Dead Space 2 - Reviews

(4.5)

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7.2.2011

EA continue their hot streak with their second truly amazing title in as many months following the fantastic Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. This sequel to 2008's big surprise survival horror benchmark title brings back everything that made the original such an engrossing, atmospheric joy to play and improves on it pretty much across the board and simultaneously offers so much on-disc content that I would seriously challenge you to find a more value packed standard priced single release this generation.Picking up a few years after the first game, you are once again Isaac Clarke who awakes disoriented in a mental ward aboard an enormous space station called 'The Sprawl'and the game gives you no time to breathe as the opening scene quickly leads into a prologue level where you must control a straight-jacket restrained Isaac as he attempts to escape an outbreak of the mutant 'Necromorph' creatures in his ward. Events soon escalate and it isn't long before you are wading through mass slaughter across the sprawl as you witness swathes of civilians being ripped to pieces or transformed into grotesque horrors. Unlike the first game, there are plenty of other survivors around, most of them not lasting long but some who accompany you occasionally, which makes for a pleasant change from the isolated feeling of terror that is usually present through the game and that made up the entirety of the first game. Make no mistake though, this is still as atmospheric and tense as gaming experiences come, with utterly nerve wracking moments peppered throughout and while the actual 'scares' may seem a little light on the ground, the atmosphere doesn't falter for a second and there is some truly horrifying Necromorph design in the game, with not only Necromorph children who swarm at you en masse, but also haunting sounding Necromorph babies, who crawl toward you and explode if you touch them. It is a game of true visual horror and masterful suspense work.True, the gameplay is much the same as the first game, just with more refinement and some truly superbly done fully free zero gravity controls. This is no bad thing in my book, but if you found the first game repetitive or anything, then the sequel will do little to change your mind, but there's no denying this is a solidly made, impressive piece of work across the board. Maybe not so much in the new multiplayer modes though, which I've seen described as a simplified Left 4 Dead knock off. Not an inaccurate statement I guess, but it is still enjoyable, even if the single player is where the game truly shines.Visually the game is amazing, with highly detailed graphics and rock solid performance. The sole critique I could offer is the sameyness in the level design, but considering the game is set on a space station it's not likely to have jungle or snow levels really, is it? The sound work is moody and atmospheric, and while the voice work is decent, I couldn't help but feel that having Isaac talk(As he was silent during the first game) actually detracted from the tension rather than added to it. Maybe not the best idea the developers had, but I can understand why it had to be done from a story perspective and it doesn't exactly ruin the game.To say Dead Space 2 is the best horror game this generation so far is putting it mildly. I've seen some criticisms of the game citing a lack of "scares" in the game, but they seem to miss the point that the game's true horror aspects come from it's atmosphere and use of suspense and tension to keep you on edge, which is far more effective a device to employ than merely having a big monster pop up and say 'boo' at you every 5 minutes. This is horror as it should be done in a game, and while there may be a lot of focus on action and gore alongside that, the whole thing blends together to create a game that may not be original or heavy with variety, but offers up an experience that will stay with you long after you've finished. It is excellent.And... it would be a tad remiss to review the game without also covering the free Move enabled Dead Space Extraction that comes included on the disc with this PS3 version. As you're no doubt aware, Extraction is the truly superb prequel to Dead Space 1 that was previously released for the Wii in late 2009 to some critical(Though sadly not commercial) success. Played in the style of a Time Crisis-esque shooter, Extraction is actually put together very much like an interactive sci fi movie, with you as the central character on a colony slowly succumbing to the Necromorph infestation. You view the story from your character's perpective the entire time, making for an impressively tense experience, though obviously the on-rails nature of the game progression will make this a bit of linear, one time affair in terms of horror, the gameplay is sufficiently strong in the physics/dismemberment heavy "light gun" shooting sequences that the challenges and additional challenge mode that you are given the option to try to earn high scores and bonuses for the game. Extraction has an extremely strong narrative to it, with superb atmosphere and voice acting pushing the experience along. The gameplay is simplistic, but tense and fun, with the Move controls being very well done, with a scheme that uses just the Move itself, as opposed to the Wii set up which also required the Nunchuk. While the visuals are very nice, they are clearly still a Wii game with a HD upgrade and some minor touching up. Extraction is still a good looking game, but next to the main DS2 game, it is unquestionably a step down. This is the sort of game that may be questionable as a full price purchase, but as something that is absolutely free, it is a fantastic addition to an already satisfying package.This is a truly amazing package that simply should not be missed by anyone. An awesome sequel to one of this generation's best new series now with a decent multiplayer mode AND with a full free prequel game that is itself superb included on the disc? You'd have to be mental not to appreciate what amazing value for money Dead Space 2 represents. You owe it to yourself to buy this game.

