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Dead Space, released in 2009, came out of the middle of nowhere. It wasn't too hyped, coming from a rather unknown group of developers, but shocked everyone with its amazingly brutal and atmospheric horror experience and became a critical success. With these high standards to meet, 2 years later, the second is released to incredible anticipation and it certainly doesn't disappoint.
Dead Space 2 is amazing. It takes everything the original put into the series, and enhances it. The controls are more precise, smooth and convenient (with the addition of a single button health and stasis refill system), the visuals are even more detailed and gritty, the sound is as creepy as ever, and the story remains intriguing and intense. You must work to unravel the truth behind the Sprawl (the game's setting), Unitology and Necromorphs, as well as battling (literally) horrific hallucinations and delusions from an alien form of dementia. If you are a fan of the first, then you will definitely enjoy this.
GAMEPLAY
Dead Space 2's gameplay is very similar to the first, but with the right tweaks and enhancements. The controls are basically the same with some minor changes (select is the default menu, square is to reload, aim and triangle is for stasis). The circle button is now a one hit health refill button, instead of square (from the first). The triangle button is similar, but for stasis refill. Isaac's movements are much smoother, more precise, and easier to control. The melee attacks, for example, are far more accurate and can be used in quick succession, unlike in the first. The weapons are great and fun to use as well. One major change is in the zero-gravity areas. Instead of the wall-jumping from the first one, you have a sort of jet pack that allows you to fly around the areas and even latch onto the wall as if to walk on it (like in the first). Certain sections take advantage of this and offer fun new experiences for Dead Space. This game has pretty good replay value in that you have a new game+ option that saves the items and money you get from the previous playthrough so that you can go on to collect the weapons, suits, trophies and so on. There are also more difficulty levels and trophies to keep you occupied. This game still has it's objective style in that someone tells you where to go, what to do, and you must reach the objectives. Although more freedom would have been nice, it doesn't hurt the experience for me, because it's just how Dead Space was. Also expect to be scared. This one is every bit as horrifying as the first, if not more so. Expect sudden encounters, random and loud equipment malfunction, and disturbing scenes and hallucinations. Overall, the gameplay is like the first, but even better.
VISUAL
Dead Space 2 is gorgeous. The settings are very detailed and atmospheric, and it's really a key component to the game's horror element. Technically, the graphics are better than the first (which was pretty good to begin with) with more detailed environments, characters, enemies, etc. It is even more graphic than the first as far as dismemberment and violence goes because of the greater detail. The lighting is very well done in this game as well. Isaac's dementia hallucination sequences look as amazing as they are freaky (think Scarecrow in Batman: Arkham Asylum, but more disturbing). When I first played through the demo, I was impressed with the visuals, and I still am very impressed.
AUDIO
This is what really set the first Dead Space apart from every other game in it's genre. The sound was absolutely stunning. This is what really sets the atmosphere for the game. Technically, the game sounds wonderful. The further you are from the target, the distance sounds realistic. The muffled screams and shouts from behind walls, doors or glass are all catered to their materials. Now the sound really shines in creating the horror element of this game. Lots of minimalistic sounds that really make a difference. The necromorphs sound as disturbing as ever, along with the distant screaming, babies crying and pleas for help. Even the silence is well placed, and builds incredible tension, because you never know what could jump out at you. The environment is incredibly unpredictable. A pipe could explode right behind you, a random monitor could flash, a window could blow out, a necromorph could come bursting out of a vent, or any other countless possibilities that are very loud and will make you jump a good foot in the air. I could go on and on, but no other game pulls off a horror audiovisual presentation quite like Dead Space 2.
