Dead Space 3 is a 2013 survival horror and action video game created by Visceral Games and released by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. It is the third and last main game in the Dead Space series. The game’s story follows the main character, Isaac Clarke, and his allies as they explore a frozen planet called Tau Volantis to learn about the growing threat from their enemies, the Necromorphs. Players control Isaac, explore the environment, solve puzzles, find resources, and fight Necromorphs and hostile humans known as Unitologists. The game allows online co-op play, where a second player controls a new character named John Carver.
Production of the game started in 2011 after the release of Dead Space 2. The sequel was originally planned to focus more on horror, but requests from Electronic Arts led to the addition of action elements, less emphasis on horror themes, and the inclusion of microtransactions. The gameplay was changed to fit the new setting, and the story was written to end the series and explain the remaining secrets about the Necromorphs. Composers Jason Graves and James Hannigan created the game’s music. A downloadable content (DLC) episode titled Awakened was released in March 2013 and focused more on horror elements.
Dead Space 3 was advertised with extra media, including a graphic novel called Dead Space: Liberation. Reviews of the game were mostly positive, with praise for its atmosphere and gameplay. However, critics and players questioned the shift toward action. Awakened received mixed reviews, with some criticizing its story problems and short length. Dead Space 3 had high sales but sold fewer copies than expected. Plans for a sequel were canceled, the development team was broken up, and Visceral Games closed in 2017. The series remained inactive until a remake of the first Dead Space game was released in 2023.
Gameplay
Dead Space 3 is a science-fiction-themed survival horror action video game. Players control Isaac Clarke, the main character, from a third-person view as they complete a story-driven campaign with different levels. The game takes place mainly on the icy planet Tau Volantis, where players complete missions, solve puzzles, and fight monsters called Necromorphs. Isaac can climb ladders, move up and down steep slopes, and dodge dangers. In some parts of the game, Isaac explores outer space with limited air supplies, and in weightless areas, he uses his RIG suit to move through debris and spacecraft.
While exploring, Isaac can break open crates using melee attacks or by stomping. The Kinesis ability lets him move or pull objects, and the Stasis ability slows enemies temporarily. Most in-game displays, such as health and energy meters, appear as holographic projections on-screen. The crafting bench interface is the only exception. Health, energy, and ammunition are shown on Isaac’s RIG suit or on weapons. Opening the inventory screen does not pause the game.
Isaac fights Necromorphs that appear in the environment, as well as human enemies. Sometimes, Isaac must battle Necromorphs and human soldiers at the same time. He can use two weapons to fight, but Necromorphs can only be defeated by cutting off their limbs, a method called strategic dismemberment. Isaac can hide behind objects like boxes for cover. All weapons use the same type of ammunition. Players can find health, weapons, and ammunition in the environment. Crafting benches, found during the campaign, allow players to create new items and customize weapons using blueprints. Crafting materials are collected from the environment using a scavenger robot and from defeated enemies. These materials can also be bought with real money through microtransactions.
In addition to the single-player story, a second player can join as John Carver in an online cooperative multiplayer mode. This mode is accessed from the main menu, where the host can invite friends or allow others to join. While the story remains mostly the same, co-op mode changes some puzzles and adds exclusive missions and scenes about John Carver. A key feature of co-op is "asymmetrical dementia," where players experience different hallucinations. The Xbox 360 version includes the Kinect peripheral, allowing players to use voice commands for actions like Stasis. Completing the game unlocks New Game Plus, letting players carry over weapons and armor and access new modes. "Classic" mode removes crafting and plays like earlier games. "Pure Survival" includes enemies but no resources, focusing on managing health and ammunition. "Hardcore" mode introduces permadeath, meaning Isaac has only one life, and if he dies, the game restarts from the beginning.