2.3.2011

The first Dead Space was at the time - and probably still is - one of the creepiest games I've ever played. It did just about everything right, basically nailing the sci-fi horror genre with one of the most violent displays of gruesome images I'd seen in a game. And the enemies, the necromorphs, are the stuff of nightmares. It did at some point get a bit repetitive, yet, nevertheless, I was enthralled by its atmosphere. I was, admittedly, a bit worried about which direction they would take Dead Space's sequel, though. The first images of Isaac in his new suit, while cool looking, seemed so very different than the engineer suit from the first game. Then I read that this time Isaac Clarke,Dead Space's silent protagonist, had a voice and many lines of dialogue. And then some footage of Isaac donning this new suit - apparently flying, Iron Man style, through a section in the game. I didn't find this all too comforting. Sequel curse, perhaps? And then the launch trailer... it had rock music. Totally off from what the first game offered. Still, I wanted to find out more about it, so I bought it.Thank goodness, the game turned out great (if somewhat flawed in some portions).Dead Space 2Gameplay: 9 / 10.Dead Space 2's gameplay has not changed much since the first game - and in many ways that's a relief. An over-the-shoulder-view through the creaking interior (and sometimes even the exterior - yes, that's outer space!) of the giant space station/city's dark corridors make for an eerie feeling, a slight tinge of nervousness, along with the unsettling and dreadful atmosphere make Dead Space 2 a must-play for any horror-afficiendo. Truly, developer Visceral Games have managed to create one of the most downright creepy and suspenseful moods in the gaming industry. That said, I did not find Dead Space 2 quite as scary as the first entry in this franchise. It's still scary, mind you, but having played Dead Space (1) many times over before playing this one, I felt slightly prepared for the game, seeing as it is very similar to the first game.This time around you'll fortunately wield a more diverse set of weaponry (the socalled "mining tools") and many more impressive looking space suits to don. Most of the weapons are back but they've also added several new ones - the Javelin Gun never tired me, impaling necromorphs and pinning them agains the wall with what is essentially a harpoon is just too entertaining (sick, I know, but still!). As I am writing this I have done merely one playthrough on "Zealot", the second most difficult (which unlocks "Hardcore" - brutal enemies, only 3 saves throughout!) and didn't actually manage to try out all the weapons and suits in the game so it does have some replay value, as well.Graphics / Visuals: 9 / 10.Dead Space looked good back when it was first released and this one looks even better. It's not a huge leap in graphics but I was able to see some more crisp detail in even smaller items and such. The almost perfect lighting has been improved upon even more, giving it a more realistic look. But it's in the visuals themselves where it gets really impressive. The Sprawl, Isaac's current whereabouts, is an immense space station/city and it looks very good. As a sci-fi fan I was in awe at its scope and sheer look. Beautiful yet ominous. It's every bit as scary as the USG Ishimura from the first game and much more diverse in colors and locations.Audio: 9.5 / 10.Yet again Visceral Games, formerly known as EA Redwood Shores, brings terror to your audio system. It's practically flawless, just like the first game. The voice acting is good too, and Isaac, while not a unique turn, has a fitting voice and it works pretty well within its perhaps rather safe confines (American, ahem).Storyline: 8 / 10.Intro: Dead Space 2 continues where Dead Space left us. Isaac has been found and brought aboard the Sprawl, a colossal space station on Titan, one of Saturn's moons. But he is not safe there. Soon he faces a new onslaught of necromorphs as The Sprawl is infested by them - because someone has reverse-engineered a new Marker for the Unitologists, the religious extremists known from the USG Ishimura incident. And all this while Isaac battles with his own degrading mental instability, his memories of his dead girlfriend - haunting him, as he strides through The Sprawl.While the story about the Marker and what it does is fairly standard within the horror genre, it's the fact that Isaac has to escape and is yet compelled to face his own personal demons from the past, unwillingly, that makes the story quite interesting. I do feel, however, that the ending, or rather the final mission, goes a bit too over the top and doesn't nearly have the 'realism' of the first Dead Space's ending.Replay value: 8.5 / 10.There are many reasons to do another playthrough; obtain all weapons, all suits, the audio logs and many specific Trophies you might want to achieve.Verdict: 8.8 / 10If you liked the first game or just want to play a good horror game Dead Space 2 is a sure bet. You get a both scary and action-packed, not to mention extremely gory, sci-fi horror ride. It's about as good as it gets!

6.2.2011

Basically, this is a horror film with you as the star, progressing through the storyline. You are a technician aboard a ship that a horrible event has happened on and you are trying to find your way off. There is no choice, this game is excellent on the PS3, the graphics are good, from the detail of your character's suit to the enemies you face, the scenery is well done, with the lighting in certain areas making you jump at shadows. The game is also good in that it is not your average first person shooter, when attacking the baddies you have to think about where you shoot them, it is not just a case of shooting everyone in the face to kill first off. Also, with regards to the viewpoint of the character,it follows in the path of Resident Evil 4/5, so the camera is just over your shoulder allowing you to see the action going on. I did not find this view restrictive at all, just as I didn't on Resident Evil.Along the way through the game you will pick up video and audio logs of the crew which will help you understand what has happened on the ship.The atmosphere of the game is amazing, I was looking for a game to entrall me and shake me up, and I have gotten too used to strategy games where nothing surprises me. The baddies will attack you from unexpected directions at times, you think you may be safe hiding in a spot and then they are on you! You can collect credits along the way and when you happen upon a digital store you can buy the usual goods, ammo, weapons, health etc... The game also adds the element that you do not get access to every weapon as you go through the game, you need to find a schematic of it then download it at the store so the item can be purchased. I have been playing the game about 3-4 hours now and have unlocked only one weapon fully in that the shop supplied the weapon, I had to find the ammo schematic. There are also "nodes" which can be found/bought, and these can be used to get into certain rooms that need it to open the door, or you can use them to upgrade you suit or weapon at a "bench" where your character will upgrade the weapon himself (he is a technician after all). There are new weapons to find and use, so it is not the same as the first game, there are a few that you will recognise of course, it is not ALL new weapons!Be wary of using all your nodes at once, they are very expensive to buy, this is the only tip I will give you while playing the gameThe zero G room is great fun when you can hurl yourself around the room, not so much fun if you are being chased though, you need to think about where you position yourself so you can dispatch the baddie. And this is an imrovement on the first game in that you have jets in your suit now so you can fly through zero-gee.The price is very good as you consider you are getting two games, if you enjoy the shooter aspect of a game with a dark atmosphere, this is the game for you. I loved Dead Space Extraction on the WII and love this just as much...well...a bit more, it has hi-def graphics :PDead Space Extraction:This is a rail shooter, you progress through the levels at a pre-determined rate, along the way you get to experience some of the horror that leads to the games Dead Space and Dead Space 2. This game explains how events unfold and it can be played as either one player or two for co-op play. You can collect weapons along the way and ammunition for these, you can also collect upgrades for weapons which will give you more shots per clip for example, you can collect audio logs that help explain the story, and at the end of each level you will be scored on how many items you can collect, logs collected, accuracy.Now, to the way of collecting said ammunition, logs, etc... You are equiped with a telekinesis module that allows you to grab items from the floor and pull them into your inventory. You also collect a stasis module along the way that allows you to effectively "freeze" enemies for a short period so you can shoot them or hack at them with a physical attack. This stasis module will recharge itself over time and so you do have infinite shots with it. (I am telling most of you to suck eggs I know, but this is for everyone to understand)As you progress you unlock chapters and there is also a challenge mode so that you can play completed levels and try to achieve a high score which either you try to beat or friends try to beat!At this price, it is a MUST for any Dead Space fan and even if you don't know of the series, it is a great game in itself and easy to get into and fun to progress through, it got my GF hooked and she doesn't play the other Dead Space games!I give this game 6 Stars to be honest as it has the added game which allows you make use of PS Move if you have it.I would maybe recommend you play some of this with the lights on, it has already scared the begeebers outa me, hahahahahThe effect is great with the lights off and you have to listen out for the cries of the baddies so you can gauge where they may be charging from.So.....what are you waiting for? Buy this game now!!!!!!!

