and then stomping on them to finish them off for good.

Dead Space is set for release on January 27.