Dead Space 2 (PS3) Review

Sprawling in terror.

 Dead Space proved to be a hit title for publisher EA, selling over 1 million in 2008 and later 2 million in 2010. Like many great games a sequel was on the way. Enter Dead Space 2, the long awaited sequel to the 2008 hit game, Dead Space, released back in 2011. Issac Clarke is back and must survive another necromorph outbreak on a space station called The Sprawl. Packing a new setting, gameplay additions, and areas to explore, Dead Space 2 aims to expand and improve upon its predecessor, and it does in some areas. I've been waiting for a while to play Dead Space 2 and now that I did, I'm ready to give my thoughts on it.

STORY- Three years after the events of the first game, engineer Issac Clarke awakens to find himself in an asylum section of the space station known as The Sprawl. Unfortunately for him, necromorphs are ravaging the station and he must make a run for it. A woman named Diana contacts Issac and requests to help him escape. Having no choice but to comply, Issac's journey begins and it's full of new faces, betrayals, plot-twits, and more necromorphs! I found myself enjoying the story, It's great seeing Issac back in action again and I found the new characters such as Ellie and Stross to be interesting. Still, it did get predictable at times with the betrayals. Nevertheless, it does a great job keeping you hooked.

Issac is back in action. Only more broken this time.

GAMEPLAY-  Dead Space 2 plays similarly to its predecessor. You control Issac as he navigates through areas that may or may not contain deadly necromorphs waiting to kill him. He also retains abilities such as kenesis, which allows him to move objects out of the way and stasis, which allows him to temporarily slow down oncoming enemies and helps navigate through certain areas. Upon killing them, necromorphs drop essential items such as health packs, ammo, and credits. Issac will come across many shops and benches where he can buy items and upgrade his gear by spending "power nodes", receptively. Power nodes helps upgrades Issac's weapons and suit. They're mainly hidden in levels, thus encouraging exploration, but you can still buy them at shops for 10,000 credits. As the chapters go by, Issac will come across audio and text logs that tell of the events before Issac's arrival to the area. 

Aim for the limbs, Issac!

  Additionally, Issac can hack machines in order to advance to the next area. These include doors and other electronics. When hacking however, Issac is vulnerable to enemy attacks, so be sure to clear the area first or hack quickly. Also, there are times where Issac must exit the station in what they are called "Zero-G" areas. Navigating through them are more smooth than Dead Space thanks to the thrusters included in Issac's suit. While in space, Issac will need oxygen to breathe. Oxygen containers can easily be found in the areas he'll be going through and you can also extend his oxygen capacity via upgrades. The gameplay is still fun and engaging as it ever was. The new additions also adds more layers of depth into the game as well. However, I felt that the survival horror feel of the original has diminished and game feels more of a third person action shooter now. Not saying that the game greatly suffers from it, but just feels a bit disappointing.  

PRESENTATION- Dead Space 2 is visually similar to its predecessor. Character models (though at times sluggish) and backgrounds are detailed, they fit the game's dark tone. Speaking of dark, most the time it was hard to navigate through the pitch black areas of the sprawl. I often ended up walking through a wall without even noticing it for a while, but that's just a minor complaint. The voice work is good. Issac is a voiced character now and that greatly helps flesh out his character. He's occasionally makes some funny jokes thanks to the neat dialogue. Like the voice work, the soundtrack is good with many tracks that nicely accompanies tense moments of the game. 

The presentation is spot-on with great visuals and
voice performances.

OVERALL- I enjoyed my time with Dead Space 2. The story kept me hooked and left me eager to see what's in store next for Issac. The gameplay was also fun and I liked the new additions. While it has veered off a bit in terms of the scare factor, it's still a great game to experience. If you're a newcomer to the series I advise you to try the first game to better understand the lore. Dead Space 2 has been regarded as the best in the series but I say that the first Dead Space is the best one!