5.4.2011

Dead Space 2 picks up a couple of years after the events on the Ishimura that we saw in the first Dead Space. Isaac finds himself on a space station called Titan Station, or The Sprawl as the residents call it. We don't really know how he arrived there, just that he did, and he's a little bit mad now. He is haunted by visions of his dead girlfriend Nicole, and is stuck on a ward at the medical centre being questioned. From this point things go downhill for poor Isaac, so another thrilling action horror experience begins.I write this review as a massive Dead Space fan. The first game is a favourite of mine, and I had high hopes for this sequel. Does it deliver? I would say definitely yes.It's not completely perfect, but is so well made that it's hard to criticise it over small things.The graphics on Dead Space 2 are fantastic. I don't think they're a huge improvement on the first game, but they are very slick. Isaac himself looks great in his updated suit, and the Necromorphs look brilliant. They're very detailed and look truly horrific. The Sprawl itself also looks very good, from the eerie corridors with their flickering lighs, to the views of space where you can see the rest of Titan Station and Saturn in the background. Overall a very pretty game, or as pretty as something so gruesome can be. The level of polish really helps keep you immersed in it. One example is the cut scenes. They're all fairly short and blend in seemlessly with the gameplay. Works very well, and the level of quality reminds me of Uncharted 2 in how cinematic and nice looking it is.The sound is something else that was superb in the first Dead Space, and the case is the same in Dead Space 2. It is just as important as the graphics in creating an atmospheric experience, and it definitey succeeds in that respect. From the roars the Necromorphs make, to the background music and sound effects. It's all very good. The only negative I found in the sound was in the voice of Nicole that Isaac hears from the start. It's supposed to be disturbing, but in doing that it's so screechy that I couldn't make out what it was saying most of the time. Due to wanting to keep the noise down I often play using headphones. The voices I'm talking about are slightly easier to understand through the TV speakers, but my headphones are pretty decent and everything else on this and every other game sound great, so I don't think the headphones are the problem. I don't know if anyone else has had a problem with this.The gameplay is largely the same as last time. Very smooth controls that I find a joy to play. Issac is very easy to move around the world, and the combat works extremely well. All the weapons from last time return, along with several new additions. There is the detonator which can be used to deploy mines, the seeker rifle that can zoom in and fire very accurately, and my personal favourite, the javelin gun, which fires out spikes that can skewer Necromorphs to any surface and the discharge a big electric shock as it's secondary fire. All the old weapons are just as much fun, and it's good using different combinations as it totally changes the way you play the game. The stasis and kinesis abilities also return and are just as useful as before. They are both used to solve puzzles, but are just as handy in combat. Killing one Necromorph, then using stasis to freeze another before using kinesis to grab one of the first ones arms to fire at the second one is a lot of fun.One big change is the way the zero gravity sections work. In the first game it just meant you could jump from surface to surface, but in Dead Space 2 you have complete control over Issac as he floats around. He has thrusters on his feet and back that make it easy to quickly fly where you want. I found it very enjoyable. There is also a section where you freefall at speed while having to avoid obstacles. It all helps vary the gameplay and adds up to a great game to play.The story was also something I loved about the first Dead Space. It wasn't very original, but it was told in a good way and had lots of audio and video logs to find that helped you understand exactly what had happened on the Ishimura before your arrival and aaded to the story in a big way. Again, the same is true of Dead Space 2. I think the story may be a bit less focused, but it's still very good and quite different to the first game. The backstory told through the logs was also maybe not quite as strong, but still very good. Another change is that Issac now has a voice. He worked great as a silent protagonist, but the voice they've given him really suits. It definitely added to the story for me, and his interactions with the other characters were good. All the characters were very well realised and worked well with the story.I recommend this game to everyone. If you just like a good bit of action it's definitely worth playing through, but if you're a fan of sci-fi and horror it's essential. I would give it 9/10, but with Amazon's rating system it can only be five stars from me.

