Remakes of popular games always come attached with one question from fans - whether the game was in need of a remake or reimagining in the first place. This often boils down to how its graphics and gameplay compare to modern games and if the nostalgia that these classics provide would be blemished in a modern retelling. The same question had been raised about Motive’s Dead Space, for example, but to say that Isaac Clarke actually having voice lines in the remake is a huge improvement is an understatement.
Fans are likely used to the word ‘remake’ being thrown about now, especially when it is questionable what has been remade besides visuals. Of course, graphics are important to AAA survival-horror if a lot of a title's atmosphere is drawn from the fidelity of the original game, but there are substantial changes that Motive introduces to Dead Space’s gameplay as well. Narratively, though, Dead Space’s lore and storytelling are completely recontextualized because Isaac is actually able to respond to NPCs and express himself verbally.
Isaac Talking Takes NPC Conversations in The Dead Space Remake to New Heights
Isaac Clarke was inexplicably mute while other characters spoke to him in the original Dead Space. This was preferable to a lot of fans who enjoy silent protagonists, allowing themselves to feel more immersed in the character as an avatar.
However, from a storytelling perspective, Isaac offers little to Dead Space’s narrative when he cannot share his thoughts or interact with others. Likewise, it is strange to consider the fact that he would simply not say anything when characters are talking to him. Players would still see him emote on occasion, such as when he learns that Nicole had been dead the entire time that he was aboard the Ishimura.
Rather, in the remake, almost all dialogue has seemingly needed to be changed in order to accommodate Isaac's newfound voice. It is fantastic that Gunner Wright has returned to reprise the role of Isaac, iconic shouts and all. Once he is heard speaking for the first time, some players are able to instantly associate this version of Isaac with the one they have known from the franchise’s second and third installments.
Still, there may be other fans who prefer a silent Isaac to a talkative one. But interactions and subtext are both made much richer with Isaac being able to contribute to conversations with characters like Kendra Daniels, Zach Hammond, Dr. Challus Mercer, and his girlfriend, Nicole Brennan.
Isaac Talking Gives Dead Space an Entirely New Meaning
In the original game, Isaac Clarke seems nonchalant and uncaring about Nicole Brennan’s whereabouts along with the rest of the crew he arrives at the Ishimura with, mostly because he never talks to himself or NPCs. In the remake, Isaac talks about Nicole often, and finding her is finally expressed to be a genuine priority of his.
There is even an entire side quest created for Motive’s Dead Space remake that retreads Nicole’s whereabouts, including information on her learning about the Marker and Dr. Challus Mercer’s experiments. Players encounter Mercer in similar circumstances, but Isaac is now able to talk to him and express his aversion toward Unitology.
Further, Isaac’s reactions to side characters’ deaths are profound, giving him an opportunity to shout emotionally in moments where he was previously mute. Each character is made that much more meaningful in the narrative while Isaac can interact with them, broadening what is learned from each NPC and what Isaac takes from each conversation.
More lore is embedded in Motive’s Dead Space than was in the original, and while that is mostly due to text and audio logs, it is also through conversations that Isaac would not have been able to conduct otherwise. In many ways, that makes Isaac’s voice the most substantial change that the Dead Space remake offers.
Dead Space is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.