EA Motive’sDead Spaceremakehas moved over for the conversation to be fully subsumed byResident Evil 4’s remake, but it should not allow itself to be eclipsed so easily.Dead Spacewas a phenomenal remake in its own right and although it is indeed a remake, it still iterated on the original in ways that are arguably much better and give it great franchise potential. It is uncertain whether EA Motive was given the remake to prepare for newDead Spaceentries, but it has now created an alternate continuity that it could carry forward, not unlikewhatResident Evil 2’s remake achieved.
TheDead Spaceremake’s storytelling is leaps and bounds above what the original afforded due to Isaac Clarke now being able to talk. Many other improvements and changes made to mechanics and environments throughout the USG Ishimura craft a whole new path that a trilogy of remakes would excel in. It only seems natural now forDead Space’s sequels to receive their own remake treatmentsafter EA Motive has finished development onIron Man, and in doing so it could be in the exact same situation thatResident Evilfans are in with Capcom’s similar remake continuity.
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Resident Evil 2 Remake Created Its Own Alternate Continuity
Capcom could have simply decided to remakeResident Evil 2and call it a day, but its best decision might have been continuing that treatment through the next twomainlineResident Evilinstallments. Of course, it would be difficult not to string these remakes together as its own continuity because characters appearing in later entries would need to reflect developments from earlier entries. TheResident Evil 4remake’sLeon Kennedy being visibly affected by what happened inResident Evil 2is an example of that. Capcom could actually make each remake narratively cohesive after the same protagonists were featured more than once in this continuity.
Moreover, like howResident Evil 4’s remake explicitly sets itself up for a sequel with its post-credits scene,Dead Space’s remake has an alternate endingearned by completing New Game Plus and having completed an optional objective. This alternate ending creates a more succinct connection toDead Space 2than its original ending, and would therefore make an excellent tether to a remake of the sequel.
Having remake continuities is great as long as they are faithful to the source material while also introducing new and expanded lore that helps to supplement them.Resident Evilhas achieved this wonderfully with its own continuity, which has few options left for games to receive a treatment for.Dead Spaceonly has two entries that follow it, but once those sequels have their own remakes it would be incredible to see EA Motivecontinue the franchise with aDead Space 4. BecauseDead Space’s original game franchise has apparently been canned, the remake continuity has a rare opportunity to subsume it and become the one true canon moving forward.
If this is the only way that the franchise could continue with new installments, it would actually be toDead Space’s favor since EA Motive has demonstrated its terrific ability to develop survival-horror. Players would have to wait an excruciatingly long time for a new entry in theDead Spacefranchise if this was the path EA Motive decided to take. However, it would be well worth it to have a new continuity that EA Motive could oversee entirely and transform intoa franchise that fans adore again afterDead Space 3.
Dead Spaceis available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