STORY ELEMENTS
The Dead Space universe has a very intriguing story about it, and this game does a great job at telling it. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout to keep you gripped (like in the first) and the inclusion of Isaac battling with his own dementia is very well presented. Now I won't go into detail, but the basic premise is that Isaac has woken up 3 years after the ending events of the first Dead Space, to a horrific necromorph outbreak. The setting is on a large Earth colony, The Sprawl, that is located on the remains of one of Saturn's moons. He doesn't know what is going on, and is suffering from a deadly form of Dementia he contracted on Aegis 7 in which he has horrifying and disturbing hallucinations that seem centered around his deceased girlfriend, Nicole. You are set free and must unravel the mystery to save yourself, and figure out what is going on in The Sprawl. Now one major change from the first to the second is that Isaac was actually given a voice actor with real dialog. Although this does change the game in that you are no longer a silent protagonist, it is not necessarily a bad change. The new Isaac has a mouth on him, but you get to understand him far more and how he interacts with people and situations. The story and feel to the game is actually very similar to Alien and Aliens, you can sense the influence as you play it. Overall, the story is as intriguing as the first, and really keeps you gripped.
CONTENT ADVISORY
This game has no instances of sexual content, but it is INCREDIBLY graphic and violent. The violence is geared toward necromorphs (extremely mutated dead humans infected though an alien entity), but it is brutal. You can sever limbs, heads, smash enemies, and even break dead victims apart. There is a ton of blood, from it gushing out of enemies, victims, yourself, to being smeared all over the walls, ceilings, floors from previous attacks with horribly mutilated corpses littering the environment. Isaac himself, when killed, way suffer a unique cinematic death depending on the enemy that kills him that includes decapitation, dismemberment, being sliced in half, skewered, stabbed in the head, and being graphically vomited on by strong acidic creatures. The game is also very disturbing. Several people crying for help with be mercilessly slaughtered by the aliens in graphic ways. People suffering from severe delusions and hallucinations may kill others or themselves in a highly graphic and disturbing manner. Some necromorphs are of dead children, and even babies (very disturbing) that act as suicide bombs. The visions you have tend to be very demented and disturbing, and the entire game is very scary, even to mature audiences. The language in this game is also very coarse. Right from the beginning you will hear the f word and s word thrown out like crazy, as well as every other lesser expletive. These words are used in a sense of panic for the most part in that people are trying to escape or save lives from horrifying circumstances. This game is rated M for a reason and it is a high end M due to the violence. I can think of only very few games that come close to the graphic intensity of this game.
CONCLUSION
If you have an Xbox 360, a Playstation 3, even a computer, and think you can handle the mature gruesome, disturbing horror aspects of this game, it is a must buy. I'd recommend starting with the first (Dead Space Greatest Hits), as it is an amazing game as well, although it isn't necessary to fully enjoy this game. If you are a fan of the series, I'm sure you already have and love this game. This game is an atmospheric masterpiece that improves upon the original in every way, and keeps the series at a high, high bar.
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I was a day-one fan of Dead Space 1 (DS1). I remember it was set to release within a week or two of Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2, two other big titles going up against a previously unseen space horror. What's strange is I have really never liked horror...not in movies, and not really in games...But something about it being in space appealed to the sci-fi loving side of me thus I chose to play DS1 over the other two...fast forward to the end of DS1 and I have been eagerly awaiting a sequel since sometime in late 2008.
Prior to release, it seemed Dead Space 2 (DS2) doomed itself to failure...Obviously it would be compared to its highly acclaimed predecessor with a microscope. During the lead up to the release in January of 2011, there were complaints from fans from everything to it having multiplayer tacked on, to the protagonist Isaac Clarke showing his face. Other people complained about him getting a fully voiced dialog, or that he was supposedly accompanied this time around. The concern was the atmosphere created by DS1 and how these factors would diminish it. These issues all could have taken away from the magic that was DS1. However, what I found in DS2 was a richer, more engrossing, more refined and overall purely superior experience in comparison to DS1.
