We’re going to be hearing it a lot, after all
EA Motive has beenchecking in with theDead Spacecommunityahead of the 2023 remake, and its latest update has to do with the all-important Plasma Cutter. Did it sound wrong to you before? If so, you’ll probably appreciate the new audio “modifications.”
https://twitter.com/deadspace/status/1514307911299715072
“When we showed you the [Dead Spaceremake] Plasma Cutter and Pulse Rifle not everyone was sold on it, and there were a handful of criticisms that felt they could still be better,”explainedMotive. “We believe that the feedback given was definitely valid and reading the comments on what was highlighted, we made a few modifications that we think improve it!” These live streams and open lines of communication are appreciated.
What changed since the last stream, exactly?
“The sense of power from weapons comes with the full experience, as it’s not only the core sounds you’ll hear, but also the impact on surfaces, and the effects on the environments. You’ll notice thePlasma Cutterfrequency range has been rebalanced to focus more on the kick, as well as the lower end. Overall, this better aligns to that ‘feel’ that so many of you mentioned with the original.
With thePulse Rifle, you can hear now that the rhythm is a bit more chaotic and not as tight as the previous version. There’s a bit more volume from the environmental reaction, as well as more feedback from surface impacts.”
This before-and-after clip speaks for itself, and I think they’re on the right track with these weapons. That said, I’m a Plasma Cutter man for life, so I’ll be skipping the Pulse Rifle.
It’s a weapon that looks, feels, andsoundsiconic to this day, so getting that all just right — capturing the original game’s essence through a new lens without being too different or too similar — seems like a tricky balancing act. I don’t envy the team’s directive, but I wish them the absolute best of luck;Dead Spacedeserves a true comeback, and this should only be the start. As much as I adoreResident Evil, there’s room for so much more.
Even though I told myself I wouldn’t obsess too much over the minutia, well, here we are! Not that this is a trivial element ofDead Space; the Plasma Cutter — and really every last bit of the sound design — is instrumental in pulling off this nerve-wracking horror experience. Just like in the 2008 original, I want to have to physically catch my breath.
It’d be nice to just wake up in early 2023 and be completely surprised by theDead Spaceremake, but I know myself too well — I can’t resist peeking at it all year long. To that end, Motive nudged fans not to fixate on the work-in-progress “visuals, animations, textures, or models today.” The nextDead Spacestream, an art showcase, is scheduled for May.
