Quarter Circle Forward Review: Dead Space 2

The following review was written by a special contributor to the site, David Porter. You can find David via his Facebook page. Thanks Dave!

WARNING: The following review may contain spoilers.

 

 

DEAD SPACE 2

 

When I was about 12 years old, my parents took my brother and I to Walt Disney World for the

first time in our lives. Why the hell am I mentioning Disney in a review for one of the most

fear-inducing gorefests of a game ever made? Read on! This was around 1998 or so, and Disney

World had an attraction called "Alien Encounter". It has since been replaced by some lame

Lilo & Stitch experience, but this was back when Disney had balls. Alien Encounter was a

terrifying experience for my fragile 12-year old mind. It involved the guest being strapped

into a chair while and alien is "teleported" to the theater where the audience was sitting.

Naturally, the alien breaks free, the lights go out, and terror ensues. The special effects

of the show made it feel like the alien was flying right past your face, breathing down your

neck, and putting pressure on your chest. The audience even witnessed a man being "killed"

by the alien and felt the illusion of blood being sprayed all over them! Pretty intense

stuff for a Disney World ride! The very same year, I was introduced to the films "Aliens"

and "Event Horizon".

 

10 years later, I discovered just how big of an impression those experiences left on me. In

2008 Dead Space was released to the public. I was a casual fan of survival horror games at

the time. I played a couple Resident Evil games and dabbled in the Silent Hill series.

However, these games didn't come close to preparing me for the pure terror I would

experience in Visceral Games survival space horror masterpiece. I remember I first saw a

video on Xbox Live that gave a glimpse of the game. I was immediately drawn to the U.S.S

Ishimura. I bought the game the day it came out. I came home, turned off all of the lights,

and cranked up the volume. Big mistake. The first time I was attacked by a necromorph, I had

to pause the game and check my pants. The anxiety I would feel while playing the game would

become too much to handle at times and I would have to turn the game off and take a break

because my heart was beating too fast. It was almost like the Marker was coming through the

game and into my own mind.

 

Ok. Enough about the first Dead Space game. Does Dead Space 2 live up to its predecessor?

 

The Story:

 

Issac Clarke's encounter with and destruction of the Marker have left him on the verge of

going insane. He now lives on The Sprawl, a hugely populated city on one of Saturn's moons.

Almost immediately after the game starts, the terror truly begins. Necromorphs take over the

Sprawl and Issac finds himself right back in all too familiar territory. Speaking of Issac

Clarke, he now has a voice! This does wonders for the story of Dead Space 2 as it gives the

character of Issac Clarke much more development than in the first game. By the end of Dead

Space 2 you really find yourself feeling sorry for him. I also found myself constantly

questioning whether everything was really happening or not. Issac's fight to keep his sanity

is very believable. There is also a very cool twist in the game that gives a nod to the

first Dead Space and I have to admit I was squealing like a schoolgirl when I saw it. The

story of Dead Space 2 is very intriguing and while it obviously sets up for Dead Space 3, it

still left me feeling satisfied. I can't wait to find out who this Overseer is in the third

game and why he wants to build another Marker so badly.

 

Gameplay:

 

The gameplay doesn't stray too far from the first Dead Space game and, in my book, that's a

good thing. The controls are the same and you still have stasis. You also have telekinesis

and it has been improved greatly from the first game. There are some new weapons in the

game, along with the always reliable Plasma Cutter. The biggest improvement, however, is the

zero gravity sequences. Now, instead of just jumping from one spot to the next, Issac can

fly through the air with jet thrusters and shoot at enemies while he is floating through the

zero gravity environment. There are also some terrifying and downright disturbing new

Necromorphs to deal with. I'm talking children and even BABIES that have the disease. The

elementary school level is probably one of the most unsettling experiences I've had in a

video game. There are also new Necromorphs called Stalkers. The best way I can describe them

is that they are like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park. They move in packs and try to set

you up for a sneak attack. While you are waiting for one to peek around a corner, another

one charges you from behind. The AI of these things is spectacular. I did have a few minor

problems with the gameplay. The first complaint is a return from the first game. The

shopping and the upgrades! Stopping to buy new weapons and upgrade your equipment really

takes you out of the game. It really does ruin the experience of anxiety and terror that you

are supposed to feel when you have to stop and buy a couple medium med packs. There were

also a few cheap deaths I had towards the end of the game from Necromorphs literally

appearing behind me out of thin air and swarming me. My biggest complaint, however, is...

 

Multiplayer:

 

When I first heard that Dead Space 2 was getting multiplayer, I scratched my head. "How is

that going to work?" I thought to myself. After playing it, I still have no idea how it

works. It's obvious they were trying to replicate the multiplayer experience of Left 4 Dead

here, but it just ends up not working. Instead, what I got was a cluster-fuck of an

experience. Imagine trying to play L4D in a third person view and you'll kind of get an idea

of what the multiplayer of Dead Space 2 is like. The idea sounds good on paper, pitting

Necromorphs against Humans, but the execution just fell flat to me.

 

Overall, I think Dead Space 2 was a great way to start off 2011 in gaming. The increased

difficulty settings and New Game + modes are enough to give it another playthrough or 2, the

graphics are greatly improved from the first game (there was a sequence in an elevator where

you get an amazing view of Saturn that had me just sitting there and staring at the screen

for at least 5 minutes, until those damn Necromorphs had to ruin it), and I had a lot of fun

with the game. I can't wait until Dead space 3 comes along and makes me feel 12 years old

and terrified again!