Dead Space 2 is Masterpiece of Survival-horror
When you take a look at some of the best survival-horror video games in the past decade, 1988's "Dead Space" shares company with great games like "Doom 3" and "Resident Evil 4." New for this year, "Dead Space 2" dives deeper into its complex story with a gripping and mature horror game that is not for the timid. This is a game you'll want to play with the lights on.
You reprieve your role as engineer Isaac Clark in "Dead Space 2" as he grapples with the horrific trauma from his first adventure. You wake to find that the place around you is falling to the alien life force called the Necromorphs. This science fiction twist of the zombie-apocalypse scenario has the enemy kill and then inhabit the bodies of the victims.
To make matters worse, a religious sect and the ruling Earth government are in a tug-of-war to posses a "marker" obelisk that holds dark secrets to the catastrophe. Since Clark was responsible for destroying the first "marker" in "Dead Space," you find yourself wrapped in a story where it will be hard to tell friend from foe.
As an engineer, Clark does not carry the arsenal of traditional space weaponry. Instead, he wields weapons that one could mistake for futuristic mining tools. The plasma cutter is especially useful since the Necromorphs need to be dismembered to be stopped. Head-shots are less effective than hacking off an arm or a leg, which will slow the Necromorphs' movements.
"Dead Space 2" is a gore fest that will make many horror fans scream with glee.
The sequel makes some nice improvements on the original that fans will appreciate. The equipment and inventory system is more intuitive and functional. You can add extra health and stasis power-ups in the middle of combat in case the action gets too tough. There are also environmental objects that can be used to shoot through the creatures if you want to conserve ammunition. In fact, some of the best projectile weapons are the limbs of the fallen Necromorphs.
When you complete the game, you can start a new one with all of your gear on a new difficulty level thus ensuring multiple play-throughs. The new online multiplayer is serviceable, but pales in comparison to the single-player adventure.
For the uninitiated, "Dead Space 2" is a fantastic ten-hour game from start to finish. The voice acting is superb and the music adds scares with its swelling bass and screeching violins. Science fiction fans will see some cliches that are familar to the genre, but they can be forgiven since Visceral Games created a story that is rich in detail. There are also DVDs, books and downloadable games that further explore the lore of "Dead Space."
I strongly recommend playing the original before "Dead Space 2." There are so many references that will make your trip more enjoyable (and scarier) that both "Dead Space" games are not to be missed.
For the mature gamer, "Dead Space 2" has set the bar for survival-horror games. As soon as I build up the nerve, I will be playing through it again.
To make matters worse, a religious sect and the ruling Earth government are in a tug-of-war to posses a "marker" obelisk that holds dark secrets to the catastrophe. Since Clark was responsible for destroying the first "marker" in "Dead Space," you find yourself wrapped in a story where it will be hard to tell friend from foe.
As an engineer, Clark does not carry the arsenal of traditional space weaponry. Instead, he wields weapons that one could mistake for futuristic mining tools. The plasma cutter is especially useful since the Necromorphs need to be dismembered to be stopped. Head-shots are less effective than hacking off an arm or a leg, which will slow the Necromorphs' movements.
"Dead Space 2" is a gore fest that will make many horror fans scream with glee.
The sequel makes some nice improvements on the original that fans will appreciate. The equipment and inventory system is more intuitive and functional. You can add extra health and stasis power-ups in the middle of combat in case the action gets too tough. There are also environmental objects that can be used to shoot through the creatures if you want to conserve ammunition. In fact, some of the best projectile weapons are the limbs of the fallen Necromorphs.
When you complete the game, you can start a new one with all of your gear on a new difficulty level thus ensuring multiple play-throughs. The new online multiplayer is serviceable, but pales in comparison to the single-player adventure.
For the uninitiated, "Dead Space 2" is a fantastic ten-hour game from start to finish. The voice acting is superb and the music adds scares with its swelling bass and screeching violins. Science fiction fans will see some cliches that are familar to the genre, but they can be forgiven since Visceral Games created a story that is rich in detail. There are also DVDs, books and downloadable games that further explore the lore of "Dead Space."
I strongly recommend playing the original before "Dead Space 2." There are so many references that will make your trip more enjoyable (and scarier) that both "Dead Space" games are not to be missed.
For the mature gamer, "Dead Space 2" has set the bar for survival-horror games. As soon as I build up the nerve, I will be playing through it again.
Source: http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20110203/ENTERTAINMENT05/102030305/+Dead+Space+2++is+masterpiece+of+survival-horror
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