Gameplay:
When playing DS2, I noticed some differences in the controls...something that was hard to pin down exactly what had changed. All I knew was that in comparison to DS1, DS2's controls felt tighter, more responsive and overall better to use. I felt that in most situations where Isaac gets mauled, maimed or shredded by the baddies that it was my fault in some way, not some fault of the controls. Even as you have to resort to swinging and stomping your way through piles of necromorph bodies and limbs, the game rarely feels cheap as you continue to stave off wave after wave of murderous, psychopathic blade-enhanced necros. There were only a few times the game felt cheap and all of them had to do with a the number of pursuant necros and a lack of available space to move around in. In my first play through, Isaac paid the ultimate price a few times when I just got overwhelmed from all angles and had nowhere to go. This was not too frustrating as I could quickly learn from my previous attempt and not repeat that again.
All of the weapons from the first game were brought back and new ones were added. I noticed that the fully upgraded plasma cutter weapon in DS2 did not feel as rip-roaring powerful as it did in DS1. Perhaps this was intentional, but either way it felt like it had been a bit neutered. Regardless, I greatly enjoyed the detonator for the new offensive strategies it delivered and the force gun was actually useful to me this time around as opposed to in the DS1. One of my favorite aspects of DS1/DS2 is it lets the player play the way they choose to play. You can stick with one gun if you like...fully deck it out and shred away. You can upgrade many weapons in any combination you like. The RPG-ish upgrading system is wonderful, and will keep me coming back to see what all the weapons are like at full throttle. In addition, DS2 adds the ability to remove upgrades for a small price allowing the player to experiment a bit with weapons.
There were some weapons with what I felt had limited uses, specifically the contact beam and the seeker rifle. The seeker rifle felt just too weak and too slow for me to decide to use any hard earned power nodes to upgrade it. The contact beam, while powerful, was too slow...I found the ripper, plasma cutter and line gun to be far more useful.
One addition I really enjoyed were the vacuum windows. The addition of these really made me feel like Isaac was walking around a high-tech but still fragile space station. One off target shot and he can get sucked out into the vacuum of space. It really makes for some interesting tactics when seemingly overrun with oncoming necros. My only gripe is I wished there were more of these chances.
The entire cast of enemies from the first game returned, but there are some newcomers to the list that make some of the old ones look like no big deal. Without spoiling too much, I felt that DS2's enemies presented a much more formidable challenge than the same ones in DS1. By themselves they were not so bad, but DS2 manages to spawn them in various combinations almost as a squad of troops with battle orders. Whenever I died in the game, it was generally due to me not considering the different strategies required to take on the collection of enemies at that time.
The zero-G segments from DS1 return in DS2, but more refined and far more enjoyable. Instead of being confined to jumping from one platform to another, DS2 gives Isaac a free float ability that is incredibly enjoyable and easy to manage. Isaac is given boosters on his boots that let him move quickly in zero-G areas, and there are buttons that allow you to re-orient Isaac to the correct heading as it can be very easy to flip upside down without realizing it. The zero-G environments are fully functional and were some of my most memorable moments of DS2.
Finally, the replayability for DS2 is phenomenal. I play every game through on its default difficulty the first time through. If the game is good enough, I'll go back and play on whatever the super hard mode is. With DS2, you get not only a super hard mode, but also hardcore, both which should present a formidable challenge. In Zealot difficulty, you can carry over your previous playthrough's weapons independent of the previous difficulty setting (unlike DS1). I won't go into details on Hardcore mode, but know that if you like a challenge, DS2 has one.
Graphics:
The graphics in DS2 have been noticeably improved over DS1, and were frankly on par with some of the more technically meaty titles of the PS3 like Uncharted 2, Killzone 2 etc. The textures were given a lot of extra attention between titles and it showed. The gritty detail of the blood stained walls of the Titan Sprawl (the location of DS2) were one way that the game created the engrossing atmosphere. The attention to detail in Isaac's various suits and weapons, the enemies and the special effects all help to paint a very impressive picture. The character models of the various types of necros seemed to have variations so it wasn't always the same stabby looking humanoid running at you...some are still in clothes some not, some have varying faces, body sizes, weights etc. All are still frighteningly grotesque as can be expected from a Dead Space title.
