It’s not uncommon for players to treat games like comfort foods and stick to what they already know and love. It’s the reason why sequels to popular games almost always sell better than brand new IPs and why games likeFornite,Grand Theft Auto V,Minecraft, andCall of Dutycontinue to dominate sales chartsmonth after month. It’s also why a lot of fans are excited for brand new experiences on the PS5 and Xbox Series X but still spend time begging EA to bring back franchises likeMass Effect,Skate, andDead Space.
In 2008, the now-defunct Visceral Games changed the survival-horror genre with the release ofDead Space, a tense and haunting horror game that combined the atmosphere of Capcom’sResident Evil 4and Ridley Scott’sAlien.Dead Spacewas a huge success, spawning two direct sequels, two spin-off games, two animated films, and a handful of comic books, and yet the franchise hasn’t been seen since for the entire PS4 and Xbox One generation. Whether it’s a remake of the original trilogy or a brand new next-gen entry, bringing back theDead Spacefranchise would be a huge step in the right direction for EA.
RELATED:Skate 4 is the Most Asked for EA Game in 10 Years
Formerly known as EA Redwood Shores,Dead Spacedeveloper Visceral Games was inspired by the success ofResident Evil4, arguably one of the greatest survival-horror games ever made, and set out to create “the most terrifying game we could acquire.” The team wanted to move away from licensed properties and establish itself as a “proper game studio,” with the idea of creating the most frightening game possible and something unlike the rest of EA’s usual output.Dead Spacereleased in October 2008 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 to critical acclaim, praised for its atmosphere, setting, enemies, gameplay, and sound design. EA Redwood Shores was quickly rebranding to Visceral Games and a sequel was greenlit;Visceral became a major developer to look out for.
Dead Space 2released in 2011 to equal critical acclaim, although with a slightly heavier focus on action similar toResident Evil 4;however,Dead Space 3took the action to a whole new level, leaving many fans with a sour taste. EA and Visceral had the hopes of creating a blockbuster ending to the trilogy and an entry point that was more accessible than previous games, adding more action sequences, open environments, and co-op gameplay. Unfortunately, this approach took away from what madeDead Spaceunique, and in turn, sales numbers suffered. EA scrapped the idea of a sequel and moved Visceral over to theBattlefieldfranchise to work on 2015’sBattlefield Hardline.Dead Space 3was the last game to be released in the series, nine months before the release of PS4 and Xbox One, meaning that after spitting out five games in five years, the franchise hasn’t been seen for a full console generation.
EA’s Showcase for 2020
EA Play might have excited fans with the announcement that a newSkategame was in early development, but beyond that, there’s not a lot on the docket. There are ongoing rumors surrounding a remasteredMass Effect Trilogyreleasing in the Fall, but when it comes to confirmed games, there’sStar Wars Squadrons,FIFA 21,Madden 21, andRocket Arena. If those rumors are to be believed, EA is returning to one of its beloved IPs to help fill the gap for the year, potentially leading to a new game in the franchise later down the road, while it focuses resources on developing new games from BioWare, DICE, Criterion, and EA Motive for next-generation consoles.
The publisher is currently developing new games in some of its biggest franchises includingDragon Age,Battlefield,Skate,Need for Speed, and of course, its sports franchises such asFIFAandMadden. Once again, EA’s regular output has started following all the same trends that it was nearly a decade ago, leaving some major gaps in its first-party offering that need to be filled. After the success ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, EA could use more story-driven single-player experiences likeThe Last Of Us 2andGod of Warto break away from those trends that Visceral Games was trying to avoid when it originally developedDead Space.
RELATED:Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop are PS5 Console Exclusives
The Return of AAA Survival Horror Games
At the end of the previous console generation, there was a large focus on action sequences, questionable DLC practices like “Day-One” microtransactions, and multiplayer modes. Publishers were looking to make every game as accessible as possible to maximize every possible sales potential, regardless of how it affected the game or franchise. WhenResident Evil 6released, it was the biggest departure from the series origin to date, and for many players, that was the final nail in the coffin. Fast forward to now, andResident Evilis arguably bigger than it’s ever been afterResident Evil 7andResident Evil 2 Remakewent back to basics and returned to what made the series great in the first place.
Over the last few years, the demand has grown for single-player story-driven AAA games afterGod of War,Uncharted 4,DOOM, andResident Evil 2 Remakeall proved that when the quality is there, the sales will come naturally. The same can be said for the resurgence of the horror and survival-horror genres this past generation. Times have changed since the days of the PS3 and Xbox 360, so while EA wanted to makeDead Space 3as accessible as possible because survival-horror games wouldn’t sell as well as action games in 2013, that’s no longer the case. Moving into the next generation of consoles with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, now is the perfect time forDead Spaceto make its long-awaited return, whether it’s a brand new game in the series or anext-generation remake of the originalDead Spacetrilogy.
A newDead Spaceis not known to be in development.
MORE:EA Should ‘Double Down’ on These Star Wars Games for PS5, Xbox Series X
