Dead Space 2 review

The original Dead Space made a bit of a splash when it first launched: a science fiction horror survival game that provided a unique environment, lots of scares, and a solid story. The universe that the creators crafted was well fleshed out and expanded upon with an animated film, comic books more. While none of ancillary media was required to enjoy the game, it was clear from the start that EA and Visceral Games wanted to build this into a long lasting franchise.

Enter Dead Space 2, which continues the story of engineer Isaac Clarke, who managed to survive the initial Necromorph infestation. The game picks up three years later with Clarke in a straightjacket on the Sprawl, a civilian outpost on the moon Titan. Just like Ellen Ripley, the initial alien encounter on a commercial spaceship did some emotional damage to the protagonist. Also just like Ripley, we’re soon to find out that the aliens have now overrun a civilian outpost. Guess who’s got to get out of this mess?

The evolution from an industrial environment to a civilian space does change the visual tone of the game. Many areas in Dead Space 2 are much more colourful than its predecessor. The Sprawl feel both functional and lived in, which ratchets up the creepy factor, like when you come to a children’s play area that’s obviously seen some Nercromorph action. Dead Space 2 manages to infuse the space with both tension and cheap scares, doling both out like a well-crafted horror film.

For pure scares, the game delivers on the promise better than most scary movies. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. One of the reasons horror survival games work so well is that fear is a very basic emotion. Playing to survive such a scenario is going to engage the gamer in ways a passive medium like film is just unable to do. As a fan of horror films, none have managed to give me the willies in the way games like Dead Space, Silent Hill or even Alan Wake. Even though Isaac Clarke, like Ripley, is much more capable at dispatching the enemy in the second installment, the horror underpinnings are still there.

Another reason sequels to successful games do well, is that developers have a chance to refine, tweak and/or completely redefine the gameplay, often with more tools at their disposal and a lot of criticism (good and bad) laid on the by the players. While the story and environment in Dead Space 2 offer a new look, on the gameplay front Visceral Games and EA don’t veer far from the course the original set out on. The still zero gravity moments are still in the sequel. This time around, they aren’t as nausea inducing, as Isaac has much more zero-g control via thrusters on his suit. While it’s a fun mechanic, I think I liked the old leap from surface to surface mechanic better. It was certainly more challenging.

The majority of gameplay mechanics follow the scheme of the original, as it worked. The same annoyances crop up, including a pet peeve of mine. When you click on the right thumbstick, Isaac pauses to send a beam on the floor that reveals the path to your next objective. This works when you’re spun around in the dark, but it can be frustrating in boss battles. There’s nothing worse than running towards some cover to prepare your next stasis shot when you accidentally click the thumbstick and pause just long enough for the baddie to get the jump on you. Of course, this is as much my own problem, because the boss battles are white-knuckled affairs which don’t lend themselves to subtle gaming.

If you’re looking for Dead Space 2 to deliver the same combo of scares and action, you won’t be disappointed. On those accounts it’s a worthy successor to the original. Even so, the premise started feeling a little thin after only a couple of hours into the game. That’s largely to do with the story being conveyed though the somewhat clumsy in-game mixed media logs, much like the original. I can only hope that future installments deliver a richer story experience, which could elevate Dead Space beyond visceral scares and gore.