With the massive success of the Dead Space remake, many now wonder if the next step in the series is a Dead Space 2 remake and what that could look like. Given that Dead Space 2 has many improvements included in the first game's remake, it can be argued that it does not need one. Still, given that some computers have trouble running older games and there's no proper port to modern systems, there is plenty of room to reintroduce the title to newer audiences.
A bigger question to ask regarding a potential Dead Space 2 remake is what can be improved upon from the original that has not already been included. The most obvious thing that will see an overhaul are the sounds and visuals, and considering that several retooled mechanics from the Dead Space remake are carry-overs from the sequel, EA Motive might have less of a distance to go to make a Dead Space 2 remake have a more modern feel. If the team does want to blow expectations away, efforts might have to focus on other aspects of the game to get that reaction.
Improving Upon Dead Space's Fantastic Foundation
Dead Space 2 has everything that is needed to make a great sequel. It raises the stakes by placing the player in a city and including more enemies, outfits, and weapons that meaningfully change the pace while retaining its identity. A remake can follow in its footsteps by focusing on being a bigger version of its predecessor, improving upon parts like the Dead Space 2 tormenter boss fight to make the experience for returning players fresh.
One of the biggest things EA Motive can do is give a Dead Space 2 remake the same structure found in the first game. Like its predecessor, Dead Space 2 had linear progression with players not being allowed to backtrack past certain points in the game's story. The remake opted for a more open-ended structure that allowed room for more deviations from the critical path, which gave more context to what the Ishimura was like before and during the necromorph outbreak.
This might be a tall order, however, as The Sprawl is far more expansive than the Ishimura due to being an entire city as opposed to a singular station, meaning that making a completely interconnected Dead Space 2 setting is theoretically more of a daunting task as opposed to an interconnected Dead Space. One alternative could be to adopt a structure similar to Resident Evil 4. In that game, any major areas are free to explore until players decide to move on to the next place, which helps afford some level of freedom while still keeping them progressing. This can allow for more side content that fleshes out The Sprawl and its residents while helping preserve the faster pace of Dead Space 2.
Perhaps the biggest thing added to the Dead Space remake is Isaac Clarke getting more voice acting, calling for a rewrite of the game's story that accounts for his more active involvement in the narrative. Dead Space 2 does not need such a drastic change, as Isaac was voiced in that game, meaning that not many alterations are needed for the main story outside the addition of lines relating to potentially new side missions.
Given the attention to detail for weapons and enemy dismemberment, a Dead Space 2 remake already has a wonderful foundation to work with. Much of that work can transfer over to a remake for the sequel to improve upon aspects like exploration and narrative. It might be less of an obvious step-up in quality from when the games originally came out, but there is fantastic potential in seeing a version of Dead Space 2 with a different interpretation from the original.
Dead Space is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
