Empty space is an upcoming remake of EA’s iconic survival horror game from 2008 that will make a number of improvements. Given how long ago that original release was – and the fact that it’s being developed by Motive Studio, with the original creators Visceral Games discontinued – there are some changes to be expected in the remake so that it fits better with the current generation. However, from what has been shown so far, it appears to be a pretty faithful recreation of Visceral’s historic title. Visuals, audio and physics are revised for next-gen technology, but the remake retains the atmosphere, setting and story of the original. However, one aspect that is getting some changes that may surprise some fans is the protagonist Isaac Clarke.
The Empty space remake was first announced at the 2021 EA Play event, to the delight of eager fans who suspected it was in the works based on months of rumors. It’s a return to form for the series, more focused on the Resident Evil-inspired survival horror elements from the original as opposed to the more action-oriented later installments. Those aspects were part of what made the first game a fan favorite of the series. Other welcome changes include the removal of the microtransaction system that plagued Dead Space 3 and a more in-depth rendition of the parse feature that was the series’ main combat mechanic. While that all sounds like good news, changes to Isaac could be more divisive for some fans familiar with the original Empty space.
Breaking Isaac’s Silence
Empty space follows Isaac Clarke, an engineer aboard the USG Ishimura after being hired on a repair job, who is soon attacked by horrific undead necromorphs. In the context of the original Empty space, it is difficult to know much about Isaac’s personality because of one important characteristic: he never speaks. Aside from a few grunts and other non-verbal noises, Isaac is quiet throughout the first game. That changes in the Empty space redo.
Now Isaac will have his full voice, reacting to the horrors around him as he explores the ship and speaks during interactions with NPCs. That is not entirely new, because this was the approach of the Dead space 2 and 3, where Isaac was fully voiced and played by Gunner Wright. Wright is reprising his role for the upcoming remake.
In 2008’s Empty space, the combination of Isaac having no dialogue and almost never being shown without his RIG suit and mask had some narrative effects that shouldn’t be ignored. Isaac is not a hero or soldier, but an engineer, who finds himself in a horrible situation in which he is completely out of his depth. That is much more recognizable than other protagonists. That’s why his characterless character Isaac makes a player avatar or audience surrogate just as much as a regular character. He is only afraid when the player is, rather than conveying fear through his own reactions. Even the game design reflects this approach, for example by integrating the user interface into the view of Isaac’s RIG helmet and gear.
That approach was compelling in itself, which is perhaps why some have reservations about the change. However, the new approach certainly has advantages. Isaac’s non-reactive nature may have taken the immersion away from the original game. At times it seemed unnatural that the character would not react to the terrifying events around him. Now Isaac will have contextual voice lines based on what’s going on around him and what he’s doing.
The voice lines Isaac is given in the Empty space remake are affected by the ALIVE system. This is a new mechanic who influences his behavior based on his heart rate, breathing and health level. Heart rate and breathing, in turn, are affected by things like sprinting, startling, and fighting. Each contextual voice line has three variations: normal, fatigued, and injured. The feature will hopefully prevent repetition of voice lines, something that often makes reactive dialogue hurt the immersion rather than improve it.
The Empty space remake also gives Isaac’s iconic RIG suit a makeover. The suit itself has been updated thanks to next-gen hardware capabilities, with impressive textures and details. But there’s one change Motive hasn’t addressed yet. Between the Health and Stasis indicators there seems to be a new feature: a pentagon with the same light as those indicator bars. It is still unclear what this light source could be. It could indicate a new ability or resource that Isaac has, similar to the Stasis and Kinesis abilities he had in the Empty space.
Empty space will be released on January 27, 2023 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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