2013's Dead Space 3 is often considered the black sheep of the Dead Space franchise. While the first two games focused on atmospheric horror, the third entry took a more action-oriented approach. The divisive title felt more like a third-person shooter than a survival horror game, causing many long-time fans to harshly criticize its revamped gameplay.
Although Dead Space 3 is an above-average action game, its departure from the horror genre left a horrible taste in the mouths of its fans that some are still struggling to wash out. Some gamers even blame it for killing the entire franchise.
The original Dead Space blew horror fans away when it debuted in late 2008. Its chilling sci-fi setting and unique combat system made it a terrifying treasure on seventh generation consoles. Dead Space would go on to receive a slew of awards, including the Game Critics Award for Best Action/Adventure Game.
Dead Space 2 would launch in 2011 and improve upon its predecessor in a variety of ways. It flirted a bit more with the action genre while maintaining its survival horror image. The game would eventually outsell the original Dead Space, moving around 4 million units. Everything seemed to be going well for the franchise until EA decided to put their own spin on the series.
Visceral Games, Dead Space's developer, originally had Dead Space 3 returning to its horror roots. It would be slower-paced and incorporate more psychological horror elements into its gameplay. The plot would be similar to the John Carpenter film The Thing as a team of space marines grow paranoid with their surroundings, eventually turning on each other as the plot unfolds. EA didn't believe Visceral's original concept was marketable enough, so it forced the developers to change its entire blueprint.
The developers had to scrap most of the game's original narrative while EA demanded features like co-op be implemented into the game. To make things worse, EA slashed Dead Space 3's budget. Visceral had little say in the matter and had to please Electronic Arts or run the risk of getting the game canceled. With Dead Space 3 slowing morphing into a shell of its former self, Visceral had no choice but to make the best of what it had.
Dead Space 3 didn't sit well with long-time fans. The combat-heavy gameplay and expanded environments felt more like Lost Planet 4 than Dead Space 3. It completely lost its identity and disappointed fans who were anticipating a frightening, sci-fi horror experience. Instead, gamers received a generic third-person shooter that barely resembled the Dead Space series. Although Dead Space 3 isn't bad, it strayed too far away from the original Dead Space formula.
Dead Space 3's lukewarm reception caused EA to completely abandon the beloved horror franchise. Shortly after canceling Visceral's AAA Star Wars game in 2017, EA shut down the studio to focus on more mainstream titles with multiplayer capabilities. Visceral generally made story-driven single players games that didn't interest EA at the time. On October 14, 2017, just a few days after Dead Space's 9th anniversary, Visceral Studios closed its doors.
Dead Space 3 suffered from an identity crisis. EA wanted to take the game in a new direction while Visceral wanted it to return to its survival horror roots. The inner conflict between the publisher and developer ended up contributing to the franchise's untimely demise. Dead Space 3 continues dividing the fandom as many fans dream of what could have been if the game lived up to its high expectations.