Synopsis
Dead Space 3 is set in the 26th century. In the backstory, humans faced a shortage of resources and studied an alien object called the Black Marker. This object caused mental illness and turned dead bodies into monster-like creatures called Necromorphs. During the first outbreak, a new religion called the Church of Unitology formed, believing the Marker was a divine object that would unite humanity into a single state called "Convergence." Later, experiments with copies of the Marker, called Red Markers, had the same effects. Because of this, the Earth Government (EarthGov) hid the Red Markers. The Marker incidents began again when a mining ship, the USG Ishimura, found a Marker on the planet Aegis VII. Today, the Markers are attacking humanity. While EarthGov tries to stop the crisis and use the Markers for energy, the Church of Unitology spreads the Markers' influence.
The main character, Isaac Clarke, is an engineer who survived the Ishimura incident, was tortured by EarthGov for knowing about the Marker's blueprints, and later faced a Necromorph outbreak on the space station Sprawl. He also suffers from mental illness caused by the Markers. The secondary character is John Carver, an EarthGov soldier who survived a Necromorph outbreak that killed his family. Other characters include Ellie Langford, a pilot and Isaac's former girlfriend; Robert Norton, an EarthGov officer and Ellie's new boyfriend; Jacob Danik, a leader of a militant Unitologist group called the Circle; and researchers Jennifer Santos and Austin Buckell.
Two hundred years ago, a military team on the frozen planet Tau Volantis discovered an artifact called the Codex. The team's commander killed his last subordinate, erased the Codex's data, and then committed suicide.
In the present, Isaac is hiding on Earth's moon when Carver and Norton force him to help find Ellie, who is escaping a Necromorph outbreak caused by Danik and the Circle. Ellie is located on Tau Volantis, believed to be the Marker's home planet. Isaac, Carver, Norton, Santos, and Buckell travel to Tau Volantis's moon. They rescue Ellie and investigate the abandoned ship Terra Nova, finding evidence of past research on Necromorphs and the phrase "Turn it off." They crash-land on Tau Volantis, and Isaac and Carver separate from the group. They find Buckell before he dies. After reuniting, the survivors search for a key called "Rosetta," while being chased by Danik and the Circle. Norton betrays the group to the Circle, hoping to return to Earth with Ellie. Danik betrays Norton, and Isaac kills him in self-defense. Santos later dies during another Necromorph attack.
"Rosetta" is revealed to be a frozen alien native to Tau Volantis, whose people were victims of the Necromorph infection. Isaac has a vision showing the Markers influence evolution and help the Necromorph life cycle. To stop the infection, the aliens created a machine that froze Tau Volantis's moon—actually a giant, intelligent Necromorph hivemind—into hibernation. The message "Turn it off" came from the Markers, allowing the moon to awaken and summon more Necromorphs to destroy all life. "Rosetta" was used to create the Codex, a DNA key to control the machine. Danik captures Ellie and forces Isaac and Carver to give him the Codex. Danik deactivates the machine, reviving the moon and triggering Convergence—the absorption of all life on Tau Volantis to empower the moon—but dies in the destruction. After sending Ellie away, Isaac and Carver restart the machine, destroying the moon and themselves. With the Marker signal gone, Ellie returns to Earth.
In Awakened, Isaac and Carver try to escape Tau Volantis, facing more Necromorphs and severe hallucinations. Through a vision, Isaac learns other moons have awakened and are heading to Earth. Isaac and Carver use a Circle shuttle to reach the Terra Nova, seeking a lightspeed drive to warn Earth. They confront a group of insane Circle survivors. The moons invade Isaac's mind, revealing they knew Earth's location and were delaying him and Carver. After killing the cultists, Isaac and Carver return to Earth but find it under attack by the moons. They crash into an approaching moon, and their fates remain unknown.
Development
After the release of Dead Space 2, the developers at Visceral Games noticed that sales were similar to the first game, but the production budget had grown larger. A 2012 report showed that Dead Space 3 was almost canceled because of poor sales of Dead Space 2, which upset the publisher, Electronic Arts. The team decided to add more mainstream elements to the series. The game's director was Ben Wanat, who had previously worked on designing the Necromorphs and writing the series' background story. David Woldman was the senior producer. After the more action-focused style of Dead Space 2, Wanat wanted to return to survival-horror elements, including a crafting system that highlighted Isaac's engineering skills. To make the third game more appealing, the developers changed the game's genre by adding action elements, while still trying to keep the horror aspects that the series was known for. Antony Johnston, who had written for the original game and its related media, said the decision was a "necessary evil" to boost sales.
