Dead Space 2

This game surpasses the first one in every way, shape and form, except it lacks the horror of the first game. This is one of those games where once you start playing, you don't want to stop, even though you get very frustrated at certain points, I'll get to those later. I would say this is better than Silent Hill 2, I felt it was more enjoyable and had better replay value. Now lets get to the game.

The game: The game opens really fast, and already has a high intensity level. The first thing you will notice is Isaac moves around much smoother, and mêlée is actually useful. The game no longer has those intermissions between levels, it just goes through continuously. The visuals are incredible, and atmosphere and lighting are top notch. Power nodes are much easier to come by now, which means I could completely level up my suit and weapons. The plasma cutter is still the best weapon at your disposal, but the Javelin/spike gun that impales and electrocutes enemies is the most fun to use. There are some new enemies, the most annoying being those Velociraptor things. This game features an assortment of set piece moments that are absolutely exhilarating, very memorable moments to be had. The violence isn't as shocking this time around, nothing compared to the brute ripping Isaacs head while is screaming from the first game. The game does have some Oh S**t moments, the best being when you return to the Ishimura, I'll let you experience that for your self. The game moves along at a great pace, but starts to suffer towards the end, they literally through countless enemies at you and feels too much like a mindless action game. The final stage before the end boss was extremely frustrating, swarms of Necromorphs and those regenerators. Once you complete the game you get a great feeling of peace, but they ruin by setting up a sequel. This should have been the last game, I've started playing the third game and it is a real let down, it should have been over, but no it just goes on and on. I'll review it once I have completed it.

The multi-player: This is going to be quick. It was fun for a couple of hours, but wore thin fast. I think it should have been left out, because this game succeed's when you are isolated, not in a big group that cheese spams their stasis.

The verdict: This game easily ranks as one the best games of 2011. It feels less like a horror game and more like a action game, I'm not saying all of the horror is gone, it's just over shadowed by the action. It's a great game, and enjoyable enough for you to start a new game plus, highly recommended.

How could I possibly forget this game. This sequel definietley had a lot to live up to with the original game that it had to stand on. Dead Space 1 was definitley one of the most memorable standout horror titles for Video Gaming in the 2000s. With Resident Evil 4 revolutionizing and reinventing the horror genre only a few years back aswell as pretty much coining the Third-Person Shooter term aswell where the actual character was in view instead of looking directly through the eyes of your character to the action in front of you which was already well established with games back then thanks to DOOM, Goldeneye 007 and Halo. Resident Evil 4 was definitley scary, but was evened out with some pretty good one liners and comic releif every now and then, such as The Merchant and the annoying Ash.

Dead Space 1 on the other hand made RE4 tonally look like a campy horror b-movie in comparison, with a Sci-Fi Horror vision that was much darker, more desolate and haunting, and almost no comic releif to be found. It was grizzly, grimy horror at it's purest state with hardly any respite from the constant tension and hard adrenaline that the game throws at you.

So what does Dead Space 2 do different from the origional. Well it does a few things to raise the stakes for Issac Clarke and up the ante to almost chaotic levels of horror and action, with a more slick and futuristic Sci-Fi style this time around.

Gone are the grimy, scummy, brown rusted and bloodstained iron walls of the decaying USG Ishumaura, with a crisper, cleaner and more modern looking indoor space corridor city known as The Sprawl, situated on moon of Titan off Saturn. Issac has survived the horror of The Ishumaura, but not without a price. His mind has now been infected by the telepathically transmitted virus stemming from The Marker, which is now causing his mind to be slowly ruined by constant haunting visions involving her dead girlfreind and him slowly deciphering what it all is supposed to mean.

Issac is far more interesting as a character in this game since he can now speak and has many great scenes of diologue with the other characters. The supporting characters of this game range from untrustworthy, to evil, to downright sad with the character of Nolan Stross who I still think is one of the most tragic and disturbing characters ever put into a videogame. Play the game and see why.