In an attempt to leave out any location spoilers, every hallway, room, etc. has an exceptional amount of attention paid toward making it come alive...or rather look like it once was alive but is now exceedingly dead. One particular spot that stays with me is a hallway with black lighting you are able to see the bloody smears and hand prints of what was obviously a struggle that didn't end well. The levels are also better than DS1 in that there is little if any back tracking and there are some extremely diverse locations that Isaac finds himself in before the final chapter. Supremely detailed environments a large variety of locations are one of the major ways this game's atmosphere is created. In a word, DS2's level design is superb.
Sound:
Atmosphere was my main draw to DS1 and now DS2. Visceral Games has managed to create this incredibly immersive environment that manages to literally keep me trying to be prepared for what they may throw at me next. In my opinion, the number one contributor to creating such an unrivaled level of atmosphere is the sound design. Anyone who plays this game owes it to themselves to have it on a good home theater system or at least some good quality headphones. The surround sound not only adds to the spookiness of the game, but delivers vital information of approaching creatures. Even in areas with no baddies to kill, the sounds of metallic creaks, cracks and scrapes in the Sprawl's ventilation system let you know you're never safe. Indeed DS2 has some cheap scares, but they're so well timed and not always predictable that I have a hard time believing someone who says they never jumped during a play through.
The music is well composed, and only adds to the atmosphere. The music is also well timed and sometimes gives you the impression that something large is coming. Sometimes it never happens, while other times it does. It manages to build levels of tension and keep you on your toes, never taking for granted the next dark hallway, for a necro is commonly waiting in unseen corners.
I find it really difficult to sum up the quality of sound and how much it contributes to the game in words. It's really just that good.
Presentation:
The game overall has an extremely polished feel to it. The interface, the in-game menus, the weapons, animations, special effects all operate flawlessly. The Development Team put in some major time bringing this game to level of completion that is rarely seen. I enjoyed that the flame thrower didn't work in zero-G environments. While obvious to some, it very well could have been overlooked. I also love how the sound goes nearly to an underwater feel in some of the zero-G environments, further adding to the authenticity. The use of lighting throughout the game paints a picture of darkness and true threat that does not falter or taper off any time during the campaign.
The story should not be overlooked. While some have said it doesn't make sense, I believe it's a tremendous addition to the overall Dead Space timeline. You also get the impression that this character is not invincible. In fact, I believe that those who complained about Isaac being voiced this time might feel otherwise as the story reaches into who he is as protagonist and creates a deeper adventure than could have been accomplished without a voice.
Other reviews I've read docked the storyline for being too linear and giving you menial who-cares tasks to do while Isaac battles his way to the final chapter. I would wholeheartedly disagree with that. While the storyline is pretty linear, it is not menial by any means. I found myself engrossed in the game, caring about who his contacts are, how they fit into this Dead Space universe and how it may all play out. Each task, while not necessarily more gripping than the last, was relevant and fun to play. I found myself being very uncomfortable in the game numerous times when I was faced with an even creepier place to trudge through than the last. Part of the fun of this game is how on edge it makes you feel when you're playing it.
Final Thoughts:
The Development Team from DS1 obviously knew what made DS1 so special because it all returned with improvements for the better. Generally with the addition of a multiplayer component into an single-player game would have some complaining that the entire game would suffer. While I was never interested in the multiplayer component, I can attest to the fact that the single-player campaign and overall game quality was not neglected. In my opinion, DS2 was an improvement in nearly every way, and is very much worth your time.
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SYNOPSIS: An alien artifact drives people murderously insane then reanimates their corpses into mutated monsters. You play Isaac Clarke (An amalgam of Asimov and Arthur C), the sole survivor of Dead Space. Not only is Isaac trapped aboard a massive space station with hundreds of these things, but religious fanatics want to use him for the information in his head and the government wants to kill him for it.
GENRE: Survival horror.
