When Motive Studios announced that Gunner Wright would be reprising his role as Isaac Clarke in the Dead Space remake, fans celebrated the return of a familiar face. However, this raised the question as to whether Isaac Clarke talking in Dead Space would become a reality. The silence from the protagonist really helped create an eerie atmosphere, one that was created from the sense of isolation.
Dead Space was initially released in 2008, featuring a notably silent protagonist in Isaac Clarke. It didn't matter who was talking to him, nor what kind of conversation was happening. The only time you heard voice actor Gunner Wright was when he was grunting as he stamped on the bodies of the necromorphs.
For more news on the Dead Space remake, check out our articles on everything we know so far about what to expect in the game. We also have the reasons why they made changes to the plasma cutter and pulse rifle ahead of launch. Finally, we answer the question as to whether Dead Space will be available on Xbox Game Pass.
Will Isaac Clarke talk in Dead Space Remake?
Yes, the developers have confirmed that Isaac Clarke will talk in the Dead Space remake, and there is a full script of lines for him to use.
Don't worry though, he won't be giving little quips every time he kills a necromorph. Instead, the sound design team have developed an entirely new system for the audio in the game, which they revealed in a deep-dive video. It's called A.L.I.V.E., which EA Motive says will deal with "all components of Isaac's breathing and heart rate, vocal excursions, and dialogue influenced by a variety of driving gameplay features."
Each of the letters relate to how a different event can influence how Isaac sounds at any given moment. They stand for Adrenaline, Limbic System Response, Intelligent Dialog, Vitals, and Exertions. So if Isaac gets hit and his adrenaline spikes, then his breathing will get faster and he will sound more in pain as he moves around.
An interesting aspect, though, is the Intelligent Dialogue segment. This will decide which of the three variations of particular dialogue will be chosen, depending on Isaacs's current state.
Rules of Isaac Clarke's dialogue
In an Early Development Livestream, the developers talked about the different rules that will dictate whether Isaac Clarke will talk in the game. They want the experience to be as faithful as possible to the original Dead Space, even with the small changes they're implementing into the remake.
click to enlargeThis will ensure that Isaac Clarke only talks in the game when it's necessary for him to do so. Silent protagonists were a staple of a lot of games in the 2000s, but that trend has almost entirely disappeared in recent years. Motive Studios has worked hard to make a coherent compromise between original and realistic gameplay, which has fans very excited to see the outcome.
That's it for our look at whether Isaac talks in the Dead Space remake! For even more, check out how to change difficulty in the game, as well as whether you can save Hammond in the remake.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Dead Space page.