Analyzing the Art Direction & Gameplay of the Dead Space Remake

What better time to revisit Dead Space, a genre-defining survival-horror game, than Halloween?

Dead Space is still a favorite among horror gamers. Just 15 years separate the original (2008) and its remake (2023). Some questioned whether a remake was necessary at all.

But 2023 and 2024 have been packed with remakes for good reason. It's risky and expensive to research and develop new IP, and some of the biggest flops in recent memory have been brand-new ideas that, for one reason or another, haven't captured the imagination of gamers. Remakes give publishers a cushion because they can lean on stories and characters that were loved by an older generation. Dead Space is an example of how to remake a game well.

Some are criticized for not adding enough new content or for failing to take enough risks. Yet Dead Space (2023), which we at Room 8 Group worked on, was widely praised despite the fact it is a close recreation of a recent title. By analyzing the game's art direction and gameplay, this piece will show how developer Motive Studio pulled it off. 

Much of the following text has been taken from our latest report, titled 'Art direction & gameplay in game remakes: An analysis of 7 case studies by Room 8 Group', which you can download today.

Why Art Direction and Gameplay?

Our focus is on art direction and gameplay for a couple of important reasons. First, the devil is in the details. Whether an overhaul is required (like Resident Evil 2), or a faithful recreation (Shadow of the Colossus), depends entirely on the game. To understand how to do remakes well, we need to take a magnifying glass to technical elements to understand why and how decisions were made.

Second, art direction and gameplay are microcosms of how a game-maker sees its IP. Gameplay shines a light on the audience: it changes because user preferences change as hardware, software, and expectations evolve; devs must make full use of such changes. Art direction is a litmus test for a dev's ability to recreate the feeling of an original game using modern lighting, better design tools, more powerful game engines, and so on. These two areas show the degree to which a dev understands an original game's appeal.

Dead Space's Pillars of Experience

Motive Studio's 'pillars of experience' approach to Dead Space gave the company a scaffolding on which to build its remake. Those pillars were:

• Sci-fi horror
• Unbroken immersion
• Creative gameplay 

Pillars like 'sci-fi horror' might seem obvious for Dead Space. But having something to guide you back to the center if you lose your way can be helpful. Plenty of remakes have strayed from elements that made their game unique and suffered as a result.

Motive clearly nails the 'sci-fi horror' element of the remake with its still-terrifying necromorphs, ominous flickering lights, and blood-scrawled signposts. The feeling of constant action created by embedding UI information in the game itself, such as Isaac Clarke's health bar on the spine of his suit, is a good example of 'unbroken immersion'. And for 'creative gameplay', the core loops of Dead Space, like puzzle-solving and necromorph dismemberment, remain unique and fun, so these were turned up a notch (other things were elevated too, like the zero-gravity section, in which the player now has the freedom of 360-degree movement).

Art Direction: The Nitty Gritty

In the remake, Dead Space's trademark industrial sci-fi horror feels the same as it did in 2008, but Motive Studio made some impactful improvements.

The core art style and visual language of the game – bleak, utilitarian, oppressive – remain intact. The remake uses modern graphical capabilities while keeping the original style. The USG Ishimura is still a cold, mechanical labyrinth. The enhancements only serve to make it more immersive. 

The original’s claustrophobic corridors and dim environments are faithfully recreated and are amplified with dynamic lighting. Lighting is one of the standout enhancements in the Dead Space remake (a recurring theme of good recent remakes is the strong use of lighting, which is a relatively new niche in game development). The use of real-time volumetric lighting and shadows, along with enhanced fog effects, makes the atmosphere more ominous. Flickering lights and malfunctioning equipment add to the sense of dread. Dead Space's clever use of light and shadow was already central to its appeal, and the remake builds on this well using modern tools.

World and character design is also more intricate. Environment layouts are mostly the same, but they've been rebuilt with an extra level of detail. Isaac's suit, which our 3D art team at Room 8 Group worked on, now has extra armor plates, shows signs of damage from combat, and generally has a lot more depth. 

A key part of Dead Space's 'unbroken immersion' in 2008 came from its pioneering diegetic UI, which made the player feel they could never settle; even when managing their inventory they weren't safe. This level of UI contextualization probably hasn't been topped since 2008. Last year's remake stays true to this and adds texture to assets to make them even more immersive.

The dismemberment of necromorphs – a defining Dead Space feature – is also retained and built upon, made even more satisfying by its enhanced gruesomeness. 

Motive struck a fine balance. It kept the game's visual philosophy the same while enhancing elements that were needed for the game to be engaging 15 years later. Dead Space was a unique game whose art direction stood out in 2008. In the remake, its core identity stayed the same for a reason.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Dead Space was far from overhauled, but it was modernized and improved in ways that brought it up to speed in 2023.

Motive Studio knew not to change too much. Core elements like resource management and puzzle-solving remain intact. The core gameplay loops of the original, like necromorph dismemberment, stand strong, so fundamental gameplay changes weren't necessary.

The dev simply sharpened what was already there. Weapon aiming is tighter. Controlling Isaac is easier because he moves better, especially when running or turning. The player can now float in all directions in zero-gravity sections; before, they could only jump from one point to another. These changes are subtle but they make gameplay feel tidier.

Exploration is more rewarding in 2023. The USG Ishimura is now fully connected, a luxury the dev perhaps didn't have in 2008. Better asset-streaming on modern hardware reduces the need for level-loading, so previously separate areas were made into a single environment. This allows for seamless exploration and backtracking. New side quests and story elements were added, which made exploration and progression through missions more rewarding.

Conclusion

Motive Studio was calculated in how it approached its remake of Dead Space. Its 'pillars of experience' approach is something other game-makers can learn from. Strip away the form, the embellishments: what are the core actions or principles that made an original game unique? Nurture them at all costs.

Dead Space is just one type of remake. It, like (but to a lesser extent than) games such as Shadow of the Colossus or Metroid Prime Remastered, are good examples of how to stay faithful to an original. Some might add or remove gameplay elements, others may reimagine their art direction. Every case is different.

As a business, framing a challenge the right way can itself constitute a strategic advantage. That is why we at Room 8 Group have written a report on remakes – so game-makers can see the challenge from various perspectives and think about their own remake more coherently.

You can download the report now. It is titled 'Art direction & gameplay in game remakes: An analysis of 7 case studies by Room 8 Group'. The case studies we explore are:

• Metroid Prime Remastered
• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil 4
• Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Demon's Souls
• Dead Space
  

Room 8 Group is an end-to-end strategic partner in external game development. Working across all platforms, we provide creative and technical expertise across game development, technology, art, trailers, and QA for AAA and AA games. We've co-created a multitude of award-winning projects for leading IPs and franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, Assassin's Creed, Star Trek, The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, and many more. 

If you'd like to discuss your next project, please contact Room 8 Group's team here.

Hunter Wright and Boti Harko, Associate Game Director and Project Art Director at Room 8 Group