One disappointing game can spell doom for a series, and many thought this was the case with Dead Space 3. The game didn't necessarily play badly, but it is almost universally considered the weakest. The lull in the Dead Space series since the third game's release has been broken with 2023's Dead Space remake, a fantastic reinterpretation of the debut entry.
This being a retelling of the first game rather than a straight remake, it does leave us with a lot of questions after its conclusion. Many of these deal with the lore and just where the sequels sit, now that there is a new version of the first game.
Because this is a list of questions we have after the end of Dead Space, it goes without saying that spoilers are abundant, and you should only continue if you have beaten Dead Space or don't care about learning key plot points.
5 Does The Marker Actually Communicate With The Dead?
Insanity is a running theme throughout Dead Space. It is clear the Marker takes its toll on the minds of those who come into contact with it, and it's the reason Isaac starts seeing visions of his girlfriend Nicole during the campaign.
While the Marker changes the dead's DNA to turn them into monsters, and likely is not the real religious artifact the Church of Unitology thinks it is, one cannot help but wonder if there is some truth to these claims. Is Isaac really losing his mind, or is there some part of Nicole actually speaking with him? Given that Nicole's influence seems to benefit the Marker, we're likely to believe that it is not true. Still, there is some doubt.
4 If Isaac Is Under The Marker's Influence, Why Do The Necromorphs Try To Kill Him?
This is more definitively described in Dead Space 2 and its sequel, but hints of it are already apparent in the remake and more so in its secret ending. Isaac loses grip on his sanity and is clearly taking a liking to the Marker. The secret ending even implies that he will build another Marker, something expanded upon in Dead Space 2.
If he is under the Marker's control and fighting with himself to either help out or not, why do the Necromorphs still try and kill him for the last half of the game? If they are a hivemind, shouldn't they all be able to communicate with one another, letting one another know to let Isaac do what he needs to do?
3 Are Necromorphs Conscious?
The game explains how Necromorphs are made and how they multiply. Infectors turn dead bodies into hideous monsters, and others kill humans in order for the infectors to add to their numbers. Even though they are a part of the hivemind, is part of the original human still locked up inside somewhere?
It is difficult to tell definitively whether or not they are. In the game, some humans are reluctant to kill others because of how Necromorphs still look like the original person after the transmogrification. However, this says nothing about any of the person's consciousness. For our own ability to sleep at night, we hope that the original human is completely gone, and all that's left is the monster.
2 Unification, And Then What?
The Church of Unitology is so fascinated by the Marker because of an aspiration to become a part of the Unification. However, the church does not really have anything to say about what happens after this. Additionally, is this really what the church had in mind when they talk about Unification?
Many logs found throughout the Ishimura in Dead Space talk about how secretive the organization is, so we don't really know just what the higher-ups want if they understood just what the Marker does to people. You eventually fight more unitologists directly in the game's sequels, but it is still unsure what the higher-ups within the church do in their day-to-day lives.
1 Are Dead Space 2 And 3 Canon?
A series' canon gets murky and unstable once remakes are introduced into the equation. Just look at Resident Evil. While the broad strokes remain the same between the original and remakes of Resident Evil 1,2, and 3, it is hard to tell what is the correct order of events when it comes to the nuances.
This is not so much of a problem with Dead Space yet, but we do wonder whether the sequels are now canon or if we should disregard those events. This remake already fleshes out the lore, but should we assume plot points and world-building from the sequels to be true if they are not acknowledged in the 2023 game?