With a tentative early 2023 release window, EA’sDead Spaceremake is more tangible than ever. The developers at Motive Studios have been updating fans about the game’s progress on theDead SpaceYouTube channel, and while some of it still looks rough at this stage, it feels like they’re on the right track.
One piece of theDead Spacepuzzle that the team is focused on getting right is making sureMotive retains its distinct look, sound, and feel. With the series' iconic plasma cutter at the forefront of Isaac Clarke’s arsenal, players can bet it is the first thing the developers have to get right when it comes to combatingDead Space’s necromorphs.
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The plasma cutter is really interwoven withDead Space’s DNA. Good audio design, a minimalist UI, and strategic dismemberment pertain are iconic parts of the series as a whole, and more often than not the word “tool” is used because the plasma cutter is not a gun. It is an engineering tool that uses charged plasma bolts to split dense materials. Isaac Clarke is an engineer tasked with repairing the U.S.G. Ishimura, so it only makes senseforDead Space’s lorethat he carries one around.
It just so happens that charged plasma also works wonders against the reanimated dead. From a gameplay perspective, the plasma cutter is the jack-of-all-trades tool ofDead Space. Players start every game with it and can finish the adventure with just their plasma cutter (there are even achievements related to this feat). Having such an achievement is fitting, considering the plasma cutter is quite possiblythe most versatile tool in Isaac’s arsenal. This versatility stems from the plasma cutter’s two firing modes, which allow players to turn a line of plasma bolts either horizontal or vertical.
For those who have never played aDead Spacetitle, strategic dismemberment is important. Players fight an alien infection that reanimates the corpses of any dead life form, turning them into horrifying necromorphs. Headshots are discouraged; instead, players have to dismember the limbs of their enemies to ensure they won’t come back.
Having a tool that can sever limbs from different angles is perfect for Isaac Clarke. With the plasma cutter in hand, players are funneled into a high-stakesTetrisgame where severing the limbs means survival andmissing necromorphs can result in death. Players can aim for the necromorphs' sharp mandibles to cause more damage, or they can aim for appendages like the legs to slow them down. Depending on the type of necromorph, severing different limbs brings about a number of results.
The plasma cutter is unique in that its alternate firing mode does the exact same thing as its primary mode; it just changes the orientation of the plasma. Other tools, like the line gun or the pulse rifle, have alternate modes that rely more on explosive damage than strategic dismemberment (for reference, the originalDead Spacehad the line gun fire mines, meanwhile the plasma rifle fired in a 360-degree cone around the player). While other tools and weapons deviate from the series' core, the plasma cutter has always remained true to what makesDead Spacestand out.
This versatility in dismemberment, coupled with superb audio design and minimalist UI that is prevalent throughout every part ofDead Space, is what makes the plasma cutter a staple of the series. Players have already seen how Motive Studios is hard at work onperfecting the sound inDead Spaceremake, so now fans just have to wait and see whether they nail the other aspects.
TheDead Spaceremake is set to release in early 2023 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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