The newly revealed Dead Space remake isn't going to be exactly how fans remember it in terms of gameplay and story, the latter of which will apparently be "improved." For those expecting the game to be just a prettier version of the game from 2008, it sounds like it sounds like the new Dead Space will be much more than that.
Some rumors suggested that the Dead Space remake would be like Resident Evil's remakes, in which it still largely resembles the game players fell in love with many years ago but with major updates to meet modern standards. In the case of Resident Evil 2 and 3, this also involved making changes to the games' narratives and characters. This also allows the developer, EA Motive, to punch up the story and make it more in line with what gamers expect from a single-player title today. EA has confirmed it will basically be going this route following the announcement of the remake.
In a press release, EA noted that Dead Space will feature "an improved story, characters, gameplay mechanics and more," but it's not exactly clear what the degree of these improvements could prove to be. It's possible that the changes are being made to set the remake up as a soft-reboot, potentially allowing EA Motive to make new sequels unconnected to the original trilogy, or the developer may just be expanding on the original game's story. There has been no shortage of Dead Space rumors, so perhaps more information will begin to trickle out now that its existence is confirmed.
Either way, it's great to see the iconic horror franchise is returning. Perhaps EA will be making Isaac Clarke more realized in the remake, as he's mostly a silent protagonist in the first game but gets a voice and deepened personality in the sequels. EA will have to be incredibly cautious with the changes it makes, as fans hold the series in very high regard and have grown even more protective of it since the publisher shut down the original developer, Visceral Games, a few years after the release of Dead Space 3.
Either way, the rumors of a Dead Space remake are true and fans can rejoice that the series may make a long-term comeback. There's no telling what the future of the series is beyond this remake, but it seems likely that EA wouldn't open this can of worms if it wasn't open to reviving Dead Space as a franchise. Of course, if EA Motive doesn't meet the expectations of fans, it's possible that this will be the end of the series for the foreseeable future.
Source: EA
