Enjoy In Moderation
By sweep 42 Comments
As blog titles go, I thought that one was pretty good.
I had probably better leave it at that before MB catches me and brings out he gimp again :(
And so, on to videogames!
It is taking me a ridiculous amount of time to play through Dead Space 2 and there has been large doses of speculation as to why that may be. It might be because the world in which Isaac Clark lives is so beautifully fleshed out that I am continually distracted by the detail and life that has gone into making the Sprawl such a complete entity. On more than one occasion I found myself pausing to listen, with a morbid curiosity, to the screams erupting from the other side of a door. It is widely understood that, when it comes to horror, it's what remains unseen that haunts us the most, and Dead Space 2 has the most masterful grip of this concept I have ever experienced. The game is just wonderfully creative with features that other games simply take for granted or dismiss - things like lighting and sound, which are frequently slapped on as a secondary means to reflect actions the player is performing, actually direct the pace of the game in Dead Space 2. The resulting atmosphere is incredible.However I realistically appreciate that the reason Dead Space 2 is taking me so long to play is because I am, in fact, a fucking pussy.
The practice of actually playing the game usually involves me slowly edging towards a door, clicking the [OPEN] button, then frantically backpeddaling with my gun raised. I usually repeat this two or three times just to make sure there is nothing scary on the other side. I learned my lessons from the original Dead Space. This franchise takes pleasure in fucking with your preconceptions of how a videogame works.
Yep, I learned my lesson and I learned it good. If there is a necromorph already lying on the floor then it's probably still alive. You see those wall vents? Bad shit is probably going to come out of those. If there is a lull in the music then RELOAD. And most importantly - never assume you are safe. Ever.
It's this constant manipulation of it's players that makes Dead Space 2 so consistently terrifying.
As soon as you think you've got the game figured out it drops you in a unique set-piece that defies any pattern you assumed had been established. You think because you have a rocket launcher you are safe now? Ok, well let's see what you do when we drop an enemy on you in an elevator that's only 6 square ft across, genius. Or how about we make you crawl through a pipe and stick the camera right behind your head so you cant see shit. Or how about we just leave you in a straight jacket with no guns and no health.Dude, fuck that game.
But in the best possible way.That's about it, really. I handed in a university assignment on Friday and, in true student fashion, got completely wrecked afterwards. Oh, and I watched Summer Wars again, which is a truly incredible film and I urge you to go check it out. There is a great review up on Screened, which is how I discovered the film in the first place.
Oh, and apparently there's a superbowl happening? Some people are excited about this. I am not one of them.
Thanks For Reading
Love Sweep