GAMEPLAY: Third person shooter. However, instead of the usual center of mass/headshot gameplay, these necromorphs require dismemberment. Hence, Isaac has a number of unconventional weapons at his disposal that make this task more feasible (an arc welder, force gun, plasma cutter, electric saw, etc). A couple of weapons have been added to the arsenal from Dead Space, but essentially the gameplay remains the same. The addition of a proximity mine thrower makes it easier to strategize and lay down some defenses against the heavier onslaughts. The suits now come equipped with thrusters, so space walks are free roaming as opposed to the linear jumps in Dead Space.
ISAAC CLARKE: This time out, Isaac is no longer the "mute protagonist" of Dead Space. Now that Isaac reacts and responds to the other characters that interact with him, the narrative of Dead Space 2 is much more fulfilling and enjoyable to watch unfold. He's also being haunted and slowly driven insane by strong hallucinations of his girlfriend.
DLC: The downloadable content, available at five bucks a pop, offers beefed-up space suits and weapons. Essentially, it provides you with items you otherwise wouldn't get until a few levels into the game. The upgrading system remains the same, however. So if you really want your gear and weapons to be great, you've got to upgrade them using credits and power nodes you collect throughout the game. Hence, the weapons and suits offer a boost if you get them toward the beginning of the game, but the DLC doesn't make Dead Space 2 a cakewalk.
DEAD SPACE EXTRACTION: Dead Space 2 also comes with the Wii game, Dead Space Extraction, a rail-shooter that incorporates the Playstation move controller. I've played Dead Space Extraction. It's a GREAT game, and maybe one of the best written games I've ever played. The fact that this game is included is seriously cool.
OVERALL: Dead Space 2 is one of the richest, most thrilling gaming experiences I've ever had. It's also scary as hell. If you don't like horror movies, gore or to be scared, you'll hate Dead Space 2. It's suspenseful, and quite often necromorphs jump out or sneak up on Isaac at unexpected moments. The visuals are stunning. The story is compelling and unpredictable. It's one of those games where I would intend to only play for an hour before going to bed, and six hours later I found myself watching the sun come up. I just couldn't put down the controller.
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Just finished this game. What a ride! This is one heck of a game. I had a lot of fun with this game, even though I purchased it a year ago. I wanted to wait until the time was right to play it. I played the first game and loved it, as well. DS1 was one of my first shooter games on the PS3, and Number Two is just as good if not better.
Graphically, Dead Space 2 is outstanding. Like its predescessor, the graphics are top-notch, with great detail. The videos are seemlessly integrated into the game. When a video kicks in, the graphical detail is the same as the game, which means the game itself is high-quality graphics.
The game is gory, make no mistake about it. Grotesque, even. The monsters spew forth guts and blood and, er, stuff, when they are defeated. Very cool!
I found screen brightness to be a minor issue in my game. At first, I did as directed and the screen setting was way too dark. After I maximized the brightness setting I had perfect resolution.
The sound is amazing. This game should be played with headphones on, so you can hear every bit of sound clearly. The music sets the atmosphere just right for a Horror title, and the sounds of the creepies crawling near you help set the tone as well. The voice acting is excellent. The actors played their parts extremely well, and that is a good thing as it helps the story only so much better.
The story itself evolves nicely as you progress through the battles and tasks. Unlike the first game, Dead Space 2 does not have all that many chapter-ending bosses. This was done very well in the first game. Instead, Dead Space 2 has story evolvement and tasks that must be accomplished. There are also no arcade sequences as found in the first game. I really did get involved in the story. This time around, Isaac Clarke, the main character, has a voice and a face. The story is very involving, as characters grow and go through a journey as they say. I kept asking myself, "Who is going to make it? And, who is going to die?" The story is good all the way to the end.
Furthermore, I recommend playing Dead Space 1 before Dead Space 2. Although the second game has slightly improved graphical detail, the first game is very solid. There are flashback moments in the second game that will ruin your playthrough of the first game if you skip Dead Space 1. Both games have almost the same combat smoothness in a game, making both of these games awesome shooters.
