Despite EA Motive's updates regarding the dialogue for Isaac Clarke is somewhat concerning.
The original Dead Space came out of nowhere. Studio Visceral Games released the first entry in the now-iconic survival horror series in 2008 to critical acclaim. The inspiration lifted from Resident Evil 4 was immediately apparent, as the over-the-shoulder mechanic, upgrade system, and overall tone seemingly sought to pay homage to the legendary horror title - albeit in space. Dead Space accomplished what even Resident Evil hadn't achieved up to this point, a survival horror experience that made the player feel like their lives depended on whatever actions they took in the game. Actual death was just one wrong turn away. Every rusted and blood-soaked hallway, flickering light fixture, and the creaking metal grate was all by design - the original developers spared no expense to ensure the player was suffering Isaac Clarke's plight as much as he was.
Isaac Clarke's suffering is central to the story of the original Dead Space - and his lack of input on the events transpiring around him made the player feel lost, confused, and in a perpetual state of panic. Critical information was communicated to players via spoken dialogue via the game's ing cast and the repeated audio transmission from Nicole, Isaac's wife. She was the sole reason for his decision to head to the now-defunct USG Ishimura ship. Almost theme-park ride like in the delivery, Isaac receives objectives and plot points via these characters bickering or expositing the events they're experiencing separate from him throughout the space station. Isaac doesn't need to banter back and forth and fire off Leon Kennedy-esque one-liners with Sgt. Hammond or Kendra Daniels because Isaac isn't Leon. Isaac's portrayal is a soft-spoken engineer with no military training whatsoever. Isaac isn't a Raccoon City cop, he's underprepared to deal with reanimated corpses, a religious space cult, and an alien menace. Most importantly, Isaac is alone.
Silence & Isolation Made Sense For The First Dead Space
Being alone was a Isaac's voice in the Dead Space remake - and a defined personality - could undermine the immersive intent of the original. The disconnect would be more significant if his dialogue goes beyond the necessary and shines a light on his mannerisms.
Though Dead Space 2 gave Isaac more of a personality in the second entry, this wasn't an issue due to the first game's events. Players now had the background to go off of; Isaac was a survivor reconciling with the truth from the first game's events. Visceral clearly defined his new personality based on those events from Dead Space - he was now damaged but capable, leaving little reason to keep him silent in that entry. However, the first title needs to establish that critical background for the protagonist and give the player a suitable means of immersing themselves in the derelict halls of the Ishimura. Isaac doesn't need to be a silent protagonist for the remainder of his days, but for the Dead Space remake, it's critical he remains somewhat of a blank slate for the sake of the fear-laden experience.