The Dead Space remake’s weapon sound effects are being updated to sound more powerful after negative fan feedback. Fans of Visceral Games’ sci-fi survival horror series Dead Space were pleasantly surprised when EA announced that a remake of the original Dead Space is being produced by Star Wars Squadrons developer EA Motive Studios last summer - effectively returning the long-dormant franchise from the dead after nearly a decade.
Rather than simply remastering the 2008 original, this new Dead Space Remake will rework the franchise’s core elements from the ground up. The gory dismemberment the series is infamous for will be more gruesome than ever thanks to the Dead Space remake’s new “flesh peeling” system, the zero-gravity segments of later Dead Space titles are being integrated and built upon, and even the original Dead Space’s plot is being altered to expand upon the backstory of engineer Isaac Clarke and his ill-fated girlfriend Nicole. While many of these changes have Dead Space fans feeling optimistic about the upcoming remake, a recent clip of the game in action saw a negative reception due to the sound effects coming from weapons like the Plasma Cutter and Pulse Rifle. Many of these players took to social media to complain that these weapons lacked the bass and weight of the versions from the original Dead Space.
According to GamesRadar, EA Motive is taking this fan feedback surrounding the Dead Space remake’s weapon sounds and is altering them to more closely resemble the ones from the original game. Motive, or rather Community Manager Caden House (under his Reddit handle of CM_Ythisens), posted an update video that showcased the Dead Space remake's revamped Plasma Cutter and Pulse Rifle, which now sound much heavier than they did in the previous demo footage. House noted that the changes were, in fact, in response to the player feedback. Dead Space players in the same comment section would go on to praise the new weapon sounds, as well as thank Motive for taking the time to listen to their feedback in the first place.
Gun sounds aren’t the only thing returning in the Dead Space remake, as original Isaac voice actor Gunner Wright confirmed that he would be reprising his role as the perpetually troubled space engineer in the new game not too long after it was first announced. He’ll have more to say this time too, as Motive later revealed that Isaac will have more dialogue that changes based on his current situation and emotional state in the Dead Space remake. However, Motive was also quick to note that Isaac will remain silent during the Dead Space remake’s many isolated hallway scenes to maintain the foreboding atmosphere of the original Dead Space.
Part of that atmosphere came from Dead Space’s weapons, which players felt managed to sound powerful while still making them feel vulnerable to the nightmarish Necromorphs that they were used to kill. As such, it’s reassuring to know that EA Motive is taking all feedback into account as it works to recapture the tension of the original Dead Space in the upcoming remake.
Source: CM_Ythisens/Reddit (via GamesRadar)