EA Is Reportedly Working On Dead Space Revival
The cold vacuum of space could be about to spit back an old favourite, with the latest rumours claiming Electronic Arts is working on a Dead Space revival. As horror and sci-fi games go, Dead Space ticked all the boxes. Mixing a bit of Alien with a healthy dose of System Shock, Dead Space spun out into an expanded franchise of games, novels, and even movies.
It's been nearly eight years since Visceral Games' big hitter bowed out with the disappointing Dead Space 3. Despite plenty of scope for where we could take the story next, EA has shown little interest in reviving Dead Space for the next generation of consoles - or has it?
What's the Dead Space revival rumour?
The scoop on a Dead Space revival comes courtesy of GamesBeat's Jeff Grubb, who said a new game will be revealed at July 22's EA Play event. Grubb said there will be an announcement from "an established IP" and added, "We're going to see it...if we're not dead first". As first reported by VGC, this line has sparked speculation that there's a Dead Space arrival bobbing around out there. Elsewhere, it's thought Star Wars: Squadrons' EA Motive is developing the title.
It's not as simple as Visceral Games simply making another Dead Space game. Namely, because the studio is now defunct. Motive is the top choice to chart a new era, with an October blog post promising a new mission statement to "empower players to create, experiment, live and share their own unique stories".
Away from Squadrons, Motive GM Patrick Klaus said, “In addition to Star Wars: Squadrons, we’re also working on several unannounced projects. Innovation is tough, but it’s also exciting and energizing.
“With our new mission, we’re trying a lot of things and testing many ideas which you can’t get attached to, as iteration and experimentation are healthy and a key to finding something great.
“The team is super talented, and we’re all striving to make aspirational games that push the boundaries of what players expect now and into the future". Whether there's more to the above or not, it led to Dead Space trending on Twitter - and we couldn't be happier.
When could we know more about a Dead Space revival?
It's important to point out that there's nothing official about a Dead Space revival. While we could sit here all day and mull over ideas about how/why the series should return, it's a case of wait and see. Although it's not impossible to be announced in something separate to EA Play, it sounds like this is the time those Dead Space rumours will be debunked or confirmed.
We also have to think about what the supposed reveal will be. Everyone quickly jumped on the Dead Space 4 or reboot bandwagon, but what if it's just a remaster of 2008's Dead Space? Also, it's easy to imagine a Dead Space Collection that remasters the original trilogy akin to Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
Considering Dead Space has been dormant for so long, we have to ask whether it's really a top priority for EA. With so much Star Wars news going on, it's also possible the announcement will be something relating to the galaxy far, far away. With just over a month until EA Play, we'll let the speculation run for a bit longer before we decide if there's more to the rumours or Dead Space is "dead" in the water.