Dead Space Remake's Alternate Ending Is Worth The Extra Work

It's true — the new "Dead Space" remake has a secret alternate ending, and it's no small feat to unlock it. The remake may be mostly faithful to the gameplay design and narrative beats of the 2008 horror classic, but it still finds some ways to update the original experience and bring it more in line with subsequent entries in the series. Whereas the first game only had one ending, its remake actually boasts two possible outcomes for Isaac Clarke's journey: the classic ending and a new alternate ending.

The problem is that many casual players aren't likely to simply stumble upon the alternate ending without knowing how to unlock it. Doing so requires that one plays through "Dead Space" twice — one normal playthrough and one on the game's New Game Plus mode. In the latter mode, players have to go about getting all 12 of an exclusive collectible to trigger the new ending. Considering how long it takes to beat the "Dead Space" remake even just once, that's quite a bit of work for the average player. However, if they're a fan of the "Dead Space" series already, the alternate ending is more than worth it.

The original jump-scare ending of "Dead Space" — in which Isaac finds himself attacked by a vicious hallucination of his girlfriend Nicole — is an iconic franchise moment. However, the remake's alternate ending eschews tradition in favor of offering a version that connects more fluidly to the "Dead Space" timeline.

In the alternate ending, Isaac still manages to escape Aegis VII, but things greatly diverge from there. Rather than an attack, the hallucination of Nicole and the engineer share a light conversation, with Isaac telling her that he needs to build something before he goes home. Viewers then discover that his escape ship is covered in the Marker's symbols, indicating that the protagonist is still under the influence of the insidious Necromorph-producing artifact. This new ending ties much closer to the events of "Dead Space 2," in which Isaac grapples with the realization that he's been unconsciously doing the bidding of the Marker for three years straight, including building a new physical Marker.

Some may take the addition of the alternate ending as a hint that a "Dead Space 2" remake is in development, but nothing on that front has been confirmed. If nothing else, the new ending serves as yet another example of how the remake of "Dead Space" freshens up the story for fans of the original title. "For veteran players we wanted to give them a little bit of a surprise, of like, 'Oh this is a little different,'" the game's senior writer Jo Berry told IGN.