The game's production faced challenges. During a review of the franchise, Electronic Arts asked for changes to increase sales by following current gaming trends, leading to disagreements with the production team. These included simplifying the final crafting system and adding microtransactions, which the team did not want. This shift was part of Electronic Arts' focus on established franchises with strong sales, rather than experimenting with new ideas like Dead Space. Microtransactions were optional, with unlimited resource mining using a remote device that gave the same items as purchases. At release, players thought this feature was a glitch. After production ended, some team members stayed to finish work on the Awakened DLC, while others moved on to other Electronic Arts projects.
Executive producer Papoutsis said the team aimed to create a game of higher quality than Dead Space 2. The game was first developed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, then ported to Windows, which limited graphical options for Windows players. Papoutsis said the team wanted the game experience to be similar across all platforms. When asked about a Wii U version, Papoutsis said the platform was not right for the Dead Space series at that time. For the Xbox 360 version, the team added Kinect functionality to the co-op mode. They had used other motion-control systems before but never Kinect. They used only voice commands because they thought gestures would interfere with the gameplay feel. The game engine, carried over from earlier games, needed adjustments for larger environments. New technical features included real-time changes in depth and reflections, and more realistic light behavior. The team tried to keep the UI design that was part of the game's world but had to create a more traditional, full-screen UI for the crafting bench. An early version showing Isaac working at a desk with displays around him was not usable.
Electronic Arts had suggested adding a multiplayer mode to increase the series' appeal. It was dropped from the first game due to design and budget reasons but included as a separate competitive mode in Dead Space 2. Fans had also asked for a co-op mode. For Dead Space 3, the team agreed to include co-op from the start and "do it properly." An early idea was to have a hallucinatory "Shadow Isaac" character, but Electronic Arts asked for a more traditional co-op mode without horror elements. Story producer Chuck Beaver said the switch from single-player to co-op happened halfway through production. Gameplay and enemy balance had to be adjusted for co-op, with some sections made co-op exclusive. Enemy AI and spawning rates were also unique to co-op mode.
The new setting, Tau Volantis, allowed the team to use sudden blizzards to obscure visibility, combining with sound design to create new tension. Woldman compared level design to a roller coaster, with high-action moments and periods of rest. Environments were more open than earlier games, encouraging players to use different tactics against enemies. Vertical design allowed rappelling, and the Flotilla, a zero-gravity section, had "wild setups" that were reduced or cut in the final version. The Flotilla also allowed the team to include more closed environments like those in the first two games. From December 2011, the team focused on tuning controls and the weapon-upgrade system, increasing Isaac's movement speed to match new human enemies. The in-game currency, Credits, was removed to focus on the crafting system. The team also reduced backtracking, which had been criticized in the original game. When backtracking was used, the environment and gameplay were changed to provide new experiences.
When Wanat became director, he wanted to focus more on the story than earlier games. The team believed Dead Space 3 would be the final game in the series and decided to conclude the overall narrative. Wanat said he "shoehorned in" a lot of story to close the series. The Awakened DLC left the series open for a possible continuation. The team had written a backstory for the Dead Space universe and started creating a cohesive narrative from Dead Space 2 onward. Player feedback about the Markers led to a focus on their origins and the creation of the Necromorphs. Wanat said he wanted to give players breaks and pace the horror elements. Beaver worked on the series from the start, with the story and script being a collaboration between Beaver, Wanat, and in-house writer Jay Turner. Another writer, Cherie Priest, worked on the project in 2011 but did not want to work with Electronic Arts again.
