See How The Dead Space Reboot Has Been Changed After Massive Fan Requests
It looks like the fans are going to have their way with the Dead Space reboot and the game is going to change after their requests
This article is more than 2 years old
It’s not unusual to see gaming companies going out of their money-mongering ways to fulfill fan requests when said requests make sense — like fixing bugs, errors, or correcting the game’s content in some way. However, it’s rather unusual when EA or any of its subsidiaries does it. Apparently, EA Motive checked in with the Dead Space gaming community ahead of the 2023 remake and made modifications to the game’s iconic weapon — the Plasma Cutter — per the fandom’s request.
According to Destructoid, EA Motive, in charge of developing the remake of 2008’s Dead Space, just changed the sound effects of two of the game’s weapons to better resemble the effects from the original game. As per the company’s tweet, a good chunk of the fandom wasn’t impressed by how the new iterations of the Plasma Cutter and Pulse Rifle sound, so the company made some notifications to improve it. It also stated that the line of communication is open and that all the suggestions are appreciated.
So, what exactly changed from the original footage? Well, the company offered a before and after video of the weapons’ visual and sound effects, going back to the original Dead Space game to the initial development footage showcased before, and the new sound effects that were recently modified. The new effects are actually sounds of a weapon being fired, impacts on surfaces, and the effects on the environment, which offer a much more “realistic feel” of the power coming from the weapons of the game.
The Plasma Cutter frequency range has been rebalanced to accentuate kicks and lower ends of the audible sound spectrum, which “aligns” better with the feel the fandom mentioned in their criticism of the original development footage. On the other hand, the shooting rhythm of the Pulse Rifle is a bit more chaotic and not as precise as the previous iteration. There’s also a bit more volume from the environmental reaction and more feedback generated by the surface impacts.
We’d call this a purely cosmetic modification, even though it’s actually related to the sound, as it doesn’t affect the gameplay mechanics in any way or form. The Plasma Cutter is Dead Space’s iconic weapon, and getting everything absolutely right — even the sound — is paramount to recapturing the nerve-wracking horror elements of the original 2008 game that kept even the most hardened horror-loving gamers awake at night.
The remake of the 2008’s Dead Space was first confirmed less than a year ago, when EA Motive took over the franchise from now-closed Visceral Games, using EA’s proprietary Frostbite engine to make the game even more immersive and horrifying. As if the original wasn’t unsettling enough. The remake’s release was originally scheduled for October 2022 but was later delayed to early 2023. This will give Motive more time to iron out all the wrinkles and add more horrific shades to the already scary game. So, good luck to anyone playing this at night with the headphones on.
