'Dead Space Remake': How The New Dismemberment System Works

Motive Studios recently shared a very early look at how the development for the “Dead Space Remake” has been going, including a preview of the new dismemberment system that players will have to familiarize themselves with.

The developers went live online recently and shared important details regarding the game’s development and the content that they’ve finished so far, including the updated combat system. Creative director Roman Campos-Oriola and senior producer Philippe Ducharme showed to the viewers the new peeling system that’s set to introduce an extra layer of gore and tactical dismemberment to the game.

Dismemberment will remain a key aspect of “Dead Space,” and Motive’s new peeling system is designed to make each encounter more visceral than in the original game. Instead of simply blowing off necromorph limbs, “Dead Space Remake” will let players see the actual damage done to the monsters down to the smallest of details.

Isaac Clarke in his iconic engineering suit in the Dead Space remake trailer Photo: Electronic Arts

Every inch of a necromorph’s body is rigged to reflect damage, letting players literally peel off their body mass through gunfire. It makes for a more visually stunning and brutal combat experience, but it also ties into the gameplay updates that Motive plans for “Dead Space.”

The visual representation of damage will let players know where they need to shoot in order to cut a necromorph’s limb off. Players will have to focus their fire on body parts that are already damaged for their shots to have any effect.

Campos-Oriola also mentioned that the peeling and carving system will have some sort of effect when it comes to the larger enemy types. When Campos-Oriola mentioned the Brute enemy type, Ducharme implied that players will be able to carve through the monster’s exposed backside and “get to the weak points,” a mechanic that was not present in the original game.

The developers also mentioned that limbs can dangle from necromorphs, hanging onto the main bodies with shredded skin and torn muscles. Players can use their Kinesis Modules on these dangling lips to forcefully tear them off and use them as weapons.

Overall, the remake will stay true to the original “Dead Space” experience, but Motive is actively trying to implement new features that complement the classic gameplay, themes and settings. The new gore system may seem gratuitous, but for any of the original game’s fans, this can serve as an important new feature that might just help them survive the nightmare once again.