Video Games
Former Visceral Games Dev Drops Some Interesting Trivia Regarding ‘Dead Space’
The sad story of the Dead Space franchise still lingers, but for brief moments, you can see just how big the franchise was (and could have been). A recent post by a Twitter user about such a topic caught the eye of former Level Designer at Visceral Games Ben Johnson. Visceral, if you didn’t know, were the folks behind the series. Johnson mentioned that the original Dead Space engine was a branch off of an engine for another popular franchise for EA, Tiger Woods PGA Tour.
Not only that, the rig (aka the skeleton for the model) used for Dead Space‘s protagonist Isaac Clarke was the same rig used in Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Skate 3 and the 2010 version of NBA Jam, making it pretty simple to import the model.
Hey, Dead Space LD here. All these games used the same basic model rig, so adding Isaac was as simple as importing the model. Dead Space’s engine was a branch off of Tiger Woods, which was made in the same studio as Dead Space back then.
— Gᴏᴏsʏʟᴠᴀɴɪᴀ (@GameDesignerBen) October 12, 2019
Johnson also stated that a handful of the team at Visceral Games (which ended up closing two years ago this month) made their way to Double Fine, which is currently working on Psychonauts 2 (due out next year). So, until EA decides to resurrect the series, in a small way, the spirit of the Dead Space series lives on.
Released way back in 2021 onto Steam, Milkbar Lads’ gory, fast-paced, roguelike shooter Dead Estate has finally arrived on the PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch, with Switch 2 compatibility. The console releases contain all of the previously-released expansions, including the entirely separate campaign inspired by classic survival horror games, “Assignment Anya”.
There isn’t much to the story of Dead Estate, which is probably for the best. All you need to know is that you’re stuck in a monster-filled mansion, from which you’ve obviously got to escape. Your only way out is to ascend the floors of the mansion with one of 10 unique characters, collect loads of items and weapons, and tackle the grueling challenges within. Along the way, you will discover secrets and the many unlockables.
And yes, there are loads of weapons and items for the game’s close-quarters combat. 150 weapons and 300 items, to be exact, making each run unique. Adding to that uniqueness are the many alternate floors and floor variants of the mansion. There are also modifiers and difficulty levels available to further maximize replayability.
And as mentioned, Dead Estate also includes a nod to Resident Evil 4 with Assignment Anya, an obvious play on Assignment: Ada. With this expansion, which is set prior to the events of the main game, you play as Anya, a fledgling actress who finds herself helplessly lost in the mansion after her film crew is attacked by the undead. Abandoned by her leading man and left alone with nothing but a mask with which to disguise herself, Anya must escape the increasingly warped and deadly estate all on her own.