Dead Space 2 Reviews

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Having enjoyed playing through the first Dead Space, I was looking forward to a good scare with a lot of action. I was not disappointed. Dead Space 2 improves in almost every way over its predecessor. From the beginning of the game, which had me jumping out of my seat, to the heart-pounding end, I was constantly on the edge of my seat. The action flows seamlessly, and it no longer feels like a series of fetch quests like in the original. The upgrades were more intuitive, and the suits just kept looking more awesome. There is one thing to note however. This game has a lot of gore. Way more than the first one. If that doesn't bother you, then fine, but if you are even slightly squeamish you would be better off letting other people play during some scenes. I may have developed a permanent fear of needles thanks to this game :) In summary:

PROS:

More intuitive gameplay flow

Better character and story development than compared to the first

Graphics are top-notch

The sound is perhaps the best I've experienced in a game

CONS:

Still not the most engulfing story in the world

Difficulty is completely brutal (for those of you who like a challenge this could be a PRO)

Online play requires a code (included in the game)

Ramped up levels of gore could be disturbing to some

Overall I think that this was a very well-done game that entertained me and will continue to. Happy playing!

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Believe the hype! Dead Space 2 is everything you could want and expect from a sequel. And then there's more! To date, this is the single scariest/goriest game I have ever played on a console. (Silent Hill, you used to be the victor but come on, it's 2011 and sometimes, you just gotta move on.) (I still say the original Dead Space is the scariest game I have ever played though, but since this is part of the same universe, it still counts!) What makes it scary though?

How about: the music, the creepy atmosphere, the darkness, the fact that you have to rely on the light from your flashlight throughout the entire game (forget Doom 3's flashlight, this is the real deal,) the screaming (from Isaac and others,) the hallucinations, the death animations, the monster sounds, the babies crying, Isaac's (now) warped/skewed perspective of reality, the gore, the blood, the setting and the story. In the same vein, as films like "Even Horizon" and "Sunshine," there is a good dose of story-telling and character setup though none of it is too ground-breaking. What I am trying to say is that while the voice-acting is above-average, it isn't spectacular. Isaac's character is believable this time around, which is a huge improvement and a definite plus from the first game since Isaac was pretty much mute (sorta like a certain physicist from a certain game about killing crabs that like to jump on heads...) Also, part of the whole Dead Space charm lies in the different weapons you use. Though you are ultimately using "mining" tools, the developers have gone the extra mile to show us that just about anything can really be made into a weapon. From the Plasma Cutter and Seeker Rifle to the Contact Beam and Javelin Gun (a personal favorite,) don't these all sound just oh-so-wonderful? And remember, this is a survival-horror/action/adventure-type game so, oh my! Bonus tip: hold down RT + B and Isaac immediately force-levitates any object in the game. This means that you can use jagged pieces of glass, sharpened sticks, surgery utensils, backpacks, anything you want to dispense sweet justice on the abominable Necromorphs that plague the Sprawl!

If there is anything to not like about the game, it is the Collector's Edition. Stay far away from it! The regular game is just fine, if not better (as far as the $/fun ratio is concerned!) Also, if you buy the game used, EA goes the let's-treat-this-console-game-like-a-PC-game by forcing you to purchase an online code just so you can play online with our friends! What is this all about? bad job EA! That is so 90s EA and not cool! Also, the game is very "very" punishing so if you are new to the whole survival-horror genre or just about any type of video game-style playing, then I would recommend the Casual mode. It's awesome because Dead Space 2 allows you to replay the game with all your previous boosts, perks, stats and weapons so replay-value is totally boosted to the x10 level. Go ahead and play on easy the first time around just to get the story. I know I did! Also, beating the two hardest difficulty modes also garners unique achievements and I know I love getting those rare achievements so this is a total bonus!

But uh, for those of you who like/need a number-based rating: 4.5/5.

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I am a huge fan of the original Dead Space, it being the first game I bought for the Xbox 360 and the one I have gone back to constantly, and my hopes were suitably high for the sequel. The first game was a chilling at atmospheric game that was part Aliens and part Resident Evil, and Dead Space 2 retains the looks and feel while providing some marked improvements that fans of the original will love.

