After skipping the PS4 and Xbox One generation, the beloved survival horror franchiseDead Spacecould be returning — in more ways than one if recent reports are any indication. A remake of the originalDead Spaceis seemingly in the works at EA’s Motive Studios and could be announced at the upcoming EA Play Live event.
While aDead Space Remakewith next-gen visuals and modernized controls sounds intriguing, it’s not the onlyDead Space-like survival horror game in development. The Game Awards 2020 saw the reveal ofThe Callisto Protocol, a survival horror game from the newly formed studio of the co-creator ofDead Space.The Callisto Protocol looks like everythingDead Space 4could have been, but aDead Space Remakeand a plausibleDead Spacereboot could have huge implications on the former.
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Remakes of cult classic titles have become a popular and successful trend in the video games industry and show no sign of stopping.Resident Evil 2andFinal Fantasy 7remakes are perfect examples of the modern reincarnation of decades-old video games. Suffice it to say,Dead Spaceseems to be following the same route, with a remake of the first game seemingly on the way. While this is good news forDead Spaceand its fans, it could prove to be an inconvenience forDead Space’s spiritual successor,The Callisto Protocol.
The biggest highlight ofThe Callisto Protocol’s reveal traileris its shocking resemblance to theDead Spacegames. The dark prison-based setting of Jupiter IV reeks of the cosmic and sci-fi horror roots ofDead Space. The character in the trailer also has a similar holographic health meter like Isaac fromDead Spacethat indicates thatThe Callisto Protocolisn’t holding back on itsDead Spaceinfluences.
The Callisto Protocolaims to fill in the void ofDead Spacegames and is also seemingly marketed in the same way, but withDead Space Remakeand abrand newDead Spacegame in the works, things may not work in its favor. A newDead Spacegame could sell well solely on the nostalgia factor. On the other hand,The Callisto Protocolis a new IP in development at a new studio that is relying on itsDead Spaceroots andDead Space’s co-creator Glen Schofield for marketing. It means that if the latter ends up leaving the project,The Callisto Protocolcould lose the attention it has gotten so far and fall under the radar.
Not every positively received video game becomes a best-seller, andThe Evil Within 2is a perfect example of it. Despite being a good survival horror game,The Evil Within 2didn’t meet sales expectations. While there could be plenty of reasons for this, the non-involvement of the acclaimed Shinji Mikami in a directorial way could have been a factor.The Evil Withinhad initially garnished attention for being Shinji Mikami’s next big game and a possible successor toResident Evil 4.The Callisto Protocolcould fall off the radar for a similar reason if it happens, even more so if the originalDead Spacereturns and launches in close proximity to it.
The allegedDead Space Remakeseems to check all the right boxes so far, with the project seemingly being inspired byResident Evil 2 Remake. It could easily steal the spotlight fromThe Callisto Protocolif EA decides to showcase gameplay and reveal a release date for the game. As such,The Callisto Protocol’s greatest strength could be its biggest weakness, given how fans have yet to see how similar or different it plays fromDead Space. Alternatively, if theDead Space RemakeorDead Spacereboot is years away at this point,The Callisto Protocolcould also serve as the perfect appetizer for hardcoreDead Spacefans as they wait for the next entry.
The Callisto Protocolcould make a name for itself and be a unique experience of its own. The game isset in thePUBGuniverse, and while it may not be everyone’s favorite video game world, it certainly makes things interesting forThe Callisto Protocol. The rumoredDead Space Remakecould certainly shake things up forThe Callisto Protocolfor better or worse though fans have to wait a while before they find out.
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