Last week I had the privilege of playing through EA and Visceral Games' new survival horror shooter Dead Space 2. This entry into the series takes place three years after Isaac's adventures on the Sprawl, with our insane hero now kicking ass and cutting limbs on the 'Sprawl', a huge space station above Saturn. The plot of the game is disappointing compared to the first game. The narrative is very straight forward, with no plot twists and little explanation into what's happening in the universe. However the chilling, if tiresome encounters with an unhappy Nicole save Dead Space 2's story.
The gameplay has been tweaked since the original. There's a heightened emphasis on action, but Visceral have expertly kept the game scary. The mechanics are almost identical to those found in Dead Space 1, but now you'll be up against new terrifying breeds of Necromorphs, and the classics are back in drones. The new mentality of fighting of hordes of unique Necromorphs is definitely more challenging, but the new Stasis abilities and weapons even up the playing field, even against the formidable Stalkers (the best enemy in a survival horror game since El Gigante). This said Isaac's slow turning and the lack of an auto reload feature are prevalent handicaps. Expect to be doing less dismemberment and more wave management/Stomptrooper action. However the act of sitting down to Dead Space can feel like a chore. Dead Space 2's biggest weakness is it's genre; the slow pace and tough enemies can make playing Dead Space 2 daunting, but once your in expect to be there for some time.
The game's pacing is decent, but the final hours are very tricky and the end-of-game boss is frustrating to no end. The main story is eight to ten hours of atmospheric, edge of your seat fun and the PS3 bonus of Dead Space: Extraction HD is a fun but brief diversion. There is multiplayer but it is seriously unbalanced and removes the games atmosphere, making it feel like a cheap Left 4 Dead knockoff.
The graphics are the biggest leap over Dead Space 1. Each area feels distinct and creepy in it's own way, and some of the new creature designs are amazing. However stiff animations and odd gore effects hold the graphics off genre big hitter Resident Evil 5.
But overall Dead Space 2 is a great Survival Horror experience, arguably the best this gen, that shouldn't be missed by any fan of horror or sci fi. I give Dead Space 2 4/5.
Subject: Dead Space 2 Review 
Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:05 pm
