Dead Space 2

Finding himself thrust into the middle of a huge necromorph alien invasion, Isaac Clarke is back - the original hero from the first hugely popular Dead Space game. Pushing the limits of action, horror and terror, Dead Space 2 is set on the new 'space installation' known as 'The Sprawl', where Isaac is the sole survivor of a horrific alien infestation. Surrounded by screeching, blood curdling moans of undead monsters and creaking, crumbling walls and floors, Isaac must make his way through a minefield of claustrophobic, abandoned buildings, stepping into the unknown, not knowing what will happen around the next dark, damp corner he turns down. Armed with a comprehensive arsenal of tools to dismember and impale the Necromorphs and a lot of determination and a growing hunger for revenge, the engineer will bring fear into the aliens (short) lives. Whilst battling dementia and dealing with the tragic death of his girlfriend, he must do whatever it takes in order for him to prepare for the alien onslaught and come out of this nightmare alive!

• Andrew Highton June 16, 2011 PS3

  ****

  The setting for our returning protagonist, Isaac Clarke, is called "The Sprawl" which is an infected nest crawling with even more necromorphs than the last home they had which was of course the USG Ishimura of the previous Dead Space.
  
  Story
  As we return to the life of Isaac, he is coping with a case of dementia which appears to be slowly eating away at his sanity. It has reduced him to an emotional wreck and he finds himself trying to differentiate between reality and previous suppressed memories of his deceased partner, Nicole. We're again trying to find out the mystery behind the marker, that initiated the outbreak of the original, and what connection it all has to the story. After playing Dead Space 1 I was so convinced that Visceral could devise their very own brilliant film script. But Dead Space 2 may even have surpassed it with its excellently voiced dialogue, interesting characters each with their own story to tell and most importantly we have a protagonist that we can not only understand but actually care about. I felt underwhelmed by the shocks of the original Dead Space because I didn't get to see the reaction of my hero I'd guided through the game. But now every emotion is visible from the confusion of a conversation with Stross, one of Isaac's allies, to the sheer terror of being mauled by a snarling crawler trying to tear your limbs off. The twists and turns are few and far between but they do feel convincing; the story also contains a few shocking moments of both disgust and cringe-worthiness. On the whole you genuinely care about these characters, even Isaac's occasional one-dimensional attitude to life. Sometimes you feel that Isaac's solution to problems is to shout profoundly and stomp around like a John McClane wannabe, just without the intelligence.
  Sound
  A good story needs to have very emotive and gripping dialogue which I truly believe Dead Space 2 has. Isaac shouts and curses but with meaning and purpose, you can feel his pain and anguish of déjà vu plaguing his life once more. The supporting cast aren't just there for the ride either, Chloe is an emotionally strong person who's already seen her friends die during the Sprawl accident and her behaviour and speech is tough but fragile. Whilst the similarly dementia suffering Stross is quirky and can spew some utterly psychopathic words in a sociopathic manner. Occasionally I feel the dialogue is slightly forced like the dialogue is improvised badly but kept in anyway; however I stress the voice-acting is truly movie quality and the score you'd think had be composed by Hans Zimmer himself. One moment you can be uncomfortable and have a nervous disposition due to the underlying terror that lies behind every corner and air duct. The next moment a necromorphs emerges from behind you and it's as if the cymbals crash and the orchestral score takes over and sub-merges you in action and terror. Even the 2 second sound-bytes of something scuttling above you or near you can make you hesitant.
  Graphics
  A great game could really go hand-in-hand with great visuals and to some extent Dead Space 2 achieves this with some spectacular set-pieces along with stunning explosions and action. But the game suffers from occasional frame-rate drops and some ugly textures that smudge and pixelate to dampen the environment. However it's certainly a more varied environment than its predecessor as the palette looks to introduce more colourful surroundings such as exploring space that is lit up with bouncing beams of light that Helios himself would've been proud to display and unleash. Whilst exploring new realms of possibility when it comes to the colour, Visceral make sure they stick to the same claustrophobic setting of the Ishimura with its tight corridors, dim-lighting from candles and flickering lights. Despite these techniques being all too familiar, it's the right way to go as it emphasises the bleakness of the world around you. Isaac and co. certainly look detailed with convincing facial movements and accentuated features; most noticeably the eyes which are almost anime like with their (no pun intended) eye-catching openness.
  Gameplay