The action in this game is unrelenting and it very rarley gives you a break. You will be using your Plasma Cutter once again to slice, dice and dismember the necromorphs which are more evil and bloodthirsty than ever before, simply wanting to kill you in every way imaginable, just because they can! The death scenes are flat out ridiculous in this game, that are so over the top and violent, you might actually have a hard time taking the game seriously anymore, with some that are so sick it is almost comical.

The game also comes with a Zealot Mode which is the game's ultimate diffuculty setting, like Legendary in the Halo series. I've never personally tried this difficulty level, but I've seen others play it, and it is ruthless. You are only allowed to save three times in this game I think, which leaves you with only three checkpoints. So if you die, you will be sent back several hours of progress instantly. Yikes!

But anyway, I think it's a Sci-Fi horror masterpiece and one of the scariest, darkest and most violent games I've ever played, though there have been several that have surpassed the horror factor with the two The Last of Us games by Naughty Dog. So if you're into this sort of thing, I recommend it. It's a pure Sci-Fi horror rush with some impactful characters emotional scenes aswell that may stick with you for a while.

Dead Space 2 is absolutely awesome! This is one of my favorite videogames! It was a great story about move on from your loses, don't trust man made religions, take care of your family, and really both take the fight to evil and face your fears! The game felt more life filled and just in general better I think with how Isaac got to talk and we saw his face more. All of the futuristic technology was beautiful and well detailed. All of the action with the different guns and suit powers was very fun. The suspense was great and creepy. Without doubt I'll always love Dead Space 2. Have a great day and gooo Dead Space 2!

The first Dead Space reinvented not just the horror genre, but the sci-fi genre at the same time. Dead Space in itself is one of the greatest sci-fi stories of all time, and Dead Space 2 lives up to that, and more. Dead Space 2 drops you off not after the Necromorph outbreak, but right as it's happening, and this time on a space station instead of a ship (for those who haven't played the 1st game). Dead Space is a sci-fi epic with emotion and horror packed into two little games, as of now, that could be a set of films or a TV series. Fans of the horror, shooter and action genres should all play this game no matter what you've heard and check out the first one as well because you need the original for this one to hold its place among the greatest. Dead Space is one of the greatest sagas of all time and should become more known.

10/10 Stars***

I am never going into space. Never! I know it's unlikely that we will see commercial space travel in my lifetime (or at all if Einstein's theory of relativity is airtight), but in order to retreat from the horror of this game I just might run away to an island and live a life of coconuts and loincloths. Dead Space 2 ain't no tourist brochure for Outer Space.

Having never played the first game I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the story, but thankfully there is a 'previously on Dead Space' option on the main menu. You play as Issac Clarke, an engineer who wakes up on a colony on Titan to discover that a disgusting biological accident called the Necromorphs have taken over. On his way to safety he also fights against the Unitologists, a cult who worship 'The Marker', a faux religious artifact that is actually a man-made weapon that turns human DNA to sludge. The resulting Necromorphs (terrifying monsters made from re-animated human corpses) spread the chaos as Issac flees through the disintegrating colony while hallucinating his dead girlfriend as a demonic ghost.

The dread in Dead Space 2 is overwhelming. It is honestly the most frightening game I have played since Condemned 2 (PS3). If you have a home cinema you can scare yourself to death by playing this at night, with the lights off, and sound turned all the way up. Every breath, every gasp, every distant rumble will make the hairs on arm stand on end, and some of the stingers (quite clever ones too) will cause your heart to stop beating.

The gameplay is the over-shoulder, run-and-gun type you've seen in Resident Evils 4 and 5. I suppose it is a survival horror too, but the environments get repetitive and it goes on for a bit too long. There are 59 trophies (8 of them DLC) of which I managed to win 51%. Multiple play-throughs are required for the platinum but I appreciate my sanity too much to fight to the end more than once.

I need to play something cute and happy to take the edge of now. Dead Space 2 is not for those of a nervous disposition.

Graphics A Sound A Gameplay B+ Lasting Appeal B