Space, the final frontier... for horror. Dead Space 2 has set a new benchmark for horror, action and even science-fiction; expanding upon the original in every way conceivable. From the intense opening sequence that sees series protagonist, Isaac Clarke, escaping from a mental facility; arms wrapped and held in a straight-jacket while avoiding a seemingly endless outbreak of Necromorphs, Dead Space 2 never lets up. Not for a single minute. The level of polish and poise throughout is among the best in the business - there are few games out there capable of displaying such maturity and consistency in design, and even fewer development studios capable of making it happen at this level - Visceral Games should be applauded for the job they’ve done here.
If you’re unfamiliar with Dead Space, go out and buy the first one, play it , then buy the second one and repeat the process. Both games can stand proudly alongside each other; Dead Space 2 clearly showing just that little bit more thanks to the maturity factor, but knowing the pedigree, and just why you are where you are (and in a straight-jacket, no less), is important to the consistency of the universe Visceral have crafted. And make no mistake, the story-writing powers that be at Visceral, have really let loose with their expansion of all things Dead Space lore.
As Isaac, who was sole survivor of the outbreak that occurred on the USG Ishimura, and victor of one hell of an epic boss-battle at the end of the first game, his spoils are nothing more than a heady dose of drugs, the aforementioned straight-jacket and a lot of unanswered questions. You literally do awake in a hospital, bound and on the move - the building is crumbling around you as Necromorphs smash through windows, doors and walls hungry for your limbs. But unlike the first game, in the first few moments of Dead Space 2 you have no weapons, and no means to fight. Even when your hands are eventually cut free from your restraints, the only tool you have is a torch.
The “on-edge” experience throughout Dead Space 2 is amplified to the nines, and in many, many parts, leaves the first game for so much space dust. There’s also a much greater emphasis on epic set-pieces; the kind of stuff that would have Nathan Drake turning away, totally emasculated. There’s a slew of new enemy-types, such as the Stalkers, who are so devastating, surviving your first encounter with them awards you its own Achievement, as well as a greater host of mini-bosses, sub-bosses and, well, bosses. But it’s not just reanimated corpses with razor-sharp limbs you’re fighting in Dead Space 2, there’re also sinister corporations, mental religious zealots and Isaac’s own deeply emotional internal struggle.
All of this is paced beautifully, and offered to you in entirely in-game cuts, text and speech. There’re no CG buy-ins, nothing over-the-top in the ‘aesthetic’ delivery department - from the outset you’re almost always in control, and the few moments you aren’t, you’ll probably be thankful, because your hands are going to be too busy picking your jaw up from the ground anyway.
There’s a deeper story here, too. And you’ll notice I’ve avoided much of it, and with good reason. The first game was more of an experience; a splice of life within this twisted universe, while Dead Space 2 is oh-so much more. It takes the themes and glossed-over ideas of the first game to new heights, as if the team always planned to take you on this ride - teasing you at first, before pulling you into its narrative nexus; a vortex of gross wonderment.
On the Ishimura, you found out details regarding the ship's inner-workings alongside reports of what had transpired to lead you there in the first place. On the Sprawl, things are fleshed out on a grander scale - there's much to consume in the game's Unitology religion; a clear and concise play on today's Scientology, while the sheer building of the Sprawl itself, along with man's deeper ventures into space, is meaty lore for the dinner table. For the discerning sci-fi fans out there, you're going to have your investigative tickler tickled pink with what's in story store.
But beyond the stunning visuals, engrossing on-the-fly narrative, intensely epic set-pieces, gruesome (and imaginative) enemies, incredible sound and piss-your-pants scares, is the game’s combat, and it’s here the team have really dialled things up to 11.
In the first game, everything was new. The Necromorphs were new, the game’s style of horror and suspense was new and you knew nothing about why. Here, however, the team are more than aware Dead Space aficionados are coming in armed with knowledge, and knowledge is power. And while there’s definitely a lot here to keep you on your toes, your arsenal is greater, the tactical options at your finger-tips are greater and everything feels much more fleshed out and satisfying as a result.
Old weapons return with better secondary fire functions (barring your Plasma Cutter, that baby is like vinyl - it just gets better with age), while newer weapons give you even more recourse to deal with the myriad enemies you’ll be constantly swamped with. The Javelin Gun, for instance, fires a single bolt that will pierce a Nercomorph and either knock them down, or send them flying to a wall to be hung up on it, like some twisted holiday decoration. However, the Javelin’s secondary fire function, which is an electrical charge, can be used to take out multiple enemies if you time it right. You can even aim for a spot on the floor, instead of soft Necromorph flesh and just set a simple trap to give you some breathing room.
Other familiar tools also return, such as Stasis, which you can use to slow enemies momentarily in their tracks, or to slow down functional items in the world for a bit of puzzle-solving, and just like the first game, you can collect or buy Nodes to then upgrade weapons, suits and items at Work Benches. And even this carried over system has been tweaked for a more satisfying experience.
And that’s the crux of this game. At no point throughout my play through have I felt short-changed. There’s so much more to see and do. Isaac is an engineer by trade, which is what got him into all this mess in the first place, yet in the first game there weren’t enough scenarios or puzzles to really explore this. Dead Space 2 does though, and you’ll be hacking terminals, commandeering tools and crawling through claustrophobic vents throughout the game, stopping momentarily to stare at the awe-inspiring view of the Sprawl, the city in which you’ve awoken; nestled upon the shattered remains of one of the first moons humans ever mined, Titan. Off in the distance, you’ll see the haunting beauty that is Saturn and her rings. It really is breathtaking.
Speaking of which, Dead Space 2 carries with it even more nail-biting moments out in the coldness of space, with the new ability to control Isaac in zero-g a full 360 degrees, thanks to one of his new suits. There are countless puzzles and enemy encounters in moments like these, and as you would expect, physics, inertia and all the proper science are in-check
It’s the attention to detail that carries everything so seamlessly throughout, and if it’s not in your face, it’s in your periphery, or in your rear-speakers. From the incredibly functional city and its believable components and “lived-in” feel, to the creepy sounds off in the distance; that single spanner dropping from up on high to create a disturbing and disrupting echo, Dead Space 2 will unnerve you, it will scare you and it will grab you, by the throat, or your legs as you scurry to get away, and devour you. Whole.
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