Spoilers ahead for Dead Space and Dead Space Remake.
When Dead Space first arrived on the scene back in 2008, the game set a new standard for survival horror. The grotesque body horror and intense combat instantly made Dead Space a hit for the many who played it. However, one of the biggest moments in the game was found in its jaw-dropping ending. The twist still remains one of the most talked about in the horror genre, and one of the most fascinating aspects about this twist is that it was in front of players' faces the entire time.
Near the end of Dead Space, players are led to believe that Isaac has reunited with his significant other, Nicole. Stationed on the Ishimura before Isaac's arrival, it turns out that Nicole actually died long before Isaac ever showed up on the ship. Due to Isaac's Marker-induced dementia, the version of Nicole he was seeing was actually a hallucination this entire time. To this day, the twist ending of Dead Space remains one of the most memorable shocks in the horror genre, and the developers were leaving clues from the start.
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Dead Space's Twist Ending Was Made Obvious by Developers
Looking back at Dead Space, the developers purposefully revealed the game's surprise ending in a brilliant way. The big twist ending is completely spoiled via the game's chapter titles. There are a total of 12 chapters in Dead Space, and the first letter of every word in these titles spells out, "Nicole is Dead".
- Chapter 01: New Arrivals
- Chapter 02: Intensive Care
- Chapter 03: Course Correction
- Chapter 04: Obliteration Imminent
- Chapter 05: Lethal Devotion
- Chapter 06: Environmental Hazard
- Chapter 07: Into the Void
- Chapter 08: Search and Rescue
- Chapter 09: Dead on Arrival
- Chapter 10: End of Days
- Chapter 11: Alternate Solutions
- Chapter 12: Dead Space
When looking at the first letter of the 12 titles, it's now completely obvious. However, it's one of those brilliant hidden clues that are so obvious that many players completely miss it. Plot twists in horror games have become the norm, but one of the things that makes Dead Space's ending so great is that the developers were practically shouting it at players the entire time. It's a beautifully clever way to continue to surprise fans after finishing the game, and it's a clue that can take a long time to notice.
Isaac never fully recovers from the damage the Marker has done to his mind, which is further explored in Dead Space 2 .
Setting Up an Iconic Ending
For those who have played the game, Dead Space can bring some intense scares, but the ending revealing Nicole was actually dead the whole time added an existential layer of fear. All this time, players were completely blinded by the effects of the Marker and weren't even aware of this, putting them directly in the shoes of Isaac. Players got to receive the news of Nicole being dead in real time, leaving many just as shocked as the game's protagonist.
All players had to do was thoroughly examine the clues laid out by the developers, but the clues were so clear that they went completely unnoticed. It was an amazing way to truly immerse players in the character of Isaac. Twist endings aren't always pulled off well and can prove to be incredibly divisive, but the big Nicole reveal at the end of Dead Space is still being put on lists of the greatest endings in gaming, and for good reason.
When it comes to the horror of Dead Space, the twist ending provides the cherry on top of an already great game. After facing nightmare-inducing Necromorphs and dealing with an incredibly harrowing situation, everything comes crashing down even harder once players realize Isaac's partner is long gone. It's an incredible shake-up to the plot that can't really be replicated anymore. As good of a twist as it is on its own, the game's developers giving a clear reveal of the ending through Dead Space's chapter titles makes it utterly brilliant.
