One of the Best Horror Series Ever Lived and Died on PS3 & Xbox 360

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The horror genre boasts many long-running and beloved franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, with more recent successes like Outlast and Amnesia. One particularly strong series, Alan Wake, almost disappeared, but thankfully survived. Unfortunately, some great horror games don’t get the attention they deserve, and fans are often left waiting for sequels that never come, as publishers sometimes fail to recognize their potential.

Dead Space, a horror franchise from EA, built upon the foundation of games like Resident Evil, but moved the action to a terrifying setting in space. Known for its intense gore, dark atmosphere, and truly disturbing creatures, the first game was a hit and felt like the start of a long-lasting, classic series. However, things didn’t quite work out that way. While the original Dead Space trilogy was contained to the seventh generation of consoles, the creators didn’t initially plan for it to be the end of the story.

Dead Space’s Legacy Largely Rests on the Xbox 360 and PS3

Looking back at the Dead Space series is amazing because they really pumped out games quickly! The first *Dead Space* came out in October 2008, then *Dead Space 2* in December 2010, and *Dead Space 3* followed in February 2013. What’s really cool is that each game seemed to be developed in around two years, which is fast, especially considering how good they all were. Even though *Dead Space 3* was a little different, it was still a really fun action-horror game, and the co-op campaign was a blast!

Seeing something like that on today’s gaming consoles is extremely rare, but Visceral Games was consistently creating great games at the time. Even the *Resident Evil* series had gaps between releases – four years between *Resident Evil 4* and *5*, and three years between *5* and *6*. Maintaining that speed while still releasing high-quality games was really something.

It’s a shame that plans existed to continue the *Dead Space* series on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Ben Wanat, who directed *Dead Space 3*, had ideas for both *Dead Space 4* and *Dead Space 5*. These plans involved making Ellie the main character in at least one of the sequels.

Before *Dead Space 3* came out, news surfaced that EA was considering changing the game’s direction, potentially even cancelling it. Executives reportedly wanted to transform *Dead Space* from a survival horror game into something else, like a first-person shooter. Ideas were even floated for a flight game or an action-adventure game similar to *Uncharted*, all set in the *Dead Space* universe. Unfortunately, Visceral Games was assigned to work on *Battlefield Hardline*, and *Dead Space 3* didn’t sell well enough. This led EA to put the *Dead Space* series on hold for approximately ten years.

The Dead Space Remake Almost Resurrected the Franchise

In 2023, EA and Motive Studio released a remake of *Dead Space*. This new version included content that was cut from the original game and more closely reflected the initial creative ideas for *Dead Space* before development was limited by time and technology. A significant change was giving the main character, Isaac, a voice – something that didn’t happen until the sequel in the original release. The remake was highly praised by critics and, on some platforms, even received better scores on Metacritic than the original *Dead Space*.

After the successful launch of the *Dead Space* remake, Motive considered remaking *Dead Space 2*. The remake even included a unique alternate ending that hinted at future installments. However, plans for a *Dead Space 2* remake were reportedly cancelled when the original remake didn’t meet EA’s sales expectations.

There were other efforts to revive the *Dead Space* series as well. Glen Schofield, who originally created the game, reportedly proposed a fourth *Dead Space* installment to EA in 2024. While he had a smaller role in *Dead Space 2* and wasn’t involved with *Dead Space 3* – having left Visceral Games in 2009 to start Sledgehammer Games – this new game would have brought the original creators back to lead the project. However, EA wasn’t interested, with Schofield explaining that the company had specific ideas about the types of games it wanted to produce and the sales figures it expected.

It’s disappointing to see the series end, especially since so many fans enjoyed it and wanted it to continue. Unfortunately, EA needs to see strong sales, and making new content might not be worth the investment. After successfully remaking Dead Space, it’s hard to believe they’ll revisit this series again. While another remake or a sequel isn’t impossible, it doesn’t seem likely right now.

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2025-10-09 03:11