This is going to be a sad thing to hear for both fans of survival horror and those who lament the inevitable passage of time: Dead Space 3, the last game released in the series, debuted in 2013. In fact, an entire console generation has passed without even the slightest hint or suggestion that the series’ corpse may be reanimated. Sadly, even the studio that crafted the IP, Visceral Games, is long since buried; having been shuttered by Electronic Arts in 2017 after being put to work on a couple of so-so shooters.
Yet what better time could there be for a series like Dead Space? A global pandemic, increased political uncertainty, the ceaseless rise of worldwide temperatures; what people really need right now is a completely new horror to distract them from all the real ones. And what better horror could there be than a Necromorph invasion, brought directly to everyone’s television? What society really needs right now is a live action Dead Space TV show.
The Dead Space universe is dripping with atmosphere and potential, to the point that when the IP was initially launched, EA saw fit to bring audiences an entire universe all at once. Way before the MCU ever got off the ground, Electronic Arts was attempting to brand Dead Space as the perfect multimedia project, announcing comic books, animated films, and a host of associated advertising, all on top of the original game. While the spin-off materials were eventually left to the wayside and forgotten, that was more due to their lower quality than the inherent potential of the universe.
The great thing about Dead Space is there’s a lot of starting points a writer/director could take as inspiration. Any of the three games provides a decent original story to work with. The first game is a tense and somewhat lonely experience, with space engineer Isaac Clarke exploring the inexplicably derelict spaceship Ishimura, only to discover that something horrific has happened on board. Clarke and the few other souls he arrived with need to use their wits to survive on board, figure out a way to destroy the horrific zombie like Necromorphs, and try to escape with their lives if possible. There’s a ton of potential there, and it provides a lot of ground for any creative horror director to cover.
Of course, the other games have a lot to offer as well, with Dead Space 2 taking place in a more residential setting, and the third game having a lot more to do with the cultists who are behind unleashing the Markers that allow the Necromorphs to shudder into existence. However, thanks to the way the universe is set up, there’s no explicit need to shackle things to the game’s story. There are plenty of unrelated Necromorph incidents in the backstory, and an undefined number of Markers floating around that could cause another outbreak anywhere. If a writer really wanted, they could simply use the basic elements of the plot and have an entirely new story to tell that exists within the universe without conflicting with previous narratives.
The many different narrative possibilities aside, really interesting work could be done with creature design and special effects. The Necromorphs are horrific things, violently twisting and deforming bodies into deadly killing machines. There’s no limit in the universe to what could be done with the designs, both recreations of familiar foes and terrifying new monstrosities could be excellent additions to such a project. The series is also renowned for its sense of aesthetic, with isolating metal hallways, Isaac’s bulky suits and engineering tools turned weapons, it would be fantastic to see some classic machinery like the plasma cutter make its way to live action.
Between all this opportunity to make something great, and the fact that the series has long been in hibernation anyway, it’s the perfect time for a project like this. It’s already a wonder that Electronic Arts hasn’t bothered with such a well recognized name for years, neglecting to even put out a basic port for next gen systems. So what do you say, EA? Why not show this underappreciated franchise a little more love, and give audiences yet another voyage into the cold unforgiving void of Dead Space?
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