  On the whole the gameplay is relatively similar to the original, same process of navigating corridors and the occasional open areas. The weapons are also largely imported from its predecessor: the classic plasma cutter, the pulse rifle, the force gun and such. A couple of new additions have been added which certainly add a bit more variety and give you a few more options to dismember those troublesome necromorphs. Another addition is the new impaling method which is frequent and heavily encouraged; the kinesis can now use dismembered claws and other sharp implements and fire them with stupendous force. This inevitably leads to a necromorphs hanging from the wall like the proverbial rag doll and can later on become a necessity when your ammo is dwindling down to its last shots. One very useful gameplay feature Dead Space 2 has included is full 360 degree movement for Isaac; whilst not sounding spectacular it makes some situations more bearable. If you're knee-deep in necromorphs and need a saviour, then freedom of movement will assist you as you're not being strangled by the ridiculous laws of physics of Dead Space 1 and similar games. As I've stated though the gameplay is largely unchanged and it's small healthy additions which have refined the gameplay along with the new action-sequences to bolster the game's credentials as an action game subtly blended in between the obvious survival horror roots. Sequences are more common this time and they're also more exciting, I find, this time too whether it's flying from one train cart to another or being flung through the ship whilst escaping a vicious necromorphs going through hell and high water to discombobulate you! The overall difficulty for the game seems to have been raised to an unnecessarily annoying extent as I found the final 3 chapters or so to be tiresome. For most of the game I was faced with bog-standard encounters with a sprinkling of a big battle or a boss here and there. Necromorphs would appear as a given and occasional a secret necromorphs would appear sporadically throughout the chapters which is casual and quite containable. However the last 3 chapters use 2 crucial factors to potentially destroy your experience of the game; they still leave a bitter taste too. Firstly, we get introduced to a special variety of necromorph that does not go away and if anyone has played the first game then you'll be instantly familiar with his presence. So you get to bask in his presence for a while whilst simultaneously being bombarded with factor number two. Two is quite simply called "the cheap no good lousy pile of garbage unimaginative spam overload attacks". In Laymen's Term's this describes how the game either shows it's devoid of ideas in the climax so to make it more impactful they hurl one ammo-sapping brawl after another at you. Or an alternative is that they want to test you're resilience and temperament (mine was certainly tested once or twice) by showing how skilful you've been e.g. have you enough ammo left, enough life left or have you squandered it all proving you're not worthy. Sadly I'm inclined to believe it's the former of the two which seriously tarnishes an otherwise fine campaign and cheapens the effort that's been displayed so promisingly in the first 2 acts. Another gripe I have with the game is that the objectives and tasks you're required to do during the course of a chapter are usually obvious and boring. Getting to the objective can be fun but the actually thing itself is simple such as "Return power to this" are unimaginative. I remember events such as the ADS segments cannon from the first game were very much entertaining and different.
  Length
  The campaign took me about 9 hours to complete on the 3rd hardest setting and I was taking my time to enjoy the game, creeping around whilst savouring all the delicate intricacies the developers worked hard to include. One of the defining things about the campaign is that, aside from trophies, I genuinely wanted to recall my whole experience at least one more time. Upon your first completion you will automatically unlock "Hardcore Mode" which takes the word brutal; then proceeds to stamp on the word, kick dirt on it and humiliate it in public. Exaggerative speak towards an adjective may seem harsh but I'm merely summing up the reality that is Hardcore Mode. I'll be sure to point out that it's not the intelligence of the AI being increased, nor their toughness and not the amount of extra damage they can sustain. You'll be gliding along corridors like a hummingbird (or crawling around terrified) and you'll eviscerate necromorphs as usual, but the twist is that you're only permitted 3! Saves in the whole playthrough! Now you may be thinking "Nah if I die I'm sure it'll just reload my last recorded checkpoint. Well I got news for you, IT DOESN'T, so you'll have to make sure that unless you're planning to nail the playthrough in one endurance sitting; you'll have to strategise.
  *For the PS3 limited edition of Dead Space 2 which seems to be the common edition for everyone, an extra game is included in the package which is Dead Space: Extraction. For the consumers who're unaware of what this game is, it's identical in every way to its Wii counterpart that was released back in 2009 apart from that this version has been given a stylish HD makeover along with a healthy set of trophies and which is compatible with Playstation Move compatibility. The game is a prequel to the first Dead Space game and, unlike its other counterparts; it's a rail-shooter. Meaning that you have no control over your protagonist but as the character moves along their set path you're able to pick up collectibles providing you select them in time before the camera pans away. As enemies appear you simply aim the cursor at the target which is virtually the whole premises of the gameplay.
  
