Dead Space 2

 AWESOME game. The first Dead Space was my 2008 GOTY and Dead Space 2 doesn't disappoint. I loved it so much that I had a mega marathon where I played from Chapter 5 to the end in one day. It's that damn good. The gameplay is much improved over the first game and everything seems faster. Isaac moves faster, aims faster and stomps faster. Isaac is less of a tank and feels more like a fighter which makes sense after the first game. Many of DS1's weapons return but most of them feature new alt fire modes. They seem much more useful and the primary fire for most weapons seem much stronger than the weapons in DS1. Levels flow by quickly with little backtracking and there are some glorious set pieces which were exciting. My only gripe with the game was some of the puzzles. They were not that fun or interesting and most of them were very simple. At least they're not frustrating to solve. I remember getting stuck in a few puzzles in DS1.

The story is much better told than the first game and talky Isaac was a good idea. Not only does it give the game more personality but his interactions with the various NPCs made the story better as well. There were some cutscenes I found amusing rather than disturbing because of the interactions. Not sure if the humor was intended or not but it kept things light at times and it made me care about the NPCs a little more unlike in DS1. It's hard not to compare certain aspects of the game to being influenced by the Uncharted series. The game is a lot less scary than the first game and less tense, imo. In fact, I wasn't creeped out until during the second half of the game. Maybe it's because I'm a DS1 veteran and since I kicked so much Necro ass in the first game, the Necros weren't a big deal to me in this game.

The graphics are simply gorgeous. Lots of detail with Isaac's various armors, weapons and the locations around him. Great lighting and some very smooth animations. There are some gorgeous views which made me pause. It's a nice contrast to the grossness of the Necromorphs you encounter throughout the game. The various locations look great and really kept things fresh as you move from one area to another. The visuals will not disappoint. Very moody and diverse.

But the real winner is the audio. It's incredible just like the first game. The surround is great with plenty of ambient noise to keep you on your toes. The first game's audio was what scared me and it's the same in DS2. There are some jump scares primarily because of the audio from the surrounding environments or Necromorphs. I also need to mention that your bass will get a good workout. It simply sounds amazing during some set pieces with some really nice sound effects. Anyone with a good surround system is gonna enjoy the audio a lot. I can't imagine playing this game in stereo or with cheap headphones. The impact for some of the set pieces and cutscenes might be lessened without a good sound system, imo.

Overall, Dead Space 2 is a great game with a good story and characters. It's a lot of fun and worth checking out for anyone who's into action games. The horror and gore might turn some people away but it's not that bad, imo. Fans who beat the first game will find a lot of great callbacks and references. The ending in particular was a real treat if you beat the first game. Must play!