26.9.2011

Dead Space 2 is an improvement over Dead Space 1 and whilst being very enjoyable falls short of being a truly great sequel and a truly great game.It all kicks off in an asylum of sorts as that's where Isaac has ended up 3 years or so after the events from the first game and the first few encounters with the necromorphs have to be navigated whilst trussed up in a straight jacket with no weapons at all. It's pretty manic and throws you into the thick of the action right from the word go. During these early scenes you'll probably notice the graphics which are more detailed and more polished - no easy feat because the graphic in the original game were damned good.Possibly the biggest change to the game is now that fact that Isaac now talks.In the first game he was silent throughout which obviously borrowed heavily from Gordon Freeman of Half Life and which lent a certain air of mystery to the whole thing. Isaac now feels a little too generic - the everyman who's dealing with a horrible situation - it's a bit cliche.In a lot of ways it feels like I'm writing a review of a movie which is a testament to the game's strength of story although it could have been a bit better.Anyway, it all follows a familiar story arc in that individuals make themselves known over your intercom and work with you to help solve problems that will allow you to escape. The story is a little too keen to introduce characters who will double cross you and I kind of knew who was going to betray my character well before they actually did it leading to sense of deja vu. The story thus lacked impact and credibility because I knew I was going to get screwed over and since this was the only real plot twist the story writers were using it felt pretty old pretty quick.Some new ideas are introduced with the weapons or the stasis at least in that you can pluck the sharpened limbs off a downed necromorph to stasis blast it through the head of other necro's still trying to kill you. Useful when you have little ammo! There's also a lot of makeshift spears littering the place which can be used for the same purpose and are pretty powerful weapons. You can now also reclaim your power nodes from a weapon to put in a new one or simply to pool your resources in one place. On the first playthrough you'll probably only have enough nodes to really do 1 weapon up to full power whilst upping the stats a little on a couple of the others a little.Enemies are largely the same as the first game but with the addition of a kind of ostrich like necromoprh that plays peek-a-boo before jumping out, charging and ramming you. These are by far and away the scariest and will have your adrenaline pumping when you have to navigate a room full of them. There are now exploding babies and necromorph 'children' to deal with - it's pretty sick stuff!The set pieces seemed fewer in this game and there's a few 'boss' baddies which are very easy to kill.As a survival horror it's a pretty good game but it could have been made utterly pant filling-ly scary if not every batch of enemies was introduced with a change in the music which conveniently drops off to let you know when the attack is over. You're warned too much in advance of what's coming! Through the game you'll start to expect when you're going to be attacked because the same tricks are used over and over. After a while the sense of surprise was diminished greatly as I played through which was a shame because I feel the components are there to make this series seriously scary. Going back a good few years a game that s*it me up was alien vs predator on an atari Jaguar (of all things) because the aliens stayed almost silent. You might a hear a shuffle here and there, turn around and see the alien but only then would it screech as it attacked you causing some genuine jumps - more of that kind of thing would have worked wonders here.The characters are not as effective as the first game either. There's more of them and it's actually diluted the strength of the story which feels a bit all over the place.This seems like a harsh review but really it's tough love. I'd only be critical of something that I liked so much and really thought had a lot of potential. Very few games recently have compelled me to play through them (more than once in fact) like DS1 & 2 so the 4 start ratings above are well deserved and indicate a very solid game. The overall atmosphere is still awesome - so dark and creepy and the fun of blasting necro's to bits hasn't worn thin. There are new weapons (javelin gun plus others) and suits to find and the addition of jet packs to the suits is awesome allowing free flight rather than having to jump from surface to surface in zero-g areas.At this price is an easy recommendation.

16.5.2011

Normally when a new much anticipated title is released, the initial reviews are often rabid and fervent proclaimations of said title's greatness. Shorly after when the initial excitement dies down the later reviews that emerge are more balanced and more critical and offer a new perspective on the product. Here with Dead Space 2 the fervour remains, and my review will be no different because in my opinion this game purely from a single player perspective is amazing.Here's why:Similarities to Dead Space 1:Controls, the controls are very responsive and the shooting, stasis and kinesis are very accurate and tight. As is the control of Isaac himself. Also included is the brilliant and innovative use of the 'way point marker',unlike many other games there is no need to get lost on a level now, no more walking round and round in circles bored senseless, simply click the right thumb stick and the blue line shows you exactly what direction and where you need to be heading to. (I feel any number of games would benefit from this superb player aid)Necromorphs, the majority of them are the same as DS1. Stores to upgrade your suit, purcahse and sell weapon are also the same as before. As are benchs to upgrade your rig and weaponary.Sound effects are used superbly in both titles to create a sense of menace and foreboding.Environmental puzzles are once again pretty simple and straight forward. They all require the use of stasis and kinesis as in Dead Space 1. Despite being simple, the use of stasis and kinesis feels quite satisfying once more. In both titles the puzzles add a little variation I feel, and slow the pace down for short periods.The control set up is virtually identical. The control responsiveness is as good as Dead Space 1, very tight.Overall Dead Space 2 is more of the same. Everything good that worked is back once more.Differences to Dead Space 1:More variations enviromentally, looking out the windows to focus upon a city in space with a huge planet in the background was a bit awe inspiring. The use of lighting in parts of the space station really enhances the atmosphere to feel like an alien and distant environment. (I'll say no more as to avoid spoilers)Graphically Dead Space 2 is similar yet definitely an improvement on it's predecessor.Pacing of the action is another area of improvement and the cut scenes combined with the action sequences made Dead Space 2 a big adrenaline rush in places. The story despite having some slower exploratory aspects is much faster paced and more intense action wise than Dead Space 1. And it really works well in my opinion.Zero Gravity: Modified so instead of pointing to a surface, firing and landing on it, now zero gravity means being able to hover/fly in every direction you desire. Being able to do so, especially in conjunction with some enviromental puzzles, and 3d platforming sections felt very exhilarating indeed! My freedom of movement, felt greatly enhanced with the new ZG. It also felt very disorientating at times, which I feel adds to the realism of being without gravity. Not to worry because astutely the game's developers have included a simple yet helpful aid, simply click RB and you will be directed to where the ground actually is. Ultra simple like the way point mechanism, yet very helpful indeed. The bottom line is the new zero gravity adds greatly to the fun and atmosphere of the game for me.Stasis controls tweaked, instead of left trigger and X, now it's left trigger and Y. Hardly worth mentioning really...lolDead Space 2 comes on 2 discs and you have to change over to insert disc 2 when reaching Chapter 7. Must say this was a minor annoyance, but not so bad as to ruin the game. Fortunately you will be inside of an elevator when asked to change discs, not in the middle of an intense action scene.The bottom line is Dead Space 2 is more of the same, only with big improvements graphically, the enviroments are more colourful and varied than previously, the action is faster and more frenetic than Dead Space 1. Cut scenes are more immersive and intense this time around. Zero gravity is far more immersive and offers more freedom of movement this time around! Dead Space 2 has a darker and more emotionally involving story line I feel, with some dark and gruesome cut scenes, particularly near the end. Not to mention being a tad more sick and twisted! If you liked or even loved Dead Space 1, and haven't already played this, do so without reservation in my experience it's pure brilliance! Dead Space 3 anyone?Hope this review has been helpful and provided something different for you.

