Dead Space 2

Dead Space 2 is the action horror sequel to one of the most impressive games to come out this console generation. The original was unfortunately a mediocre success to an unbelievably packed fall in 2008.   The original was known for taking great gaming ideas, polishing them and then release them with a new paint job. Dead Space 2 actually manages to improve on every aspect of the original and adds some of the most tense and unnerving set pieces in recent memory.

Dead Space 2 take place 3 years after the events from the Ishimura have happened. You begin your story by going through counseling with a doctor. Isaac escapes the facility in a straight jacket as the place is attacked necromorphs. If you notice me skipping over a few events through out the review it is because there are so many great moments that happen in the first few chapters alone and I would rather not ruin it. Isaac as a character is being tormented by his psyche but other then that he doesn’t give off much of a personality. It is more interesting to see his interactions with other characters and see how their relationships develop. The story is also told through logs that Isaac finds and environmental situations. The original Dead Space had a surplus of scary and disturbing audio logs while the sequel feels less scary and more informational. The story has a few twists and is a thrilling experience till the very end.

While the Isimura was a cold sterile environment, Titan Station feels bursting with life. No pun intended. Titan has everything a self contained Eco system could need: Churches, hospitals, schools, malls. The way Isaac makes his way through Titan station is much more fluid and less gamey then the original. Titan contains hundreds of little nooks that paint a picture off how living on the station would feel. Back tracking also makes a return to Dead Space but areas you return too will often be a much more decayed version of the previous encounter and you merely pass through.

Visceral makes Dead Space 2 look incredible. There is a lot of great art direction that paints each area with a unique style but texture and geometry make Titan look very convincing. Enemies look a little fleshier and the skin looks like it tears from the impact of your assault. I am still not a fan of the lego block look of dead corpses after you dismember them. When I make a body into a torso and I am unable to destroy it further it feels very goofy. Between the subtle glow of your video projector or the blue peaceful stained glass, the lighting in this game is some of the best I have ever scene in a video game. This is also the only game that I have purposefully died just to see what it will look like. To see your character have his head blown off and then feel around for it is still chilling.

Dead Space 2 is great reason to buy either 5.1 speakers or a gaming headset that will do the equivalent. Dead Space continues to have flawless audio whether it’s the environment or the weapons. You can watch an enemy crawl into a vent listen to it climbing through the walls and then here it pop up through the vent behind you. Isaac actually has a voice and while he isn’t most talkative person he delivers the dialogue quite well. There is very little music to speak of but the haunting melodies and heart pumping moments don’t disappoint. This is a game to crank the volume up loud and just takes a few moments to let the terror seep in.

The game play of Dead Space hasn’t changed very much and this is a good thing. They make a few refinements to the formula by introducing a few new enemies which help change the shooter into being more tactical as well as putting a lot more pressure on the player.  Enemies like the Pack are relentless and overwhelm you in numbers and the Stalkers will keep you on your toes. New Weapons like the Javelin gun feel great but some weapons like the ripper feel incredibly over powered. I found myself using these two weapons much more then the once trusty plasma cutter or line gun. There also seems to be less puzzles more Zero G, which I think is a plus. The Zero G environments are fun to navigate if a bit confusing at times. Isaac not combat devices have also been given an upgrade. Stasis will regenerate slowly, Kinesis is more accurate and the compass allows you to find other things besides the objective. There is one major improvement and then one minor annoyance I have found. The quick time events for Isaac are much better then the original and accompanied by good set pieces but the boss fights are few and not as impressive. Side note: Hacking is neither good nor bad.

The game play of Multiplayer is a bit timid. It is very reminiscent to feeling one gets from playing the Left 4 Dead series. The difference is while Left 4 Dead feels balanced Dead Space 2 does not. Necromorphs are incredibly weak and hold very little power. The objectives of each game map are confusing but tie in well to events in the story. The leveling system feels slapped on and doesn’t help new players get into the mix. If you have group friends who are communicating and working together then there is some fun to be had but the fun doesn’t last very long. I feel the multiplayer side of Dead Space could have easily been done if they had replaced this with a cooperative survival mode instead.

As of writing this I am already nearly finished my second play through of Dead Space 2. It is an incredible game and adding in new game plus mode helps draw you back in for more of the fun. This is a much more difficult game then the first and the last level is borderline sadistic. A piece of advice: Just buy a bunch of stim packs, max out the ripper and keep running. My game time clocked in at 9 hours and me still itching for me. Overall Visceral continues to develop this franchise into a major league player that should not be underestimated. I think if your reason for not playing Dead Space 2 is because you are to afraid then here is what you should do.

Step 1: Find a friend who is equally afraid.

Step 2: Play the game until you wet yourself.

Step 3: Change your pants while he/she plays.

Step 4: Repeat until finished.

Don’t let fear stop you from passing this up.