Dead Space is the sequel Resident Evil 4 deserved

For proof of this, you need look no further than the basic premise. Dead Space is Resident Evil 4 in space. There's no point trying to deny it, even the developers happily acknowledge it. In an interview with PC Gamer, Visceral Games (then EA Redwood) explain that they initially intended to make System Shock 3. Then they played Resident Evil 4 and immediately reimagined the game as a third-person action horror. It was an entirely deliberate decision. But the change in approach also meant they had to sell a new IP to EA, and to do that they had to make Resident Evil 4 in space excellent.