EA’s Dead Space survival horror franchise picks up with Dead Space 2, the sequel to the original, for next gen console platforms as well as for the PC. The Limited Edition PS3 version also comes with Dead Space Extraction, the first person rail shooter originally exclusively for the Wii, which is now backed up by PlayStation Move support. Through this inclusion, PS3 players with the add-on can experience exactly what happened when a band of space colonists attempted to extract a Red Marker. Created by Visceral Games, the game merges elements of horror and gore with perfectly tuned sounds and brilliantly conceived environs. Through an engaging review, we found all these elements to deliver a positively spine-chilling experience, true to the series.
Dead Space 2 takes place years after the first title and finds Isaac Clarke, our protagonist locked up in what seems to be a mental facility. But as before, all hell breaks loose and before long, necromorphs have taken over which means that Isaac must make his way out of the facility with his life. Along the way he picks up some fascinating weapons which come in handy as it seems like every encounter in the game is as gripping as the one before. The plasma cutter makes its return to the series pretty early in the game, as does the stasis ability. Strangely, in a world where the ‘real monsters’ are in Isaac’s mind and practically everything he encounters is out to do him in, the game’s main character is guided through the lonely depths of the space vessels with help coming from the unlikeliest of sources.
Graphics in the game are great, but the fact that you may not get a single tranquil moment in which to really take notice, it seems that it’s all down to the scare tactics that the game employs. Just when you start to think things are settling down, the creatures that plague you begin to ebb and you are jolted into a trigger finger response with the only outcome being death to the necromorphs. The game slowly reels you in with its gripping storyline and hideous beings, and before you know it you’re just as hell bent on destroying the marker as Isaac. A captivating and riveting storyline which perfectly complements the setting eases you into the horror and the revelations, while the action spurs you on to push your limits and the frontiers of the Dead Space universe.
However, the elements that really bring the game alive are the spooky environments and the eerie game ambiance just before the necromorphs attack, as well as the dead silent sections which can be just as creepy. Dead Space 2 makes it so that you can almost feel the slimy creatures on your skin as they creep up on you. Stalkers are by far the scariest beings you encounter in the game and the most intriguing ones as well. They hide behind cover, poking their heads out watching you, and then make a dashing charge at you emitting a high pitched, almost blood-curdling shriek. It’s as if they are taking a good, long look into your soul. Then there are brutes; big and powerful with few, tiny weak spots; another interesting addition.
The game doesn’t give you too much to boast about in terms of the number of weapons. But they are varied, each having a unique ‘kick’ to it. All of them, plus your rig and stasis module, are upgradeable and you can increase every attribute from damage doled out to clip capacity to explosive alternate fire modes. They will however cost you valuable power nodes. So you’ll have to make sure you scour every last bit of the game’s gorgeous environments if you want to pick up equipment which can prove to be a life saver. Text and audio logs scattered over the environments will help to piece together the events and the feeling of general unrest in the time Isaac has lost.
Dead Space 2 packs in the New Game+ feature which more than doubles its life. So if you’re not sure you’ll be able to tackle the reanimated creatures on a difficulty setting which is deathly enough to make your eyes bleed the first time around, you can always try a higher one if you decide to have another go at the game. You get to keep all the stuff (upgraded weapons and suits) you had the first time around, plus you’ll find arguably better versions of suits in subsequent play-throughs which offer even more protection and varied abilities.
The game is not just about slaying reanimated human beings against a terrifying backdrop. During the course of the thriller, you come to some eye-opening revelations, pick up a few neat suits and come in contact with a very interesting bunch of individuals, all of whom have a back story shrouded in some amount of mystery. But apart from satisfying necromorph-hacking, the game is quite single-minded. In other words, allowing you to make a variety of choices and take multiple parallel paths to the truth is not its strongest point. At times you’d be forgiven if you feel the game is steering you to a sort of ‘biased outcome’. Another shortcoming is that even with all the conveniences of the powerful next gen console, you can’t creep forward, no matter how scared you are of the game’s creatures jumping out and tearing you apart, limb from limb.
This game can never get tiring though. Every time you start to get the impression that the game is going to sleep, things are mixed up, the monsters show you another side of themselves, and it’s like yet another rabbit being pulled out of the hat. With all the terrifying segments, it’s a given you won’t doze off midway through this magnificently conceived and masterfully portrayed title.
Final Word: EA’s and Visceral Games’ Dead Space 2 is a truly fascinating survival horror title, which while staying true to its roots still manages to provide a terrifyingly real and viscerally fulfilling experience. The game surpasses expectations with ease and leaves its players amazed. It manages to brilliantly convey that unsettling queasy feeling. It is sure to deliver hours over hours of non-stop necromorph slaying and should make a no-brainer pick-up choice for any fan of the genre.
Graphics: 9.5/10.
Environments: 9.5/10.
Story: 9.5/10.
Game Sounds: 9.5/10.
Replay Value: 10/10.
Overall (not an average): 9.5/10.