Set three years after the events of the first Dead Space, the main protagonist Isaac is confined to the mental ward of a hospital, suffering from dementia and haunting visions of his dead girlfriend, who comes to him in creepy flashbacks and cut scenes early in the game. The first acts of the game are rather hazy, as Isaac is suddenly freed from the hospital during an invasion of the Necromorphs from the first game, and when he escapes with his life and begins to make his way through the chaos that surrounds him. After being eased into the game through some expository dialogue, you don the space suit and obtain the weapons and then the real fun starts. The first thing that is noticeable from the start is that Isaac is more fleshed out as a character, having full dialogue and an intriguing back story. The secondary characters, some looking to help and others looking to harm him, are equally compelling and add a depth to the story that felt absent in the first game. The frightening Necromorphs are more aggressive than ever in Dead Space 2, and you will spend a good part of the game fighting them off along with a host of other nightmarish creatures. The key to survival is aiming at their limbs, and this leads to some tense firefights where you are surrounded by enemies and aiming becomes a frantic and sometimes frustrating endeavor. The weapons we know and love form the first game have also returned, including the Plasma Cutter, the Pulse Rifle, and my favorite, the Line Gun.

Dead Space 2 is every bit as creepy and atmospheric as the first game, but you will immediately notice that they have increased the gore and the frequency of the "jump" moments. Like any good horror movie, you will find yourself walking into a dark and eerily silent room, knowing that something is going to jump out at you. The graphics and sound of the first game set a gold standard for survival horror games and they are equally stellar here. Adding to the atmosphere are more varied locales, including hospital rooms, a concourse and, most creepy of all, children's bedrooms with bloody handprints on the wall. This adds up to an experience that feels fresher than the original Dead Space and you get less bored of travelling through space station areas that all look the same after a while. The gameplay is as tight as the original, with responsive controls and meaty weapons are are a pleasure to eviscerate enemies with. That I have noticed an improvement on are the controls in the Zero-Gravity areas, which were cumbersome in the first game but feel better here. Returning are your abilities with Stasis, which allows you to slow down enemies and grab far away objects. Using this skill is a life-saver, especially in the more hectic fights later in the game.

The other notable improvement is the online multiplayer, which consists of two teams of four people, one side being the soldiers and the other being the creatures found in the single-player campaign. The leveling up works like most other competitive online games; you earn points by getting as many kills, as few deaths, and assisting your teammates when they are overpowered. The points from levelling up allow you to upgrade equipment, armour and abilities and it works well for the most part. The only drawbacks are the high learning curve, especially when playing as a creature, and the lackluster performance of your weapons and stasis in the beginning. Some of my friends have complained about the connection issues with the servers and horrible lag, but I have yet to experience this myself. It's fast, frantic, and yes, a little frustrating. However, I look at the multiplayer as a bonus since I bought this for the campaign.

Overall, Dead Space 2 is a sequel that keeps the strengths of the original game while making some improvements that will please fans who are looking for something new. The single-player campaign is very solid and will keep you busy for 10 to 12 hours, depending on the difficulty chosen, and the multiplayer should satisfy your competitive streak once you get past the learning curve. I purchased the Xbox 360 version of the game, but the Playstation 3 version comes with Dead Space: Extraction, an on-rails shooters previously exclusive to the Wii, but I own this already so it didn't make a difference to me. Whatever version you choose, Dead Space 2 is a winner and is one of the first great games of 2011.

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I'll be blunt, my biggest critiques of Dead Space 2 are the ones that I had with Dead Space leading me to believe the problem may be endemic with the whole series: lack of innovation with story and game mechanics. It's still Resident Evil 4 in space and the development team has done nothing bring originality beyond adding more weapons (which unless the player makes a conscious choice to pick and invest heavily in they probably won't be used, unless the player decides to have repeated playthroughs) and foes to cut up. I sincerely hope there is more originality in story and play styles in the next installment. However everything else, the voice work is excellent and the monsters and weapons are all still fun as hell to play around with (the ripper never gets old, ever and I admire the cojones for adding children enemies) and a real focus on item management keeps the game interesting and playable enough that I do not regret my purchase in the slightest.

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This game, I'd have to say is probably the best sequal of any game yet. Actually, it's the best game ever. When i first heard about it, I was kindof skeptical about it since the lead producers of Dead Space 1 left and are now working on the new Call of Duty. I played Dead Space 1 almost religiously. I got all of the achivements for it, and i have to say that I'm going to get all of them for this game. The game is awesome. It's like 20 out of 10 awesome. There is nothing reallyw wrong with the game but I noticed that the game reveals the contents way faster than Dead Space 1. Ex: you get the plasma cutter, TK, and Stasis all in the first chapter. And the various necromorphs are revealed alot faster two. I would also like to say that, yes the game does have a video about dead space 1, but if you havent, beat Dead Space 1 first. It makes the game 10x better. And something else id like to mention that *Spoiler* the monster that regenerates his arms, like the one in dead space 1, i was hoping that you would need some sort of strategical way to kill him. But you never do. *end*