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    Dead Space 2

    Game » consists of 18 releases. Released Jan 25, 2011

    Dead Space 2 is the sequel to the 2008 surprise hit Dead Space. The no-longer-silent Isaac Clarke finds himself trapped on a city-sized space station called the Sprawl, which has been overtaken by another Necromorph infestation.

    master_prophet's Dead Space 2 (Xbox 360) review

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    Dead Space 2 Manages To Scare Up Quite An Experience!

     

    I'll admit, two in a half years ago (or about that) I didn't really pick up the original Dead Space for several months.  The original game was a pretty decent sleeper hit.  However, EA and Visceral Games have managed to make Dead Space 2 as big of a jump as the difference between Mass Effect 1 and 2.  I honestly didn't expect a huge sequel from Visceral, because after all, Dead Space was a sleeper hit.  But apparently it did better then I thought it would. 
     
    Starting things off correctly, the game's protagonist, Isaac Clarke, finally has a voice.  While a silent protagonist approach worked in the original Dead Space, there's absolutely no way that would work here in Dead Space 2.  Whether or not you enjoyed the overall story of the original, the sequel is going to throw a lot of the original game back at you. My problem is that, while the story here is quite good, things get a little convoluted towards the final chapters of the game. However, having your character being haunted by his dead girlfriend is a cool idea, however, I never got the impression that this dude was this attached to his girlfriend in the original game. Perhaps it was the fact he had no voice then? Who knows...that part of this game just didn't click with me as it probably should have.


    The Sprawl is bigger, and much more diverse then the Ishumara was. However, I'm still blown away that for a game that is only eight or nine hours long the first time through, it's a two disc game on the Xbox 360. It just didn't give me the epic feel of a two disc game that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow did. However, that's a mute point.


    While your favorite rouge gallery of Necromorphs are back, there are some new annoyingly impressive A. I. Baddies that will put you to the test here. For starters, “Seekers”. These little monsters will basically play hide and seek with you. They will run out, screaming bloody murder and violently shove you down. Then they will retreat and continue to pop their heads out at you. While I found these enemies to be impressive at first, my main problem is that Dead Space 2 sends way too many of these foes at you at one time. In fact, Dead Space 2's biggest short-coming is that it not only frustrates you by the sheer amount of enemies it will send at you at once, but it will also spawn enemies from behind you, which usually leads to an annoying death. I would say that 90% of my deaths in “Dead Space 2” were caused simply by the stupidity of enemy respawns behind my character. It's just what happens. It isn't to say that the game itself is overly hard though, and nine hours for a two disc game is extremely disappointing as terms of length go.


    However, there are two really fantastic moments in this game. One early on involving a train ride that simply blew my mind, and in recent gaming, it's one of my new fondest memories. The other involves a needle, that also blew my mind.


    Dead Space 2 also decides to dive into the mediocre world of adding multiplayer to a game that doesn't need it. Dead Space 2's multiplayer mode is basically a copy/cat of Left 4 Dead's multiplayer, where a group is divided against each other, humans against necromorphs. The problem is, the human's always have the unfair advantage. I mean, it's a cool idea, and the fact that EA and Visceral decided to not add any multiplayer achievements either tells me they were smart, or that they knew their multiplayer was kind of a joke. But honestly, this isn't a game anyone is buying for the multiplayer component.


    Dead Space 2 is the first great game of 2011. It's not without it's problems and short-comings, but it's a good enough game that will keep you coming back multiple times. The game ends with a hint at yet another Dead Space...I for one look forward to a third game in this series.

     

    Other reviews for Dead Space 2 (Xbox 360)

      You can never get away from the Sprawl 0

      Despite the fact that we've already seen DC Universe Online and LittleBigPlanet 2 (an MMO and lighthearted platformer), Dead Space 2 is really 2011's first big "hardcore" game, one with the story, gameplay, graphics and production values that will appeal to a large demographic. Last year's big releases kind of bummed me out so I wasn't really anticipating this as heavily as others were but the team's solid and they got some of the best third-person controls and atmosphere going for them so natur...

      12 out of 12 found this review helpful.

      Make us whole again 0

      The original Dead Space remains one of the biggest surprise hits of this generation, and its high quality left me eager to jump back in for more via Dead Space 2. And even though it may take a few unfortunate missteps, Dead Space 2 is still a great shooter that stands toe to toe with the best out there, making it a no-brainer for fans of the genre.First and foremost, the majority of the original’s defining features make a triumphant return in Dead Space 2. The shooting here is second to none, of...

      4 out of 4 found this review helpful.

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