The original Dead Space raised the bar for the survival/horror genre. Combining an amazing, horrific and claustrophobic atmosphere with a gripping plot and unprecedented challenges, Dead Space showed the video game world how to do things proper. Dead Space 2 is set three years after the events of the first game. Engineer Isaac Clarke awakens aboard The Sprawl--a massive space station centered around Saturn's moon, Titan, in the midst of another grisly Necromorph infestation. Suffering from a fatal form of dementia due to Isaac's proximity with the virus aboard the Ishimura, time is running out for our protagonist. Welcome to Isaac's continued fight for answers and survival.
Dead Space 2 is an incredibly solid sequel. Vast improvements have been made to combat, weaponry, zero-g, and Isaac's skills as an engineer. Most notable, however, is the amazing leap in character development. No longer is Isaac the silent protagonist! This worked with the original title--we knew what Isaac's goal was--but we couldn't really know him as a person. The sequel morphs Isaac from a symbol to a real human being. Isaac's mental and emotional instability progressively erode with the story, as his dementia grows and worsens. At the beginning of the game, Isaac appears to be a man who has faced a harrowing experience, perhaps suffering from Post-Traumatic Stess Disorder. As time progresses, Isaac's hallucinations become more vivid (and dangerous), and he becomes a man completely consumed by guilt.
Like the original, Dead Space 2 features a strong cast of supporting characters. Nolan Stross is a patient on The Sprawl who also has had contact with the Marker. He will often spout out cryptic messages to Isaac, most which lead to a single event in the story. Ellie is a pilot aboard the station, and symbolizes redemption for Isaac. Of course, Nicole Brennan, Isaac's girlfriend, plays a tremendous role in the story.
There are a few points that some players may find to be faults. For instance, the majority of enemies are unchanged from the original (aside from bosses, there are only perhaps 8 new enemy variants). The good news is that the new Necros are a treat. The Pack are former children, and as their name implies, attack in large numbers and with unmatched aggression. Stalker Necromorphs will hunt Isaac strategically through certain areas, attacking with speed and surprise. The most disturbing new enemy type are...the babies. Yes, swarms of dead babies will crawl towards Isaac, cuddle him, and detonate. If you have a concern about mowing down cooing, crying babies, skip this game. While only a handful of new weapons have been added to Isaac's stockpile, all of them have been improved and tweaked. Kinesis (which was only used to move objects in Dead Space) now has combative purposes. Severed Necromorph claws can be fired at enemies, etc. Another cool addition to the series is breakable windows. Certain windows can be blown out to create a vacuum to quickly dispatch rooms full of enemies, but with risks.
Dead Space 2 is not amazingly lengthy, but the sheer difficulty of the game makes up for it. I personally spent hours trying to clear small areas on normal difficulty, due to enemy AI, an all-around shortness of supplies, etc. After one play through, however, the size of the storyline becomes more noticeable.
In summation, Dead Space 2 is a gripping, suspenseful, horrific thrill ride that will leave your palms sweating and your heart racing. Disturbing atmosphere, horrific enemies, an amazing cast and script make this series pop out even more, and I can only hope for another installment!
Remember: You will all be made into one. MAKE. US. WHOLE!!!!
Dead Space 2 is an incredibly solid sequel. Vast improvements have been made to combat, weaponry, zero-g, and Isaac's skills as an engineer. Most notable, however, is the amazing leap in character development. No longer is Isaac the silent protagonist! This worked with the original title--we knew what Isaac's goal was--but we couldn't really know him as a person. The sequel morphs Isaac from a symbol to a real human being. Isaac's mental and emotional instability progressively erode with the story, as his dementia grows and worsens. At the beginning of the game, Isaac appears to be a man who has faced a harrowing experience, perhaps suffering from Post-Traumatic Stess Disorder. As time progresses, Isaac's hallucinations become more vivid (and dangerous), and he becomes a man completely consumed by guilt.
Like the original, Dead Space 2 features a strong cast of supporting characters. Nolan Stross is a patient on The Sprawl who also has had contact with the Marker. He will often spout out cryptic messages to Isaac, most which lead to a single event in the story. Ellie is a pilot aboard the station, and symbolizes redemption for Isaac. Of course, Nicole Brennan, Isaac's girlfriend, plays a tremendous role in the story.
There are a few points that some players may find to be faults. For instance, the majority of enemies are unchanged from the original (aside from bosses, there are only perhaps 8 new enemy variants). The good news is that the new Necros are a treat. The Pack are former children, and as their name implies, attack in large numbers and with unmatched aggression. Stalker Necromorphs will hunt Isaac strategically through certain areas, attacking with speed and surprise. The most disturbing new enemy type are...the babies. Yes, swarms of dead babies will crawl towards Isaac, cuddle him, and detonate. If you have a concern about mowing down cooing, crying babies, skip this game. While only a handful of new weapons have been added to Isaac's stockpile, all of them have been improved and tweaked. Kinesis (which was only used to move objects in Dead Space) now has combative purposes. Severed Necromorph claws can be fired at enemies, etc. Another cool addition to the series is breakable windows. Certain windows can be blown out to create a vacuum to quickly dispatch rooms full of enemies, but with risks.
Dead Space 2 is not amazingly lengthy, but the sheer difficulty of the game makes up for it. I personally spent hours trying to clear small areas on normal difficulty, due to enemy AI, an all-around shortness of supplies, etc. After one play through, however, the size of the storyline becomes more noticeable.
In summation, Dead Space 2 is a gripping, suspenseful, horrific thrill ride that will leave your palms sweating and your heart racing. Disturbing atmosphere, horrific enemies, an amazing cast and script make this series pop out even more, and I can only hope for another installment!
Remember: You will all be made into one. MAKE. US. WHOLE!!!!