The Dead Space games have a sort of RPG element in that equipment can be upgraded. Power nodes are dispersed throughout the levels and allow equipment upgrades. Guns, tools and suits can all be upgraded nicely to get that 'extra edge' over the monsters. There is also an inventory. As you play, you will find items that can be used or sold. By the way, ALWAYS keep one power node in your inventory! This will allow you to open Node Locked doors and find secret rooms where cool items are found. These items may by ammo or healing kits, but you will also find schematics for new items (redeemable at the store), as well as items that have a higher value. (The store, workbench, and save points are placed throughout the game at various points.) Anyway, this upgrade feature really makes Dead Space fun!
My first playthrough was on Normal mode. I have slow reflexes, however, and I died often. I died in every decent battle, as a matter of fact. I was always low on credits, healing, and ammunition. Although I like a challenge now and then, I was not having much fun. So, I changed the difficulty to Casual mode and ... still died! A few times, anyway. I had a LOT of fun after that.
The game has all sorts of difficulty settings. For example, there is newgame+, which allows the player to take their upgraded items into the next game. I had fun on the setting I played on.
Although I usually detest Healing Kits in a game, and greatly prefer Auto-Healing in a shooter, the game design for Dead Space makes healing kits work. Most of the enemies will try to close the range and melee the main character. Meanwhile, the main character has more than enough tools to keep the baddies away. It works well.
As far as guns go, I used the Plasma Cutter and the Pulse Rifle within the game. I like the Plasma Cutter because, once upgraded, it hits really hard and is excellent for limb dismemberment. The Pulse Rifle, on the other hand, is an assault rifle and has a very high rate of fire. Necromorphs will get knocked back a little when hit with most any gun/tool, and I love assault rifles!
I played for 1-2 hours at a time, then I would recharge my wireless equipment. Dead Space 1 and 2 are both games that has a player on the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen next. My nerves would be shaken. As I rested, I would reflect on what had happened and the story progression. When I was ready for more I'd dive back in. Dead Space 2 takes around 15 hours or so to play for the most part, so it took me about a week to get through.
The only bad thing about this game? It ends!
This is an excellent game. Graphics, sound and story, combined with excellent gameplay, make for one heck of an experiance. Dead Space 2 has some of the best entertainment found in video games today.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck, and Good Hunting!
PS. Watch your back!
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*Twice as Much Action, Half the Scare Factor and Only Minor Revisions in a Large Budget Horror Sequel Equal a Slightly Disappointing 2nd Chapter for the Dead Space Series.
Little Big Planet 2, Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, Assassins Creed 2, and God of War 3. Whenever a sequel to a big name game is announced, people expect it to feature more than a few improvements over the original. These aforementioned games raise the benchmark by delivering on the promised experience. As my pre-order implied, I expected nothing less from the next installment of Dead Space. Yet through my 14 hour trek across the Sprawl, I found myself more often disappointed than inspired. Ultimately, my dissatisfaction with this game boils down to one issue: it feels rushed to market. After setting down the controller I found myself wondering which of the two games was better. Dead Space 2 features more enemies and environments, more streamlined action and slightly refined combat and telekinesis. The original Dead Space had a more convincing story, a more frenetic sense of urgency/survival, better enemy and item placement, and a darker ambiance. In effect, Dead Space 2 is like a Carnival Haunted House. It has predictable scares, confined corridors and a few cheap thrills. Most of why it feels scary is because of where you are, rather than what is actually going on. In the end, it feels like you paid a lot of money for an experience they rushed to build. My review places an emphasis on areas I feel could have been improved if more time was spent in development. I would still consider Dead Space 2 a good game, just not everything we expected from a large budget sequel.
