Summary
2023 has been filled to the brim with top-tier game releases. Among the many AAA titles and sequels to established franchises was the revived classicDead Space,now fully rebuilt from the ground up for next-generation devices. Remakes are nothing new, with the trend seemingly becoming popularized by theResident Evilremakes starting in 2002. Since then, many remakes of popularResident Eviltitles, as well as other franchises, have been made. Perhaps inspired by the success of these remakes, EA and developer Motive Studios have re-introduced the world toDead Spaceand loaded the new revamp with plenty of modern features. One of these features in particular could help make the nextResident Evilgame even better.
The originalDead Spacewas stated to have been inspired byResident Evil 4,taking elements of the control scheme and camera angles from that game. Of course, there are other elements taken from the classic survival horror franchise as well. The emphasis on atmosphere, resource scarcity, and engaging combat are all staples of the genre thatResident Evilhelped establish. Taking those inspirations,Dead Spacewent on to innovate features and mechanicsof its own. Things were taken even further with theDead Spaceremake, where entirely new systems were engineered to help craft a unique and memorable experience every playthrough. Among these systems is the Intensity Director, a system thatResident Evilshould pay attention to.
Dead Space’s Intensity Directoris a dynamic system that the Developers implemented in order to adjust a player’s experience in real-time. It essentially tracks the peaks and valleys of the “intensity level” of the game in order to engineer a satisfying yet terrifying experience for every player. It does this by controlling everything from the atmospheric elements like steam, to sound effects and enemy encounters. The aim is to time everything perfectly so that players don’t get burnt out from constant stress but also don’t feel they are overly safe and secure for too long.
Due tothe real-time processes ofDead Space’s Intensity Director, each play session or subsequent playthrough will be slightly different. The Intensity Director is basically taking enemy AI to the next level. This differs from the traditional alternative which would require expertly crafted experiences that are perfectly designed to generate the feeling of fear from a player. Of course,Dead Spaceis a well-designed game outside these systems, but the Intensity Director adds to the experience by adding a layer of unpredictability.
Resident Evilhas had substantial updates and innovations over the years to make encounters feel unique and terrifying. But a system likethe Intensity Director would add toResident Evil’s already superb survival horror gameplay. The Intensity Director is described as a “content organization, spawning, and pacing control system”, which helps make each playthrough unique. AsResident Evilgames promote multiple plays, a system like this could ensure the game always stays fresh.
A system like the Intensity Director would be well suited for a futureResident Evilgame likethe rumoredResident Evil 9. Especially if rumors prove to be true and the game takes a more open approach that has the player interacting with NPCs. It would be interesting to see an Intensity Director system managing an environment with NPCs and multiple paths to choose from.Resident Evilserved as the inspiration forDead Space,so it would be only fitting ifREtook some inspiration fromDead Spacenow.
Dead Spaceis available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
