Everyone’s favorite space engineer returns in Dead Space 2 from EA and Visceral Games. This time around, Isaac Clarke finds himself on the human space colony known as “The Sprawl” on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. With the Necromorphs once again the loose and the EarthGov and Unitologists in the middle of a struggle, Isaac has to find a way to survive. Only thing is, the events of the first game left his mind in a rough state. Does Dead Space 2 survive the outbreak or should it just be dismembered?
Review after the jump…
Three years have passed since the events that took place in the first Dead Space. Isaac finds himself in a straight jacket on Saturn’s moon, Titan. It seems Isaac’s bout with the Red Marker on Aegis VII has left him with a bad case of Dementia and Post Traumatic Stress. To add to his troubles, Necromorphs have once again risen on The Sprawl and the EarthGov and Unitologists alike are hunting Isaac for his knowledge of the Red Marker. Needless to say, he’s in a bit of trouble this time around. Oh and did I mention that Isaac’s dead girlfriend Nicole is haunting him as well?
I know many people were afraid that Visceral was going to tone down the horror side in favor of a faster action experience. Thankfully, after playing through the single player campaign, I can honestly say that there’s no need to worry. The horror is certainly still there in addition to some fantastic improvements from the first one. I constantly found my self on edge with what was around the corner. They managed to keep things tense through a number of different gameplay elements like the sound design and the visuals. There were only a few times throughout the game where I actually felt safe. It’s also worth mentioning that you see Isaac’s face way more often and also he’s now able to speak. Initially I was a bit worried at how this would be handled but as usual Visceral did a fantastic job. Isaac doesn’t speak more than he needs to and what he says is very believable based on the situation he is in. Overall, it’s well done. Also don’t worry, the gore is certainly still in fuill effect as well. Some of the death sequences for Isaac are cringe inducing for sure.
I have to believe that Visceral went into this sequel with one word on the brain: variety. As you may or may not know, I was a big fan of the first Dead Space. The thing was though, you definitely felt like you were on a ship because many times you found yourself in a tight corridor or in some sort of engine room. Not to take away from that game at all because it was great but ultimately, the setting really lacked variety. Since you’re on a space colony this time around, you’re going to be in all kinds of diverse settings including an apartment complex, a shopping plaza, a government sector, a Unitologist Temple, and even a school. Believe me when I tell you that the school was one of the scariest places in the game. The team did a great job keeping you on edge with the sounds, creepy atmosphere, and even the bouts of dementia that occur there.
Speaking of variety, Isaac also will be able to get his hands on more weapons and different types of armor this time around. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to use fan favorite guns like the plasma cutter and line gun among the other weapons from the first game, but this time around you’ll also be able to get your hands on a Javelin Gun that is able to electrocute enemies with its secondary fire and the Detonator which is a space grenade launcher that can also lay sticky mines. You also have acess to a sniper style of weapon called the Seeker Rifle. In addition to the arsenal, the enemies have also gone under a change. You’re still seeing the slashers, brutes, and lurkers, but you’re also going to come across a wealth of new enemies such as the aptly named puker, the child like “pack”, the tough Tormentor and also the stalkers. Stalkers are incredibly annoying at first as they move in groups and look to take you by surprise and flank you. They’re very intelligent so plan to use stasis often to slow them down.
Speaking of stasis, I found myself to be using this way more often than I did in the first game. Thankfully, it is able to recharge (although very slowly at first) over time. Kinesis was pretty much useless for me outside of puzzles in the first game, but Visceral made it a point to improve the ability significantly the second time around. It’s now one of the best abilities in the game as you can now take normal items and even claws from dead enemies and fire them at things. Early in the game, kinesis turns these normal objects into one hit kills. Better yet, you can also shoot out windows to suck an entire room out. Just be sure to hit the switch to shut it before you’re killed yourself. Finally, I’d like to point out that the zero gravity sections have been vastly improved. No longer will jumping from wall to wall leave you disoriented as Isaac’s suit comes with thrusters that allow him to be controlled directly instead of only jumping from wall to wall. Being able to move in a 360 space is great and a wonderful addition to the game.
I think we can all agree that the first game was a great looking title. Dead Space 2 somehow manages to improve on it further. The lighting and texture work is just phenomenal. It certainly adds to the terrifying atmosphere in the game whether it’s a dark hallway only lit from flickering lights, or a room that has blood splatter everywhere. The sound design is second to none. In a lone hallway, your mind will begin to play tricks on you as the game creates believable sounds all around you. You’ll be on edge as you try and figure out if you’re going to be attacked or not. I felt that the story as a whole was stronger in this game. It was easy to follow and kept you guessing as to what was coming. Keeping the angry spirit of Nicole around to torment the player every now and then was a great touch. I love the dementia angle as well, as not only are you trying to fight off a physical threat, but you’re also now battling a mental obstacle as well. Overall, Visceral has managed to create a compelling single player campaign and one that’ll keep you guessing throughout. They’ve also added a ton of nice nods to the first game, many of which I won’t spoil here as they’re just too cool to give away.
From a technical or improvements standpoint, there’s nothing I can really say. Visceral has managed to create a well crafted game. I didn’t come across any glitching or issues through my 9.5 hour campaign run. If there was something I could point out however, it would be that the game tends to ramp up the difficulty in the second half. It’s almost like they ease you in during the first half and then when they assume you have a grasp on what you’re doing, they crank it up on you. This is especially true for Chapter 15. If you haven’t managed to upgrade Isaac much, you’ll be in some trouble.
Lets be honest here. You’re not buying Dead Space 2 for the multiplayer. Sure it’s a well made and competent online aspect, but you play Dead Space for the single player. Basically, the multiplayer can be compared to what you’d get in Left 4 Dead 2’s versus mode. It’s 4 on 4, with one team playing as a Sprawl Security team looking to complete objectives, while the other team tried to stop them as the necromorphs. Like any modern online mode, you have an experience system which in addition to increasing your level, will unlock new things like suits, weapons, and necormorph abilities. It controls and looks exactly like the single player game, but unfortunately it only comes with 5 maps. The match ends when either the necormorphs manage to stop the human players, or the human players manage to complete all 5 objectives on the map. It’s fun for a while (getting a chance to be the necromorphs is fun) and well made but, it’s not going to hold your interest month after month like other online games will. Worse still, the community seems to be winding down in it. I went on recently over the weekend to play a game or two and I couldn’t manage to find a full game. I won’t go as far as some and say that they shoehorned multiplayer into this one but Dead Space is about Issac Clarke and his journey, not about killing dudes online.
Overall, I had an absolute blast battling the necromorphs on The Sprawl. The game is faster, tighter, and has a better crafted story while retaining the trade mark scares from the first game. The variety in the setting, weapons, armor and enemy types help keep the game fresh and fun as you trek through to the end. Even though the multiplayer doesn’t add a ton to the overall experience, it’s still well made and can provide a few hours of fun. Dead Space 2 is definitely worth your time and hard-earned money.
Dead Space 2 gets 5 severed necromorph limbs, out of 5
Gamer Crash 