FEATURES:
For those of you who buy USED games BEWARE: Dead Space 2 has an online access code that you must enter to play multiplayer. If you buy the game used and the code has already been activated, you will have to purchase a new code before going online. Dead Space Extraction, included on the Limited Edition, is a very good port of the Wii game. The Move is much more accurate, video retains the grainy look of the Wii version but is much sharper, and sound has been radically overhauled. I recently purchased the Sharp Shooter for Killzone 3 and it works SUPERBLY for Extraction. My only complaint for controls is that the weapons must be cycled through with a button, or with left/right on the d-pad. The Wii version allowed you to map different guns to specific directions, so I wonder why this was not added to the analog stick or directional pad for PS3. On another note, the full game must be "downloaded" to your hard-drive from the Bluray then installed to play. It is a 3.5GB install, and will not play directly from the disc. To prevent you from letting your friends borrow the disc to get Extraction for free, you must also have the Dead Space 2 disc in the system to access the game (even though it was fully downloaded onto your system). It doesn't bother me, but I'm sure it would aggravate somebody with less hard-drive space.
GRAPHICS AND ENVIRONMENTS:
Graphics have not received any noticeable improvement. This comes at somewhat of a cost considering the limited facial animations and character movements hold back the terrific voice acting. Suit design is flawlessly executed whereas character models look like early release PS3 games. This juxtaposition carries on throughout other elements of the game. Newer enemy models are drastically split between being cleverly designed (ones modeled after Velociraptors named Stalkers) and very poorly animated (Yellow Necromorph Babies called Crawlers). There are multiple new settings, each of which is essentially a chapter or two within the story. The problem is that each environment features graphics or room design that is copied and pasted. It becomes rather tedious to pass the same storefront 3 times within a single mall, or to read the same messages (written in the same size and same font) across the walls of 5 Unitologist apartments. Banners and video messages also repeat every 5-25 seconds, so the longer you explore an area the more it feels contrived vs organic. Lighting is excellent. Set piece sequences feature some distinct visuals, but are usually over very rapidly and almost ALL of them were featured in the trailers for the game. A few areas offer some exciting eye candy (wood backdrops in a gym, flowing lights in a tunnel, duct-taped insulation, frozen storage) but ultimately these make me disappointed in what the game could have been. If more time was put into the game I'm sure a lot more of these visuals would have been implemented into the settings (instead of spaced apart every 2-3 hours to hold your interest).
GAMEPLAY:
Targeting can be changed between Centered (sight will be on middle of screen), or Classic (sight will follow path of weapon). I found myself using the Classic mode from the first game, because it kept throwing me off to have my left aligned character aim at a different angle than where he was pointing his weapon. Most of your arsenal operates exactly the same as in the original game, which is a good thing. You have to keep in mind that the ammo you find will primarily be from whatever you have equipped. Equipping a weapon you do not use often will result in finding less ammo for guns you do use! Several new members of the battery are quite helpful when upgraded, but must be utilized against certain enemies for full damage. The detonator is a proximity mine that is very effective against Stalkers when accurately placed. However, the game once again feels rushed with its detection coding. Rather than detonate based only on enemy movement, the mines will be set off if they touch anything of necromorph origin. The problem is that mines will continue to explode as you set them if the blue lasers touch any necromorph segment on the ground or wall. This can be troublesome if trying to set them in a hurry. The Javelin is functional, but much more difficult to aim against fast foes without stasis since it has a single point of impact and takes multiple hits to dismember or impale. The Rivet gun pre-order is virtually useless since it has a very small target zone and takes the most hits to dismember an enemy.
Zero gravity is far and away the best revision of the sequel, giving you the ability to fly in any direction and easily re-orient towards the ground. Sadly, most of these parts feature either very primitive puzzles or very basic action despite having the tools for much more. Some of the set piece sequences also place you in a position without immediate prompt. I sat on a train car for about 3 minutes once, looking at the city outside before I realized I had to progress to the next car for the train to get any closer to the station. The few action segments that try to break up the pacing are dispersed VERY far apart. One sequence involves riding on top of a mining vehicle, but ultimately plays out like any other "stuck in the elevator with enemies pouring in" section of the game. It would have been better if these sections featured unique gameplay and controls rather than simple backdrop exchanges. Remember that annoying enemy that couldn't be killed in the first game? He's back too, with an army of friends to push you through a series of corridors. The ending boss also feels like they ran out of ideas on how to implement Isaac's internal struggle with his external. Running in circles to find ammo and watching the same death sequence 40 times from recycled enemies was disheartening. At least the section afterwards offered a slight reprieve. Why were more sections like this flight sequence not offered in the rest of the game?
