EA Motive's from the ground up remake of 2008's sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space kicked off 2023 with its first big triple A title, earning glowing reviews and solid sales numbers. Fans and critics alike praised how true it stayed to the source material while also adding in just enough new ideas and change ups where appropriate to make the remake feel like its own experience. Naturally, players are clamoring for EA Motive to tackle Dead Space 2, theorizing about what it would look and play like with the same level of love and care the first game received with its remake.
Incredible work has been done in the survival horror genre in the last few years, with the recent Resident Evil 4 in particular being a showcase for how to revamp a classic game properly in the modern era. However, there is another franchise, and specifically how it handled one of its most terrifying boss battles, that should be examined when adapting the next Dead Space to the current gen of consoles: The Last of Us.
The Last of Us 2's Rat King Boss Battle
While a lot of the core themes and narrative are driven by human relationships in The Last of Us Part 2, it is still very much has the DNA of a survival horror experience. Scavenging for supplies, careful inventory management and dodging legions of the undead are all ever present qualities within the post apocalyptic world of The Last of Us series. While the base level infected known as 'Clickers' are certainly horrifying, sometimes they mutate into grotesque creatures that are far worse.
In order to up the ante from its predecessor, The Last of Us Part 2 introduced some new infected monsters for players to contend with called Shamblers, who will explode releasing a burst of spores in the immediate area. . However, as chilling as Shamblers opponents were, there was one other infected encounter that left a nightmarish impact for weeks after the game launched.
Later on in the experience, players take control of Abby and see the narrative from her perspective, recontextualizing events that take place during Ellie's own campaign. Both of these characters end up at the same hospital location, although for different reasons. In Abby's experience, players find themselves exploring the deeper levels of the building, completely torn apart and riddled with fungus that stretches along the walls. As players go deeper and deeper, the suspense builds because it is clear they are not alone. This tension explodes with a battle against a colossal, horrific boss called the Rat King, which chases Abby before she gets a chance to fight it.
Emulating the Rat King in Dead Space 2's Tormentor Boss
For players that went through Dead Space 2, the Rat King sequence in The Last of Us 2 may have brought back memories of the Tormentor. At one point in that game's story, the action reaches a fever pitch as Isaac Clarke attempts to make a daring escape, only to also have to contend with an intimidating and brutal Necromorph closely following his every move. While a memorable moment, it does lean more into high stakes thrills and non-stop adrenaline as opposed to a more careful, methodically built up encounter.
In a way to separate it from the original Dead Space 2 Tormentor sequence, taking a page from The Last of Us 2's book and building tension instead may be worthwhile here. Instead of Isaac dodging explosions, and other enemies as well as the Tormentor, EA Motive can have him slowly investigate a new, dark area. As he explores, he could find remnants and clues that something else is there with him. Huge scale set pieces are always fun, but sometimes in survival horror, a more nuanced and subtle approach is the more interesting way to go. While a proper boss fight that is as intense as the Rat King should be the payoff, and the action sequences tied to the creature can remain, spending a bit more time setting up the Tormentor beforehand can make it even more intimidating,
Dead Space is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.