What you need to know
- Motive Studios, one of the many development teams under Electronic Arts, is currently working on a remake of the original Dead Space.
- Motive Studios is sharing regular updates on the game's development, providing early snippets and in-depth looks at how assets are built.
- The latest update for the game focuses on the art direction of the game.
- The Dead Space remake is slated to arrive on Jan. 27, 2023.
Motive Studios again shared an update on the progress being made with the Dead Space remake, as well as confirming that the game now has a release date of January 27, 2023.
While the prior update was focused on the improving the audio design of the Dead Space remake, this update was all about the art direction and process. Art Director Mike Yazijian talked about the visual pillars of the art direction in the Dead Space remake. The three pillars are Horror, Immersion, and a Lived-In World. In staying true to these pillars, the developers are using the original assets of the game as the basis for every new asset, making sure the art direction is improved while staying true to the original design.
As part of this, the developers are also adding new details where it makes sense, adding rust where water might drip, or other details as long as they remain inline with the aforementioned pillars. You can see a before and after of this art process in the video below:
Motive Studios is also taking care with the lighting effects of the game. Dead Space has a lot of dark areas, so if an explosion is too bright or not bright enough, the effect won't turn out right. As a result, the team is taking care to render explosions in HDR to make sure the brightness levels are just right.
The developers also showed off how the art team is working on updating the designs for Isaac Clarke and the Necromorphs, adding artistic details that weren't possible on older hardware.
Finally, Motive Studios also provided insight into the lighting process for the remake. Different kinds of lights used in different environments add or take away from the atmosphere, and the teams are being careful with how lighting is being used so things are visible, but not too colorful.
Development is continuing at a steady pace, with the studio noting that the team was able to complete the first full playthrough of the game a couple of weeks ago. The developers intend to show full gameplay in October 2022, around Halloween. The game is coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and PS5.