An early version of the story would have explored Isaac's mental state, with a "Shadow Isaac" companion and hallucinations affecting gameplay. The finale would have centered on Shadow Isaac in both single-player and co-op modes. This idea was scrapped because Electronic Arts wanted to avoid themes of psychosis and dementia. The shift to co-op required story rewrites and caused issues with how the story was presented. For example, the character Carver was removed from scenes where he did not appear with Isaac. While the final story included psychological horror, the focus shifted to characters surviving the environment of Tau Volantis. The narrative, which explains the Necromorphs' role in human evolution, references the work of Erich von Däniken. The Necromorph Moon is a nod to the Great Old Ones created by H. P. Lovecraft, who had influenced the
Release
Rumors about the game's development started in 2011 and 2012. Later, a leaked document showed some gameplay ideas, including a character named Shadow Isaac, which was not included in the final game. The game was officially announced at E3 2012 in June. A trailer highlighting co-op and action features was released, causing fans to worry the game might lose its horror elements. To address concerns, the game's lead developer, Wanat, confirmed the horror aspects would remain. A demo was made available on January 22, 2013, through PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. It reached two million downloads by February 3. Players who had saved data from Dead Space 2 received an early version of the Plasma Cutter weapon. Players with saved data from Mass Effect 3 could unlock a RIG suit inspired by the N7 armor worn by Commander Shepard from Mass Effect.
Dead Space 3 was released globally in February 2013. It launched in North America on February 5, Australia on February 7, Europe on February 8, and Japan on February 14. The launch trailer included live-action footage of actor Wright playing Isaac. Customers who pre-ordered the PC version received a copy of Dead Space. The PC version was initially only available on Electronic Arts' Origin platform but was later released on Steam on June 18, 2020. A limited edition version offered early access to two powerful RIG suits and weapons. Electronic Arts partnered with Treehouse Brand Stores to create a special edition called the Dev Team Edition, which included promotional materials, an art book, themed postcards and posters, a water bottle modeled after the game's health packs, and a Marker statue. Two versions were made: one for the standard edition and one for the limited edition.
Two pieces of printed media, the novel Dead Space: Catalyst and the graphic novel Dead Space: Liberation, were created to promote Dead Space 3. These materials were part of Electronic Arts' "trans-media franchise" strategy for the Dead Space series. Catalyst, written by B. K. Evenson and published by Tor Books on October 2, 2012, takes place during EarthGov's experiments with the Markers. Liberation, written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Christopher Shy, was published by Titan Books on February 5, 2013. It focuses on Carver's first encounter with Necromorphs and his role in Ellie's search for Tau Volantis.
At launch, several downloadable content (DLC) items were sold separately from the microtransaction systems and connected to the game's crafting and upgrade systems. The DLC included upgrades for the scavenger robot, new suits, and armor. An online pass was also available to allow used copies to access online features. In January 2013, Papoutsis mentioned plans for story-based DLC. A story-based DLC expansion titled Awakened was released worldwide on March 12. Production on Awakened began after Dead Space 3 was completed. A small, separate team created the DLC independently, using their own budget and resources. The DLC's producer, Shereif Fattouh, stated the fear-based concept had been planned for some time and was not influenced by feedback about the main game.
Reception
Dead Space 3 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. During the 2013 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, Dead Space 3 was nominated in the categories "Animation, Interactive"; "Direction in a Game Cinema"; "Sound Effects"; and "Use of Sound, Franchise." When it was released, Dead Space 3 received mostly positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised its gameplay, crafting system, and graphics. A common criticism was the shift from survival-horror toward action, which many felt made the experience less intense. Fans also had mixed feelings about the change to an action-heavy experience before and after the game's release.
Tim Turi of Game Informer and Arthur Gies of Polygon were positive about the game, saying that adding action helped the series without reducing its horror and visual style, and they praised the co-op mode as a helpful addition. Shaun McInnis of GameSpot called the story confusing but praised the game's atmosphere and gameplay improvements. Nathan Ditum of PC Gamer praised the game's tone and co-op features, though he noted pacing problems due to its length and the disconnected nature of its chapters; he also said the game is a natural development of the series and still includes key elements from earlier Dead Space games. Ludwig Kietzmann of Joystiq called Dead Space 3 "an exciting, shocking and mammoth adventure," praising the inclusion of action elements and co-op mode, and he highlighted the space sections as some of the best parts of the game. Matthew Pellett of Computer and Video Games praised the game's mechanics, noting early co-op sections and enemy designs for their use of horror, but he criticized changes to ammunition and a lack of variety, saying the game "wasn't Dead Space anymore."