1.3.2011

Dead Space 2 is simply one of the best games I have ever played.SINGLE PLAYERYou resume in you role as Isaac Clarke from the first dead space, awakening on a giant space station on one of Saturn's moons know as "The sprawl". Straight away things go wrong and once again you find yourself in the middle of a Necromorph outbreak, but this time, you battling against your mind as well.Isaac is no longer a silent hero. He has a voice and a face. In my opinion, this is great, as the player now feels more emotionally attached now he's a person, not just a mute shell.The main story line is good, and there are some really good plot twists at points. But the best thing about the story of the game is Isaacs battle with his dementia.Hallucinations make for great Jump scares, and you can feel the emotion as he battles with his inner demons.As for game play, the environment is great, and is beautifully complimented by the music. It sets up a real atmosphere of tension and fear. To this day this is one of two games that have scared me, and that is not an easy thing for a game to do!The control system is great. The Resident Evil series should take note, Being able to move, AND aim? Shock horror! But in all seriousness the controls are convenient and easy to pick up.The weapons are very, very cool, the javelin gun and the seeker rifle being two of my favourites. Stasis (the ability to slow down enemies)and kenisis (being able to pick up objects and throw them at enemies)add a whole new dynamic to combat. Using stasis on an enemy, shooting his arm off the using it to pin him against a wall never gets old.Dead space 2 has some seriously epic set pieces in it, my favourites being flying through space dodging debris, dangling upside down by a cord whilst having to fight of Necromorphs and doing some kind of eye surgery on yourself. There are also plenty of gruesome and brutal death sequences for when you fail at these partsThe game is made up of 15 chapters, and is a perfect length, not too long, not too short. And once you completed it you can just use the new game+ mode, allowing you start a new game with all your stuff from a previously saved game! There are 4 difficulties to choose from: Casual, Normal, Survivalist and Zealot. Also, once you complete the game you unlock a special new difficulty: Hardcore mode. In this mode, there are no checkpoints and you can only save 3 times. On top of that ammo is extremely scarce and enemies are super tough. And people say the game is too easy!There is so much I love about this game, I can't possibly fit it In one review!MULTIPLAYERWell, what can I say. The multiplayer is just awful. No joke. The Necromorph controls are really confusing, and you are totally out weighed, the human team nearly always wins. On top of that the whole idea behind the multiplayer is boring too, just go over there, get the thing, bring it back over here. Done. A better idea would just be to have a survival mode, kinda like Horde from Gears of War or Firefight from Halo.And now I need to have a little rant. In order to gain access to multiplayer, you need to first use the code on the back of the booklet. However, this code is single use, so if you plan on re-selling the game or lending it to a friend, they can't play the multiplayer. Thinking of buying it second hand? Never fear! You can buy an online pass over Xbox live! FOR 800 FREAKING MICROSOFT POINTS! It would be cheaper just to buy it new instead. This is not the fault of the game makers though, It's EA, as always. They always screw up games. Army of Two- US and Europe not allowed to play together. Mass Effect 2- Need another freaking code for a news thing and some content that should have been in the game anyway. But never have they stopped people playing the multiplayer the game makers worked so hard to make. This is just pointless.But dispite all that, I'm not going to take even 0.00000000000001 of a mark off Dead Space 2, because the game doesn't need multiplayer. I wouldn't give it any less than full marks if lacked multiplayer, so I'm not going to take off marks for a multiplayer that shouldn't even be there.SUMMERYBuy this game. No doubt about. Ignore the multiplayer, just enjoy the single player in all it's gory goodnessComment with any Questions E.T.CSorry bout the long review

14.11.2011

Story - The game begins in a hospital on the Sprawl, a densely populated metropolis built on a shard of Titan, one of Saturn's moons.[14][15] Isaac Clarke has no memory of the last three years, having just been released by Franco, the protagonist of Dead Space Ignition. However, before he can remove the straitjacket, Franco is killed and transformed into a necromorph, leaving Isaac to escape on his own. He is later contacted by a woman named Daina, who guides him to her location. He is also contacted by another patient, Nolan Stross, claiming he and Isaac can destroy the Marker, which Hans Tiedmann, the station's administrator, forced them both to rebuild after finding Isaac adrift. Ignoring Stross,Isaac fights his way across the city, making his way to Daina. Upon his arrival, two guards seize Isaac as Daina reveals that she is a Unitologist sent to "recover" Isaac, claiming that he is responsible for building the Marker that is causing the current infestation and that they need him to build more. As they are about to leave, A Titan Security gunship guns down Daina and her associates, allowing Isaac to escape.Stross contacts Isaac again and he reluctantly decides to trust Stross, as his only mission now is to destroy the Marker. Stross tells Isaac that the Marker is located in the Government Sector under lockdown. As he makes his way there, Isaac comes across another survivor, Ellie Langford, a CEC officer who eventually joins their mission, deciding that she needs their help to survive. As they progress through the Sprawl, Tiedemann throws several obstacles in their way to stop them from getting to the Marker. Later, Stross' dementia worsens, causing him to attack Ellie, stabbing her eye out with a screwdriver. She survives, and later Isaac is forced to kill Stross in self-defense. As he fights his way to the Marker Isaac experiences visions of Nicole, which become more vivid as she tries to deter him from his task. Eventually he comes to accept the guilt of Nicole's death, causing the Nicole visions to become friendly.Upon reaching the Government sector, Isaac sends Ellie away alone on a gunship, despite her protests. He does this because he reasons that, even though he could not save Nicole, there is still time for him to save Ellie. Once inside, he releases the doors holding back the necromorphs trying to get to the Marker, who overwhelm Tiedemann's men. Isaac eventually comes upon the Marker, which is surrounded by necromorphs. As Isaac looks on, the Marker begins "convergence", an event foretold by the Unitologists. With the vision of Nicole guiding him, he comes upon a machine that unlocks the blocked Marker-infected parts of his mind, which Nicole claims will help him. He then fights his way to the Marker, where he encounters Tiedemann, whom Isaac is forced to kill. Isaac then approaches the Marker when the Nicole vision suddenly pulls Isaac into his own mind. There, Isaac encounters the parts affected by the Marker and the Nicole vision, who then reveals that the only way to make the Marker "whole" is to absorb the body and mind of the one who created it. After a lengthy battle, Isaac is able to destroy the Nicole vision and rid all traces of the Marker's influence from his mind, destroying the Marker in the process.Upon exiting his mind, Isaac slumps to the ground, ready to accept his fate as, in a last act of desperation by Tiedmann's security forces, the station's power core will detonate, destroying the station. Suddenly, Isaac receives a call from Ellie, who crashes the gunship through the ceiling. As the room collapses, Isaac makes his way onto the gunship and they escape.Multiplayer -Multiplayer mode pits two teams of four players against each other, one team consisting of humans trying to accomplish an objective, and the other consisting of Necromorphs, who are tasked with stopping the humans from accomplishing said objective. Each playable character has two weapons in their arsenal. New weapons and improvements can be unlocked through level progression, along with different colored suits for the humans. The necromorphs on the other hand, unlock improvements to their current abilities as well as bonuses to health or damage.

20.2.2011

I completed the first dead space and enjoyed it, although it could get repetitive and the scares would ware off after you'd seen one corpse come back to life you'd seen them all. The best part of Dead space one was the atmosphere and technology which gave the impression of being on some off worldly spaceship. While it was high on atmosphere it was low on diversity , Dead space 2 on the other hand leads us through a range of environments and adds new enemies to the roster.Story/Isaac Clark (the protagonist) wakes up to find himself in a loony bin of all places aboard the space station "Sprawl", the first thing that's noticeable is that Isaac has a voice this time around unlike in Dead space 1 where he was a mute ,this didn't help the story in the first one much as we were ordered around by some annoying wench and some angry black guy. This time however we meet a range of people the story benefits from this as we soon find that the "Sprawl" is infested with the Necromorph threat. Isaac must run shoot and in some cases fly on his quest to find the source of Necromorph scourge and put it to rest. Well that's about it I can't really say much more without giving away surprises; the story isn't too bad it could be hard for some to get there head round it I'm sure but it gets you from A to B and I can't complain, except maybe about the constant flashes of someone Isaac left behind on "Ishimura" in Dead space 1, these encounters are quiet regular and simply aggravate rather than shock and scare.Gameplay is where the game comes together in all its surgical joy. To put down a Necromorph for good you have to cut off its limbs, you do this with a range weapons from pulse rifles to a chainsaw, the weapon choice is used better in this game then the prequel as it allows more tactics when put into a situation with multiple hostiles. The game for me didn't get old and despite what people say this is definatly a third person action game, while it has horror elements I never found it scary. Creepy? yes the atmosphere is still there but the monsters are kind of familiar if you played the first give it a break now and again will make the game more enjoyable and less frustrating. To those who didn't play the first the game it has a preview clip which fills you in on the previous game making it accessible to new comers. Resident evil 4 in space some call it , if you don't know what that means its basically a Horror action game where you can purchase weapons and upgrade them.Multiplayer/ pointless add on to make people keep the game longer. If you get the limited edition however which comes with Extraction a rail shooter you can play that co-op on the same console , its decent with a fair amount of play time, it was made for the Wii/Move but it can be played with the duel shock controller just as well.Conclusion, now I played through the first Dead space maybe at most twice due to the replay feature letting you start a new game with all the equipment you had previously , this feature was cool and I'm glad to see it return in Dead space 2 however this time you get new space suits and can up the difficulty which is a nice bonus. I wouldn't say I'm veteran of the game I died a few times at the start as I got a feel for the game and yet I somehow completed it in 7 hours on normal . My advice would probably be if you've played Dead space before play at a higher difficulty to get more hours out of it. I don't regret buying it, I enjoyed it for the most part except maybe the tedius ending/ boss fight. Fun almost all the way through if only they didn't add that annoying invincible Necromorph which was in the previous game stalking you for a chapter and while in the first game this creature had a reason for being, in this one it doesn't even make sense it just turns up!...... but I guess I'm just nit picking. All in all a good action horror game.8/10

3.2.2011

After the excellent Dead Space, Visceral had a lot to live up to with this sequel! Thankfully they have really put the effort into this and it shows.Dead Space 2 is much the same the first game but there are several noticeable improvements and all of these together makes the game feel a lot more fluid. Dead Space 1 was a bit clunky which made some of the situations more difficult because Isaac wasn't very agile. This is the first thing I noticed in DS2, Isaac is much lighter on his feet and it's a good thing too because as soon as you start you are surrounded by necromorphs with no rig and no weapon! This increased fluidity has definitely affected the shooting side of things as well,Isaac raises his weapon and reloads much more responsively which makes all the difference when you're surrounded by necromorphs. I have not yet made it as far as a zero G environment yet but I have read that this has been majorly improved, allowing you to jet around using boosters on the suit rather than jumping from place to place as in Dead Space 1.I have only gotten to the third chapter so far so I can't comment on some of the new weapons later on but I have the javelin gun and it's a brilliant addition. You can impale your enemy then send out an electric shock from that javelin to damage nearbye necros, very useful! The plasma cutter, line gun and pulse rifle are all back and they are very much the same as last time although the pulse rifle has a new secondary fire. The weapons may be similar but as Isaac is more responsive now, it makes them a joy to use! Stasis and kinesis are much more prevalent this time around, stasis is much more accurate and kinesis is actually useful for attacking, enabling you to pick up poles on the floor or enemy limbs and firing them back against the necromorphs.The main two differences in this game from the first installment are that this time you see Isaac's face a lot more and he actually speaks, making him a much better character and you actually relate to him. The other is that there are no obvious ends to each chapter like in the first one, it is pretty much a continuous journey with each chapter marked by either a big setpiece like hanging from a train or more subtle sections like crawling through maintainance tunnels.The change of setting from the Ushimura to the Sprawl is definitely a welcome change, there are some really nice looking environments (until the necromorphs show up and trash it of course) especially when contrasted to the dark dank corridors of the Ishimura.Overall, Dead Space 2 has taken the original and improved on almost every aspect of the gameplay. So far I have not seen anything that would be a step backwards.I have also played Extraction, I was very excited about playing it as I love rail shooters. Especially for a Wii port, this game looks very good, it is definitely not a lazy cross over like Bayonetta on the PS3 was. Extraction tells the tale of the early infestation of the Ishimura from the persective of 4 new characters. The trusty weapons and environments seen in Dead Space make a return. The only problem I have seen with this game is that you have to be very very quick if you want to get extra ammo or items, you have to grab them with kinesis as the camera moves and unless you're quick you'll miss them. I would recommend getting a gun attachment and the move navigation controller for Extraction, otherwise you will knacker your wrist holding the controller and also without the navigation controller you will need to control all of the functions i.e. kinesis, stasis, reloading, melee and opening doors from one controller which can be awkward and dangerous if you're trying to aim at the same time when necromorphs are attacking!So, after that very long review, the final conclusion: 2 brilliant games for the price of one. Can't go wrong with that!

18.9.2012

I ordered this game thinking it would be a fun, if somewhat brainless 3rd person shooter. I was looking for something that could scare and shock me... this game did that and so much more besides. Here's a breakdown of my thoughts on Dead Space 2 (Limited Edition):Gameplay - EPIC!! The controls are perfect in this game (having never played the first I cannot compare the two), with the innovative idea of having all on screen information such as health, stasis and the inventory within the actual game as part of the suits, etc. rather than glued on the screen as in most games. In terms of weapons, eat your heart out. There are quite a few weapons, all of which are wildly different form each other (with unique pros/cons).I personally love the Plasma Cutter (a devastating laser gun that is the first weapon found in the game) and the Force Gun (simply because it saved me in a few horrendously gruesome situations). A cool feature is the upgrade system which is divided by the in-game Store and Bench. Using Power nodes picked up when playing the game you can upgrade your weapons (making them even more awesome), of course this is vital when playing through on the harder difficulties. The in-game currency can be used to purchase new weapons and new suits for your player to wear, each with their own special bonuses. I would rate gameplay as 5/5Story - The story was not something I was bothered about since I never played the first game. However, I watched the 'previously on dead Space' video which gave me enough information to play through this second game and still enjoy the story... and what a story! I started playing the game for the thrills and scares but the plot really kept me interested. I won't spoil anything but I must say there were a few twists and turns that I didn't think of, but mostly I was surprised at how real the characters seemed, I really felt involved in their troubles. I would rate the story as an amazing 5/5 (on par with both Red Dead Redemption and Batman: Arkham City in my mind)Multi player - Now this is not something that interested me really, and it was the only aspect of the game that seemed to fall short. With odd game modes and a rather drab style the multi player bored me after a few simple games (although it is fun to be a Necromporh for a while). Some players are humans, others are necromorhs with the main mode being little more than a team death match. With not much to do and little teamwork necessary this mode felt tacked on to the rest of the game, hopefully this aspect can be improved if ever another game in the series is launched. Multi player is a poor 2/5.Overall - There are scares galore in this game, with the Necromorphs (bad guys) arriving in some devastating variations (yes, I'm talking about those stupid kids), but the epic weapons and grand locations (particularly the zero-g bit's) ensure this is not you standard 3rd person action/horror game. I would recommend picking this game up for 11 hours (that's how long it took me) of awesome story and epic gameplay, even if the multiplayer aspect is ignored. One of this generations finest games.PS: There is a New Game+ mode that allows you to replay the game on another difficulty using all the weapons and upgrades that you gathered the first time around, right from the start. This would easily add another 10 hours to the game (plus there are two new suits to find in this second play through)... even if you leave the multilayer aspect untouched.PPS: GET THE LIMITED EDITION!!!! It contains Dead Space Extraction which is a Wii game ported over to use the Playstation Move (or normal controller if you do not have a Move) and it is insanely fun. More of a prequel to the other Dead Space games, this is the best on-rails shooter to hit the Wii or PS3 and it's not to be missed.

6.3.2011

The original Dead Space was, in a nutshell, great. It combined and learned from the best of Sci-Fi and horror and crafted a video game experience that gripped gamers across the western world. Now, we have the inevitable sequel. What's it like? How does it stack up against both the best in the genre and its predecessor?Actually rather well, in short. Boiled down to its core, Dead Space 2 is to Dead Space 1 as Aliens is to Alien. Gorier, louder and in my view better for it. It was the right way to go, I think, and for the most part well-executed.But to some degree, there is definitely something missing from the franchise (such as any kind of innovation in relation to the tools that Isaac weilds); I was hoping for a bit more interaction than card collecting and simply 'buying'at a shop. I also feel that the scares lack any real evolution from the original. There's no doubt that you're heartbeat will be abnormally high throughout, but not more than a few times did I think to myself, 'that was really scary', (unlike the original, which really played me throughout). As you progress the game just throws the kitchen sink at you. That's not a bad thing in itself, but did fit in with the 'creative shortage' feeling I got rather better than I'd have liked.SPOILER START:That re-generating Necromorph at the end was more tedious than terrifying. Dead Space 1 was scary largely because it was foreign. Don't play the same tricks again, because it won't evoke the same feelings.SPOILER END!How about randomised Necromorphs, for example? There was some variety, but I was slightly disappointed to find that, once you die in a certain spot, you can almost count on an exact re-run next time. Predictability is, generally, not scary. Nicole was a good opportunity to get creative and her episodes were, well, rather uninspired. It was guns blazing, limbs flying and quite frankly, I like that. But Dead Space 2 was a little too 'Meathead' and not enough 'Create-To-Survive' to be anything more than a really jumpy shooter and that is a bit of a shame.This is typified in the multiplayer element which is, quite frankly, as forgettable as it sounds. There were some cool ideas, but they were never likely to really shine through (and indeed for me that has been the case). It's just lots of throwing yourself about as a Necromorph, or running and gunning as an engineer. Teamwork is the key, but there's little of it on show. Even when there is, it's no more satisfying than any of the other hundred shooters available. In fact, you do feel somewhat out of control of events as the Necromorph side of things are really clumbsy (such as the interface consisting of too much X button-mashing, the camera being too close and the executions being pulled-off as much by luck as judgement).But, Dead Space 2 is still a really good game. The presentation and atmosphere is among the best I've seen this generation. The story, and its hero, have developed really well. With cool characters and interesting backgrounds, you'll have no trouble looking passed Dead Space 2's slightly over-simplified approach, just to re-capture that spiking heartrate in the shadow of an impending ambush (however dwindling it may be come the end); that feeling of satisfaction as your Line Gun shot slices through several Necromorphs causing them to 'stop 'n' drop'. Those primitive urges are served well here in Dead Space 2, and with a deep, immersive universe that is presented with such class, you'll most likely be quite satisfied with this in your collection (alongside the superb original). In my view, Dead Space also sits atop the horror genre (in terms of quality) and there is little that can favourably compare to Visceral's efforts at the moment. That's why this game gets five stars for fun and four overall. Enjoy!

9.7.2012

Christ is possibly the best word to describe what I felt playing through Dead Space 2. There are moments that would make me stop the game, sit back and simply say "Christ" in disbelief at some of cut scenes or interactive areas. Dead Space 2 is not for the faint hearted, or those with a serious problem with horrific violence. Its brilliant.Moving on from the original, Engineer Isaac Clarke, the unluckiest man in the universe has arrived on the Sprawl, a massive space station orbiting Saturn. The Ishimura and its horrors, long left behind him, are still with Isaac. He suffers from hallucinations, voices and bouts of physical madness that can endanger his life. He is not a well man.And who could blame him! As the game begins after a short "previously on Dead Space" style meeting between Isaac and a physiatrist, the Sprawl is under attack by another Necromorph outbreak.The game is never positioned as Isaac being the hero to save the day, but rather a pure survival game where the main protagonist must survive the onslaught and from going completely insane. Isaacs insanity takes the form of his long since departed girlfriend Nicole, who appears as a bloodied and gaunt figure with fire blazing eyes. She provides some of the creepier moments of the game.Dead Space 2 is a violent game. Make no mistake of this as the violence at times is truly shocking and will cause the "Christ" moments. It's not just the visual violence, but the audio too. The gurgling of blood from a slashed throat or the tearing of a limb that has been caught in an elevator door, that's the stuff that will stop you sleeping. Compared to the first game, DS2 is another level of wrong. The original is mild in comparison. You have a greater level of threat in DS2. The enemies are stronger, faster and more varied. You have the original Necromorphs and those frustrating black ones, but now you have devil children and exploding babies (another "Christ" moment) and a huge monstrosity know as the Tormentor. If you lose against this enemy, it will provide one of the worst death scenes Isaac can experience... that and the eye machine.Weapons and Scenery has been greatly improved, with a wider variety of weapons and a greater sense that the environment you are walking through can act more as a defensive or offensive obstacle for you to use against the hoards. The harder the difficulty you play, the less the ammo becomes and the greater role the environment plays in your survival. On the hardest setting (below Hardcore) Dead Space 2 can be very unforgiving. The Final Chapters on hard is sodding hard. Hardcore mode is just absurdly hard. I still haven't completed it and probably never will.There is a DLC pack which allows you to play as another character called Gabe, a security officer who is in the mines at the beginning of the outbreak and tries to get back to his wife. This was a bit of a letdown as Gabe's story does not have any effect on Isaacs, rather just run alongside it. It's also not set in any new areas of the Sprawl which is disappointing. It's cheaper to get and will add to your achievements but it's nothing that special.I loved Dead Space for its story and for what it set out to be, a blood and guts fright fest of a game. Dead Space 2 delivers this in spades. It has been criticised by a few reviewers for being spread over 2 discs, but you can see why with the sheer scale of the game. What Dead Space 2 doesn't need is multi-player. Dead Space 1 got by without it fine and EA just buckled. Admittedly its fun but I haven't bought this for the online.Better than the first game, bloodier and scarier too.

31.1.2011

Dead space 2 is everything a sequel should be... It carries all the same charm, horror, gore, stunning graphics and fluid game play that the original dead space offered, only everything has been tweaked and refined to give the game a much more enjoyable and smoother experience. Melee attacks are fast and fluid, the camera moves much quicker and more responsive, telekinesis is more effective, and the anti-gravity rooms now let you fly freely in any direction you like instead of only being able to jump from platform to platform. Again there is no HUD, all the information you need (ammo count, stasis charge, health) are all visible on Isaac's suit which I personally feel is an excellent touch as it frees up the entire screen from cluttering health bars and ammo counts,plus it means you're view isn't obstructed when you catch a glimpse of a "stalker" (a new enemy for dead space 2) peeking his head round at you in the distance waiting to attack.The game carries on the story from Dead Space one following Issac Clarke, an engineer who was aboard the Ishimura searching for his lost girlfriend. 3 years after the events of the original Dead Space Isaac wakes up on a huge space city called the Sprawl. He has no idea how he got there but he needs to escape and put an end to everything once and for all. After all the trauma Isaac experienced during the events on the Ishimura he is now suffering with dementia and constant visions of his dead girlfriend. Isaac's mental instabilities add a really engrossing twist on the story and you never know when he is going to have a vision, they are very unpredictable and can make you jump out of your skin if you're not prepared for it.The game is a lot moodier, darker, eerier and sicker than Dead Space and the whole experience is one freaky thrill ride from the word go. If you played Dead Space 1 then you will soon feel right at home because (like nearly all sequels) the game is inevitably similar to the original. Which is always a good thing as the original game is fantastic. Like I said it's everything a good sequel should be, similar to the original only all the bad bits taken out or improved which is exactly what Visceral games have done.As the game progresses you acquire an outstanding arsenal of weapons all with unique features and cool secondary abilities, with the same upgrade system as we saw in Dead Space 1, power nodes are still expensive so save as many credits as you can if you want to upgrade your gear.The controls have been adjusted slightly so reloading is more straight forward, just simply press X instead of holding Lt and pressing A, and the whole character movement has been tweaked to perfection.The game will only take around 7 - 10 hours to complete on the casual or normal difficulty setting, but if you want to lengthen the life span simply put the difficuly to survivalist or zealot. Once completed you can then have another difficulty setting; Hardcore. Once completed on any difficulty setting hardcore is unlocked. It sounds ridiculous and I doubt it's something I will try as it sounds like it will be more frustrating than fun... Only 3 game saves allowed during the entire game, ammo health and credits are limited and the enemies are more brutal than ever. Sounds impossible! May be worth a shot someday?Anyway, overall I am hugely impressed with dead space 2 and will not be trading or selling this game in as it's a definite keeper. The dead space 2 demo really doesn't do the game justice, and if you're still unsure whether to buy it or not then rent it for a few days then decide.Enjoy.

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