The Possibility of a Dead Space 2 Remake

I'd like to share my opinion on EA’s handling of the Dead Space franchise.

We already know what happened with Visceral Games, and also much of what the company expected from the title itself. I’d say the president at the time was somewhat misguided when it came to survival horror games. This obsession with sales numbers has never really sat well with me, even for the most well-known titles like Resident Evil 4, whose sales figures aren't that impressive when compared to a multiplayer war FPS like Battlefield or Call of Duty.

If there’s one thing the Dead Space franchise has, it’s critical acclaim. I think that alone was enough to solidify it as a cult classic in the genre. It made its impact, made noise, and still teaches lessons in several aspects of the genre, with a unique identity. But beyond that, we need to understand that certain strategies just shouldn’t be expected from a game like this—especially when a company tries to aim for something almost impossible within the genre, except in very specific cases.

That said, a Dead Space 2 remake would be more than welcome. Not just because of the reimagining with modern visuals, but because of the potential it carries—particularly in terms of atmosphere, narrative construction, and world-building. Yes, a Dead Space 2 remake could be the foundation for a fully explorable version of the Sprawl, which was already a massive setting, even though it was linear in the original. What makes me think about this is the sheer size of the Sprawl and how many side missions could be created to deepen the lore of the outbreak and its characters—just as the Ishimura was given more freedom with its interconnected design. That same logic makes me believe the scale could be far greater, adding new bosses and enemy types, as well as expanding on hallucination sequences and improving existing boss fights like the Stalker.

Just imagine that interconnected world like the Ishimura, now expanded into a semi-open world that gradually unlocks, giving you the choice to revisit areas as access codes are found. That alone would elevate the atmosphere to an unprecedented scale. So a Dead Space 2 remake project could very well become one of the most ambitious survival horror remakes in history. And of course, with that level of change, creation, and design, it would take quite a long time to develop. I can’t imagine EA greenlighting it and expecting a quick release. It would likely be something aimed for the next generation of consoles, precisely due to its potential. Let’s not forget that Visceral created the original sequel in just three years after the first game. The difference today is that to make a truly great game, development would have to be on a much bigger scale.

I also think that, if possible, EA should think about a very smart and strategic marketing plan, especially in times when the game could benefit from a proper hype cycle. It’s easy to see that the marketing strategy for the 2023 Dead Space remake wasn’t the most favorable—mainly due to competing titles. Still, it was a critically acclaimed remake. I’d also love to see them invest in natural lighting techniques, avoiding overreliance on ray tracing, while giving proper focus to optimization.

But anyway, this is just a fan’s wish!