Edge Magazine praised the game's immersion and outer-space sections but said the campaign was too long and the storyline of saving humanity weakened the narrative. Ray Carsillo of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the game's presentation and storyline but said the mechanics were generic and noted a lack of horror compared to earlier games in the series. Carsillo also said the microtransactions were an unwelcome addition. Casey Lynch of IGN spoke negatively about the game's story and mission structure but said the gameplay in both single-player and co-op was enjoyable enough to make up for its flaws. Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer described the game as having parts that were polished and well-designed, as well as parts that were clumsy or unoriginal, calling it a game for newcomers rather than longtime fans of the series.
Ryan Stevens of GameTrailers enjoyed the co-op gameplay and noted the outer-space sections as a highlight but disliked the story and characters, and criticized the microtransactions. Joel Gregory of PlayStation Official Magazine UK enjoyed the gameplay but noted a loss of elements that made earlier Dead Space games unique, and said the reuse of ideas reduced the game's scariness. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Official Xbox Magazine UK praised the crafting and co-op features but wrote negatively about the story and repetitive gameplay. VideoGamer.com was less enthusiastic, criticizing a lack of originality and the quality of both action and horror elements.
Critics gave the DLC "Awakened" mixed reviews. Lynch called it the best part of Dead Space 3 due to its focus on Isaac's mental state but criticized it for being released as DLC instead of part of the main game. Carsillo praised the DLC's psychological elements but criticized its plot and lack of new environments. Evans-Thirlwell enjoyed it as an extension of the game experience but criticized its reuse of game assets. McInnis liked the new cult enemies but generally criticized the lack of new elements in environments and combat. Richard Mitchell of Joystiq appreciated the expansion of the lore but noted the DLC's lack of new gameplay made it hard to recommend. Whitehead described the DLC as "short and insulting," saying its only positive aspect was the sound gameplay carried over from the main game, and called it unenjoyable given its price. Plot holes about the protagonists' fates and the DLC's short length were generally criticized.
In the United States, Dead Space 3 was the top-selling game in February 2013, according to the NPD Group. It sold 605,000 copies in North America during its debut month. In the first week of sales in the United Kingdom, Dead Space 3 reached number one on sales charts but sold more than 20% fewer copies than Dead Space 2. Both Dead Space 3 and Crysis 3, which were released in the same month, did not meet Electronic Arts' sales goals, though no specific sales numbers were released for either game.
Future
Before the release of Dead Space 3, a report said Electronic Arts planned to move the Dead Space series away from the survival-horror genre after completing the trilogy. During the making of Dead Space 3, the team developed ideas for a fourth game. This game would have followed a character who scavenged for supplies as humanity faced extinction. The team leader, Wanat, planned for the main character to be named Ellie instead of Isaac. The game would have included more open, short sections in zero gravity, redesigned enemies called Necromorphs to work in zero-gravity environments, a new crafting system, and exploration of different spaceships. There were also ideas about the origins of the Necromorphs and how humanity might avoid extinction. However, plans for a fourth game were stopped when the team split to work on other projects. Wanat had planned material for up to a fifth game.
After Dead Space 3 was released, reports said Electronic Arts had canceled the series, but the company denied this and said Visceral Games was working on other projects. Visceral Games shifted focus to Battlefield Hardline, which helped the team learn the Frostbite game engine, a system required for all Electronic Arts games. In 2017, Visceral Games closed during work on a Star Wars video game. The Dead Space series was not active until 2021, when a remake of the first game was announced. Motive Studios developed the remake, using feedback from the series to avoid including in-game purchases. The remake was released on January 27, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. In a 2023 interview, Chuck Beaver, a story producer on Dead Space 3, said he would change most of the game if given the chance. In December 2024, the original creators, including executive producer Glen Schofield, creative director Bret Robbins, and animation director Christopher Stone, said they had proposed a fourth Dead Space game to Electronic Arts earlier that year, but the company rejected the idea.