  Conclusion
  The modern day norm is to have a sequel that doesn't deviate from the existing winning formula much and Dead Space 2 is no exception. However it offers you a journey reminiscent of its predecessor but presents it largely in a different and more enjoyable manner. The story is not only tolerable but it easily draws you in right to the conclusion finding new ways to surprise and scare you. The cast for the most-part are thought-provoking and feel real; wish I could same the same for our rather out-dated one-dimensional drill sergeant. The mood is captured brilliantly with tense nerve-gripping shrieks and drawn out notes and the scenery is fitting to say the least. The overall look is spruced up in comparison to the first game which makes the game slightly more homely but more audacious and adventurous; occasional lapses result in uneven textures that slightly ruin some parts of the game though. The gameplay is largely unchanged except for a couple of new nifty features that praise the overall game by making your playing time easier and more enjoyable. More enemies and more guns have been added just to expand you're arsenal and forcing you to think even more so about battle; although fans of the series will encounter some familiarities. Overall the game is a great package and has a campaign worthy of several playthroughs just so you can conquer hardcore mode and eradicate the necromorph scum!
  

• Chuck February 28, 2011 360

  ****

  If some crazy and pointless rule existed which meant I could only use one word to review this game, then that word would be "WOW!". Understand that this is a solid 10/10 videogame. If with these two short sentences I have already managed to convince you to buy this game then, a) you are very easily convinced, and you should perhaps be a little worried about that, b) you have played the immensely epic original Dead Space game and confidently expect more of the same, or c) you have played the mouth watering, drool inducing demo for Dead Space 2 and already have an idea of how truly awesome this game is. However, if my plaudits leave you yet to be persuaded into purchasing this fine game, then please read on and allow me to explain why it is simply inconceivable for you not to buy Dead Space 2!
  
  Storyline (warning Dead Space 1 spoilers - no spoilers for Dead Space 2)
  The basic premise of Dead Space 2 is very reminiscent of Aliens where just like Ripley, our protagonist engineer Isaac Clarke survives the first alien infestation only to find himself reluctantly thrown back into the jaws of hell for the sequel. To recap the original Dead Space in a nutshell...It's sometime in the not too distant future...humans have exhausted Earth's resources...Planet Cracker ships are built to mine distant planets...one of these Planet Crackers - the USG Ishimura - mining Aegis VII unexpectedly breaks contact with Earth...people in charge panic...a rescue ship is sent to ascertain what has happened aboard the Ishimura...Isaac Clarke is an engineer on board the rescue ship...the rescue ship does what every rescue ship should never do, and crashes into the ship it is supposed to be rescuing...the survivors of the rescue ship board the Ishimura...they soon make a grisly discovery...most of the ship's crew are dead or have transformed into Necromorphs (some very nasty aliens intent on murder)...we learn that Isaac's girlfriend Nicole is stationed on board...Isaac kicks some alien butt whilst searching for said girlfriend...Isaac discovers that a religious statue called the Marker (worshipped by the predominant religion on Earth - Unitology) is responsible for the necromorph transformations...Isaac makes 'contact' with Nicole...Isaac destroys the Marker...Nicole was dead all along...Isaac had just been imagining her because the Marker messes with peoples' minds...the end.
  
  Dead Space 2 begins some three years after the events on the Ishimura, in a hospital on the Sprawl, a city built on Titan, one of Saturn's moons. Isaac has no recollection of the past three years and appears to be institutionalised, bound tightly in a straitjacket. A dude called Franco breaks into Isaac's comfy padded cell and visibly panicked starts to release him from his constraints. Before he can finish the task, Franco is killed by a necromorph and Isaac is forced to flee the carnage, arms still bound to his sides in one of the most nail bitingly tense and exhilarating chase scenes in videogame history! What ensues is an alien/religious/conspiracy/mystery/shooter/survival horror in which we discover that, yes people supposedly with brains enough to be in charge are stupid enough to make the exact same mistake twice. Cue Isaac and his trusty Plasma Cutter...
  
