The Dead Space remake is only a couple of weeks away, but new details about the changes and improvements Montreal-based developer Motive Studios have made to the experience continue to filter out even at this late date. Case in point, one of the less-successful aspects of the original Dead Space were its maps, which followed the then-current trend of being presented in full 3D. Sure, the maps looked kind of cool, but they were also rather confusing.
Well, in a new interview with Inverse, Motive “realization director” Joel MacMillan says the Dead Space remake takes a “less is more” approach when it comes to its in-game map, which are now presented in a more simple, and easy-to-read, 2D style.
"Looking back at it, there was a little bit of frustration around how to control [the original map] or how to read it quickly. You’d have to kind of rotate it to figure out what's the best angle to see where your character is and where you need to go. We've actually simplified it rather than embellished it, to improve the clarity and the readability of it.”
The fact that Motive is really thinking about what will make Dead Space play better, rather than just saying “Make everything bigger and shinier!” makes me optimistic. Meanwhile, Dead Space writer Jo Berry lets slip that the remake will have a New Game+ and that players will “definitely benefit from going through the USG Ishimura a second time.” The original Dead Space had a New Game+ option as well, but it was a bit underbaked. Thankfully, it sounds like Motive may have expanded the feature.
The Dead Space remake shambles onto PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 on January 27. Haven’t been keeping up with the game? Do check out our rundown of everything you need to know about the remake and the game’s launch trailer.
