Dead Space is considered a classic in the survival horror genre, so the upcoming Dead Space remake has a lot to live up to. Fortunately, the developers seem to be already hard at work updating existing assets and creating new ones. Recently, a new gameplay video was posted to show off some audio improvements featured in the Dead Space remake.
Sound design is one of the most important elements in the horror genre, and the survival horror genre has a long history of leaning into this. The best-known example of this may be the iconic work of Akira Yamaoka, but the original Dead Space featured a chilling soundscape as well. From the distant skittering of necromorph claws to the dynamic music system, the sound of Dead Space is as important to the game's atmosphere as the visuals are.
A three-minute-long video titled "Dead Space | Weapon Sound Effects Comparison | Audio Deep-Dive Part 3 (2022)" was recently posted to the official Dead Space YouTube channel. This video focuses specifically on comparing the new and old sound effects for two of Dead Space's great weapons--the plasma cutter and the pulse rifle. Narrated by Technical Audio Artist Mike Dominiuk, the video discusses how the Dead Space remake is trying to bring the audio quality of these beloved weapons up to modern standards.
The video begins by demonstrating the original sound effects for the iconic plasma cutter, the first weapon the player receives in the franchise. Dominiuk plays the softer sounds for aiming the plasma cutter as well as the loud hiss when it fires. Then he moves to the in-progress remake sound effects, which include a louder and more penetrating aiming noise and a completely redone firing noise. The new plasma cutter blast sounds less like a hiss and more like a choked-off metallic scream, which may be very fitting for the franchise.
In the video, Dominiuk goes on to break down the new plasma cutter sound into distinct audio layers. There are far too many audio layers being played over each shot of the weapon to look at them all individually in three minutes, so Dominiuk focuses on six in particular. Each layer of sound will provide a sense of eerie sci-fi tension to the Dead Space remake. The end of the video features a similar comparison between the original and new pulse rifle sounds without the in-depth breakdown. Apparently, the new pulse rifle will sound more like an actual gun when fired.
Dead Space Remake is coming out in 2023 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles.