Summary
TheDead Spacefranchise has a bit of a complicated legacy. Whenthe firstDead Spacewas released all the way back in 2008, it received critical acclaim pretty much across the board, with many reviewers deeming it to be the next major evolution for the survival horror genre. This goodwill continued through the release ofDead Space 2in 2011, which garnered even more critical praise and was widely viewed as an improvement upon its predecessor in almost every way. But thenDead Space 3happened, and the franchise was put to cryosleep.
After a decade of slumber, theDead Spacefranchise was reawakened last year with the release of theDead Spaceremake. But despite fans thinking that this would only be the beginning of a new golden era for the franchise, some recent rumors suggest that isn’t going to be the case. Even if that’s the case, though, every dark cloud has its silver lining.
A few weeks ago, renowned industry insider Jeff Grubb mentioned on his Game Mess Mornings podcast thataDead Space2remakewas allegedly in the works at EA Motive, but failed to move forward for a variety of reasons, with one of the biggest apparently being lackluster sales of the firstDead Spaceremake. In a rare move, EA actually commented on this rumor, stating that there was “no validity” to the story, but Grubb - along with a few other well-known industry insiders - have remained steadfast in their claims.
Obviously, the potential news oftheDead Spacefranchisebeing shelved will be an upsetting blow for many fans. After the remake was met with acclaim, there was finally hope that the IP would become a horror mainstay again. But if this is another temporary ending forDead Space, at least it’s a bittersweet one.
This won’t be the first time that theDead Spacefranchise has been put on ice. WhenDead Space 3launched back in 2013, it caused irrevocable damage to theDead Spacebrand, somehow managing to undo much of the goodwill and critical perception that the franchise had painstakingly built and maintained up until that point. ThoughDead Space 3technically reviewed decently, it wasn’t the game that fans wanted, and the sequel’s commercial reception indicated that. As EA is wont to do, the momentDead Spacestopped being successful, it was sent out to pasture.
For years, theDead Spacefranchise’s legacy was tarnished, boasting two ofthe best survival horror games of all time, but also one of the biggest franchise disappointments in gaming. This tarnished legacy is what made 2023’sDead Spaceremake so important. Against all odds, last year’sDead Spaceremake managed to be the critically-acclaimed revival of the series that fans had waited years for, but now its own apparent commercial shortcomings might have led to a bittersweet ending. On one hand, it’s sad to see theDead Spacefranchise get shelved again, especially after such an excellent revival. But on the other hand, at least the franchise is going out on a high note this time around, securing the series' legacy as one of the best horror franchises in gaming.
Dead Space (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The sci-fi survival-horror classic Dead Space™ returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper, more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision.Isaac Clarke is an everyman engineer on a mission to repair a vast mining ship, the USG Ishimura, only to discover something has gone horribly wrong. The ship’s crew has been slaughtered and Isaac’s beloved partner, Nicole, is lost somewhere on board.Now alone and armed with only his engineering tools and skills, Isaac races to find Nicole as the nightmarish mystery of what happened aboard the Ishimura unravels around him. Trapped with hostile creatures called Necromorphs, Isaac faces a battle for survival, not only against the escalating terrors of the ship but against his own crumbling sanity.