SOUND:
Ambient sound and voice acting is well executed. Isaac's character is believable even though not entirely unique or memorable. Most of the better lines in the script actually come towards the last 2 hours of the game when Isaac starts to express his frustration. The voice actor delivers these lines right on target. Some of the "startle effects" are impeccably used the first time you hear them, and then become cliche as you progress. For example, I almost jumped when a toilet flushed by itself as I explored a room. Following this, whenever I walked into any other bathroom in the Unitologist apartments the toilets would flush by themselves too. After the first time, "surprise" tactics lose their punch. These are used quite a bit although giving more examples would ruin that "first time" for you as well. To save production time, I believe certain objects were all programmed to behave the same way. The scrambled voice effect and lower sound mixing for the "dementia" scenes also made it very difficult to determine what was being said. Since the story is primarily driven by Isaac's state of confusion, it was disappointing that these moments become lost in the fray. Turning on subtitles helps, but the subtitles are not perfect and will fall behind the voice acting. Usually a subtitle will scroll slightly before audio, but this was not properly designed in DS 2.
STORY:
From start to finish, Dead Space 2 really struggles to come up with a meaningful story. Isaac supposedly has progressive "dementia," but it doesn't manifest itself in his abilities in any way whatsoever. The "ghostly presence" of his dead girlfriend throughout the narrative sometimes comes across as either forced or unnecessary. It fails to convey a real sense of mental degradation. Remember that one scene in the trailer where he is struggling with himself and the needle? The brevity and placement of the scene ultimately fails to serve as the effective foreshadow it was meant to be. In short: It worked better for the trailer than it did in the game. The other characters really have no motivation aside from: we were here and need to get out, or I'm doing this because the person in command told me to. I found myself asking all of the same questions at the end of the game. So how did Isaac initially become the target of contesting factors? What are the real motivations for the Church of Unitology and what IS the joining the marker is used for? All of these questions and more have a nice little blanket thrown over them. You can make your own assumptions, but I was really hoping for the details. There was never any moment where I thought WOW, that was great storytelling! The worst part is that the story of the first game actually sets up the premise better than this sequel. I didn't really like the "Hey Isaac..now we need you to go here and rebuild/fix this" from the 1st game; however, it still seemed better than the "Hey somebody from an organization we just heard about is looking for you and the shuttle only goes here...get aboard!" from this game.
Aside from plot holes, certain inconsistencies screamed out to me as well. In a few scenes, main characters are disfigured or injured and seem helpless. In the following scene they're acting all bad ass and the injury doesn't affect them at all. The Dead Space fiction from DS1 also states that the Hive Mind was created by the Marker as an overseer to direct the actions of the Necromorphs aboard the Ishimura and Aegis 7. Random online sources speculate that the invincible enemies near the finale of DS2 are juvenile stages of hive minds because of minor visual similarities. The problem is that the story never alludes to the Hive Mind, or offer any continuity in regards to how the Sprawl became infected with Necromorphs. According to one journal, creating a "new Marker" on the Sprawl began to show signs of life returning to destroyed Necromorph "goo." However, nothing details the exact nature of this resurgence nor does it fit with the original model found on Aegis 7. Ultimately I just felt like I was constructing a detailed puzzle that was missing quite a few pieces out of the box. I would have been much more entertained by the narrative if I felt it added to the mystery of the Necromorph origin and motivations.
As I played the game all I could think about was how my review would differ from those I read online. In summation, it seemed like the game was quickly executed to follow up on the animated film Downfall and Wii's Extraction. Sadly enough, this game has more than enough opportunity to become an instant classic. It seems like an impressive storyboard was constructed for different enemies and environments, but then filled in between with just enough cover to release it on time.
Dead Space 2 is a fun ride, just be sure to get a cheaper ticket before you hop on board. (7.9/10)
