Dead Space 2 is Downright Terrifying!

I reviewed the original Dead Space a while back, and having played the second game recently, I wanted to review the sequels as well - starting with Dead Space 2. With that in mind, let's get straight to the good stuff!

Developing Dead Space 2

When the original Dead Space was released in 2008, it was met with critical and commercial acclaim. This made a sequel pretty much inevitable. Pre-production began in 2008 as soon as the first game was released.

Visceral Games worked to take the best parts of the first game and worked to improve on those aspects. The idea was to put together a streamlined game that was much easier to pick up and play. To do this, a greater focus was put on action elements, the controls were reworked to make Isaac easier to control. The enemies were also redesigned to make them work for the new action elements.

Now, one of the main things that Dead Space got a lot of praise for, was the sound design. Evidently the team at Visceral decided to dial it up to 100 for the sequel because it's freakin' terrifying at times!

The Story

3 years after the events of the previous game, Isaac Clarke is in a mental institution on the Sprawl - a space station on Titan. He is suffering from severe dementia caused by his exposure to the marker in the previous game.

He wakes up to find himself caught in the middle of another necromorph outbreak thanks to some idiot who made a new marker. Of course, that means he has to fight his way out of the station - easier said than done with the necromorphs and all.

The Stuff that Works

Visually, Dead Space 2 is absolutely gorgeous; it looks fantastic. The levels are so well-designed, and darker than in the previous one. The music is great, there's a deep, brooding soundtrack that moves the story along at a good clip.

The combat mechanics are much simpler this time around, making it easier to pick up and play. There are also a few more toys to play with and different enemy types to worry about. The environmental puzzle-solving element - something I didn't really discuss in my review of the first game - is back and better than ever with different obstacles and threats to the player's safety.

What's that? You want examples? Okay, how about a room full of spinning blades that you have to float through to get from A to B? There are glass panels that shatter and either (a) suck you out into space or (b) you're too slow and the emergency shutter slams down and cuts you in half. The multiple new enemy types make combat very interesting.

There's also a significant amount of new lore to build on the story which is always great.

What Doesn't Work?

As far as things that don't work, there isn't a whole lot that I didn't like about Dead Space 2. The levels are long and dark - which makes sense - but the darkness would be my only complaint as it does make navigation rather tricky.

If I had to nitpick, I'd say the story's pacing is a bit all over the place but it's not detracting from the experience. The character of Ellie was a tad on the annoying side, but I actually got to like her pretty quick.

Is Dead Space 2 a Good Game?

So, is Dead Space 2 a good game? Yes, yes it is. Okay, the question is subjective, I know, but I honestly think Dead Space 2 is a great game to play and a phenomenal sequel. It took everything that was great about the first game and cranked things up to 100 - in a good way.

Seriously, if you haven't played this one, I highly recommend giving it a go!

Oh, and Happy Halloween!