  The important bit...Weapons!!!
  Isaac's faithful numero uno weapon of choice is back...the Plasma Cutter...as are all the other original weapons with the addition of some new and awesome military hardware. The Javelin Gun is a nod to the excellence of Bioshock 2's weaponry, firing you guessed it...a javelin...which impales enemies to walls. The Javelin's secondary fire emits an electric shock, terminating all enemies in the unfortunate impaled alien's vicinity with one extra squeeze of your trigger. The Detonator Gun is a useful addition for setting traps, deploying motion sensitive mines and giving you the option to cover your back while you plough on ahead. The Seeker Rifle is my least favourite addition...basically a sniper rifle...it feels a little out of place in such close quarters combat. Isaac's Kinesis ability has been vastly improved so its offensive capabilities are infinitely more effective. In Dead Space 2 it is now possible to pluck a Necromorph limb from its prone body and fire it very much like the Javelin Gun to impale your enemies...a very handy option when you are running low on ammo. Both projectiles, whether javelin or Necromorph limb can also be used to simultaneously impale an enemy and smash a window, creating a vacuum and sucking everything and everyone out of the room you are in and out into the expanse of space. To prevent Isaac sharing the same fate as the Necromorphs flying out the window you have to shoot an emergency airlock button as you slide along the floor...panicked is too weak a word to describe this situation! This was a really nice touch, offering a little excitement through change of pace and a whole new way to quickly dispose of a room full of enemies.
  
  New enemies!!!
  There are some crazy new additions to the enemy ranks, borrowing in no small part from the excellence of the Left 4 Dead and Gears of War series of games...the Dead Space 2 development team were obviously fans and the gameplay is richer for their homage to the zombie and Locust shooters. What was missing from Dead Space 1? Obviously baby aliens, kiddy aliens that hunt in packs and aliens that throw-up on you, right? This is clearly what the developers surmised anyway, and they are all included in Dead Space 2! The baby aliens crawl around and explode when in close proximity, very much like the Tickers featured in GOW. The Pukers (a nod to the Boomer in Left 4 Dead) live up to their name and vomit an acidic bile which rots and bubbles on your suit and appears to make it difficult to walk, almost gluing Isaac's feet to the floor. My favourite addition though is the Pack, a group of child Necromorphs that attack in large numbers, swarming all over Isaac, slashing and clinging to his back. The sheer volume of attackers makes encountering the pack a scream-out-loud and fire off every weapon in all directions moment!
  
  Sound and Graphics
  Wow and more wow. The sound is spine tingling. It could literally be the soundtrack to your worst nightmare. Eerie silence is only broken by the sound of your metal boots on the gangway, intermittent scrapes and scurries come from inside the walls as a nervous sweat coats your palms and a blood curdling scream travels through the air vents. As for the graphics...they are simply luscious. They are so crisp, clean and detailed and there are some truly breathtaking solar and planetary vistas that will absolutely blow your mind. Flawless!
  
  Multiplayer
  The multiplayer is an impressive addition to the franchise and a welcome extra for those gamers who having completed the single player campaign don't want to abandon the Dead Space universe straight away. You play as either one of four human Sprawl security officers attempting to accomplish an objective (such as arming a bomb) or one of four Necromorphs who aim to disrupt the security officers' progress and kill them in the process. The security officers have badass weaponry and significantly more health, but the Necromorphs have unique abilities, special execution moves and can see through walls. I'll leave the rest for you to discover, but suffice to say the multiplayer is so enjoyable you could happily buy this game for the online section of the package alone.
  
  Verdict and best bits
  The gameplay is thoroughly absorbing enough, but the pacing and balance heighten the tension and spread the scares to prolong the fear and anguish for the duration of the game. Dead Space 2 is terrifying throughout, even when nothing is happening, simply because the possibility of attack is always imminent. The cut scenes and voice acting are brilliant, fleshing out the Dead Space universe whilst telling a riveting story on a par with any one of your favourite sci-fi films of the last forty years.
  
  My favourite bit saw Isaac fired through space at high velocity from one part of the Sprawl to another, manoeuvring through tight gaps and dodging debris, firing his suit's jet burners for extra speed, before crashing through a section of hull to land on his feet and start the next terrifying chapter of the campaign! I also love the new maintenance tunnels, essentially claustrophobic links between chapters, which see Isaac crawl on his belly, defenceless and vulnerable, hoping that there's nothing lurking in the dark narrow space up ahead. I really enjoyed the Resident Evilesque section of the game which was clearly a nod to the Millo Jovovich film...you know the bit where the guy gets trapped in that laser corridor and there's the little holographic girl representing the computer programme? Like I said at the beginning, Dead Space 2 is 10/10 from start to finish. It takes everything that is good from Dead Space, takes inspiration from some awesome films, learns something from other great games like Left 4 Dead, Bioshock 2 and Gears of War and throws a few new elements of its own into the mix and basically greatly improves on everything that came before without sacrificing what made it so great in the first place. I'm in love...what more can I say?
  

• Dead Space 2 (Trailer) 360PS3PC | 01:50 Play Trailer