Most important question of the series without answer. Only Dead Space 4 could reveal the truth about the Necromorphs

Released almost 13 years ago, Dead Space 3 concludes the story of Isaac Clarke, which began in 2008. The team at Visceral Games actually had plans to continue the series beyond this game. Interestingly, the original concept for the third installment was intended to be a truer survival horror experience. However, this initial idea was never developed, and a second concept had to be significantly changed to meet the requirements of Electronic Arts, the game’s publisher.

Dead Space 4: Isaac (or someone else) alone in space

Before I share the plans for Dead Space 4, please be aware that the following information contains spoilers for the ending of Dead Space 3. These details come from a July 2018 interview with Ben Wanat, the creative director of the series, originally published by Eurogamer.

So, the plan for Dead Space 4 was to pick up right where Dead Space 3 left off. Basically, humanity was facing total destruction from the Necromorphs, and I would have been playing as someone trying to stop these alien invaders. It sounded awesome!

The question of who the player would control was still up in the air. Although Isaac Clarke was the most probable choice, the developers hadn’t dismissed the idea of featuring Carver, introduced in the third game, or Ellie, Clarke’s romantic interest. They even explored the possibility of creating a brand new character, as Wanat explained.

The end of the world allowed us to start fresh, free from the constraints of the past. We could tell a new story without being tied to any of the previous characters.

The developer also expressed a strong desire to have Ellie as the main character in Dead Space 4.

Exploration of the cosmic void

The planned gameplay for Dead Space 4 involved a unique approach. Developers aimed to build on a subtle element from the third game, allowing players to scavenge resources by exploring the remains of various spaceships. Players would travel between these wrecks in their own small ship, as Wanat explained.

Basically, the goal was to explore and see if anyone else was out there, while also scavenging for anything I could find to keep my ship running and hopefully rescue other people.

The ultimate aim of everything we were doing was to reach an orbital station. This station would have the necessary components and fuel to modify our ship to use the ShockPoint Drive. The ShockPoint Drive, created by Hideki Ishimura (the namesake of the USG Ishimura from the original Dead Space game), was a powerful engine that would allow us to travel between vast, open-world sectors of space.

The developers aimed to blend the familiar chapter structure of past games with more player freedom. They didn’t want the spaceships to simply be settings; instead, each ship was designed to be distinct and memorable, much like the Ishimura. They envisioned a variety of ship types, each with its own purpose, layout, and unique challenges for players to overcome.

Necromorphs on steroids and enhanced crafting

Naturally, the shipwrecks were filled with Necromorphs, and we had to battle them. The developers planned a significant update to the enemies, allowing them to move freely in zero gravity. Wanat envisioned opponents capable of:

The creature hunts by stealthily moving through the ship’s corridors in zero gravity, ambushing players in open space, and attempting to remove their mask to attack their face.

The game might seem pretty intense, but fans of the original Dead Space are used to that. Luckily, you won’t be helpless – you’ll have access to plenty of weapons, possibly including some repurposed mining tools, and a crafting system will return. This crafting system, however, will be significantly improved from the one in Dead Space 3, with a focus on better balance and encouraging players to try different things.

Finale

The game’s ending focuses on uncovering the origins of the Necromorphs and offering humanity a chance at survival, though achieving that survival would require a significant sacrifice.

As a big fan, it was really disappointing to learn that Dead Space 4 never happened. Apparently, Dead Space 3 didn’t sell as well as Electronic Arts expected – they were hoping for around 5 million copies sold. Because of that, they put the whole series on hold. It was tough seeing Visceral Games, the studio behind the games, get moved onto other projects like Battlefield Hardline and Army of Two, and eventually, sadly, close down completely.

It’s possible that if the developers had followed their initial ideas for the third game featuring Isaac Clarke, the outcome could have been better.

Dead Space 3 that never was

In a February 2017 interview with Eurogamer, Ben Wanat discussed concepts that weren’t included in the third game. He explained that the team originally wanted to create a game that felt very similar to the earlier installments, maintaining the same dark atmosphere and gameplay. The goal was to deeply explore Isaac Clarke’s isolation and descent into madness, delivering a truly terrifying and claustrophobic horror experience focused purely on fear, not action.

The game aimed to blur the line between reality and imagination through hallucinations, making players question what was truly happening. To meet Electronic Arts’ requirements for cooperative play, Visceral Games planned to let a second player control “Shadow Isaac,” a darker version of the main character. These hallucinations wouldn’t affect both players equally; they would appear on only one player’s screen, creating suspense and confusion between the two.

The developers cleverly added a crafting system that fit Isaac’s background as an engineer, rather than a soldier. However, some of their ideas were too difficult or costly to implement, and the publisher decided others weren’t worth the investment.

They fundamentally changed the game by replacing Isaac’s unique atmosphere with elements from Carver, shifting the focus from scary, tense moments to action, and adding ways to spend money within the crafting system. The changes were immediately noticeable to players.

What’s next for Dead Space 4?

Is the Dead Space series finished? Electronic Arts rebooted the franchise in 2023 with a remake of the original game. However, sales weren’t strong, and rumors suggest the series has been put on hold once more.

As a huge Dead Space fan, I’m always keeping an eye out for news about a potential fourth game. Glen Schofield, one of the creators of the original series, has often said he’d love to make Dead Space 4. He even thought the best way to get it made would be if Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund bought Electronic Arts! Sadly, the latest reports say EA doesn’t have plans to revisit the series right now, but they might consider selling the franchise. If that happens, you never know – maybe the new owner would be willing to fund another terrifying adventure with those creepy Necromorphs! It’s a long shot, but I’m still hoping!

2025-12-22 10:34