Dead Space remake impresses with first look at combat and graphics

Earlier today, EA Motive gave us an early look at the highly anticipated Dead Space remake. And by early, I mean very early — like the end of pre-production build and just starting production.

But despite being really, really far from being done, the Dead Space remake is shaping up to be a visually stunning game. Even for something so early in development, I was taken aback by just how amazing the environment looks.

The stream began with a look at how EA Motive built the environments, which are actually the same layouts from the original game. They actually began with the legacy assets which the art team then went in and started adding levels of details for higher fidelity. They then started working on the shaders and materials to create a metallic look for the environment. Then came lighting and visual effects, like fog. The result is simply stunning.

EA Motive confirmed that the game engine is built on Frostbite with the goal of high end fidelity and high end graphics. The focus is on lighting, the effects and overall audio experience to deliver the right atmosphere.

The stills looked impressive enough, but then they showed us an early pre-production development build of the game actually running. They absolutely have nailed the ambience. Seeing the remake appear next to the original, the visual upgrades are clearly noticeable. The Dead Space remake is all about immersion, which adds to the horror element.

In addition to the graphics and atmosphere, EA Motive also discussed the game’s combat mechanic. Dismembering Necromorphs is a staple of Dead Space and in the remake, that gore actually serves a purpose as it relates to the damage system.