Isaac Clarke survived the events of the first Dead Space, but did his mind? Hallucinations constantly plague him in this sequel from Visceral Games as he makes his way through a new space station infested with Necromorphs. Attempting to destroy a new Marker that he has no memory of creating, Isaac’s obstacles are just as much psychological this time around as they are physical manifestations that he has to de-limb. The question of mental stability is also present with other characters in the story.
In retaining its predecessor’s feel, Dead Space 2’s universe is a clearly disturbed one. From enemy designs to truly gruesome death animations, horrific scenes are plentiful throughout the experience. Visceral also manages to craft combat scenarios that instill utter fear in the player. The action certainly intensifies to such a degree that had me on the edge of my seat wondering if I was going to survive the next few seconds. Thankfully the checkpoint system is very forgiving and save stations are plentiful, though this provides little comfort.
Everything moves faster this time around, including the progression. Looting is just as important as it was before but since you are dropping more corpses that also means pickups are more plentiful. I was constantly obtaining credits and upgrade nodes to further advance my weaponry. I always had plenty of credits to spend on new toys and each time I did I felt even more powerful. That being said, I never seemed to have too much ammo or health packs to a point where I felt comfortable and prepared. This balance is perfect. New Game Plus as well as higher difficulty settings give you plenty of incentives to go back after the credits roll.
Weapons are fun, gratifying, and effective. You can also use stasis and telekinesis to further deepen and diversify your approach, which come into play for light puzzles too. There are also much more zero gravity segments this time around. These are well-designed and help keep things fresh in addition to offering a grander scope to the story. Dead Space 2 nails its pacing.
Incredible sound design is present throughout, adding to the already stellar atmosphere. The voice acting performances are solid too. Maybe it’s because you see his face during many of the cutscenes, but I felt that the developers did a good job of humanizing Isaac much more this time around and I greatly appreciated this. The game is very accessible for new players, with a nice recap of what happened last time in the menu options.
Dead Space 2 is a step above the original in nearly every way. The combat is frantic. The story leads you along at a nice pace with plenty of cinematic moments. Zero gravity and light puzzles diversify things. Strong voice acting, great visuals, and true sense of atmosphere place you into a believable world. From the Necromorphs in front of him to the unsettling things that Isaac keeps hearing and seeing, Dead Space 2 provides terror that should not be missed.
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