Dead Space 2 continues the plight of Isaac Clarke after his horrific endeavour on board the Ishimura and the mysterious events surrounding the red marker. When he wakes in a medical facility on board the Sprawl, a space station fixed to Saturn's largest moon Isaac has no memory of recent events and discovers that the dangerously agile necromorphs are back. As Isaac tries to survive he becomes the centre of a deep conspiracy and is forced into many close encounters that will leave your heart racing and your fingers twitching for more.
The game wastes no time throwing Isaac into harm's way, this time right on time for the party. The devastation the necromorphs unleash onto the Sprawl is experienced first hand as a serious and desperate state of emergency engulfs the station. The plights of others can be heard in every direction and just as often seen as you contend with your own immediate concerns. So many well designed scenarios hit in rapid succession that its impossible not to be swept up in it. The fast pace and utter chaos of the game's beginning lasts a substantial amount of time, until eventually the stark silence and feeling of solitude tells you Isaac has stuck around for far too long.
Encounters with the enemy are intense and your immediate concerns are forced to rapidly change between the core elements of combat: weapon selection, inventory, enemy disposition and Isaac’s immediate surroundings. Many hectic situations are formed by combining different enemy types and then releasing them at opportune times. Enemies will attack with and without warning from all angles and like in the original, dismembering their limbs is the only efficient way to eliminate them. With nine weapons (not including unlockables) and the ability to launch projectiles with Isaac’s Telekinesis Unit you will have no shortage of methods to fend off attackers.
Isaac’s arsenal is a collection of weapons and deadly space-aged power tools that have some very distinct properties. Tight passages are justification for you to show off your Javelin Gun to those noisy and inquisitive necromorphs that give warning of their approach. It is a device that fires a surveying spike that can pin enemies and any other targets directly behind to the wall, after which you can give your new friends a brilliant electric light show by triggering the alternate fire. The slow firing rate and narrow projectile of the weapon are also optimal prerequisites for death during an unexpected ambush. With necromorphs zooming past your peripheral vision and attacking from behind you will be forced to employ of one of Dead Space's other dangerous instruments.
As you take Isaac through his tour of the Sprawl you will see many locations that are colourful and bristling with attention to detail. Shopping stalls will sing with eye-catching neon lights and children's bedrooms are adorned with school drawings. Creative lighting paints some interesting settings and the occasional challenge as Isaac ventures through residential areas, a creepy church, the mortuary and a space-aged mining facility.
Unfortunately a great portion of the 12 hour journey is devoted to the exploration of engine rooms, but they at least have some colourful lights about them. The sprawl looks fantastic both within and from the vacuum of space and aside from setting unique stages for your battle with the necromorphs, these locations also form an intimate window into what life was like on the station prior to the outbreak.
The enigma of the marker and the conspiracies surrounding organisations like the Unitologists shape some very intriguing science fiction. The game will fill players in on the events of the Ishimura and then slowly explain the wider context of Isaac's world. Your foray into the church of Unitology is an opportunity to uncover some of their beliefs, questionable methods and enjoy over-the-top propaganda.
The mysteries and events of the sequel are moderately more engaging this time, a consequence of direct contact with some (underdeveloped) characters and plot revelations that play out before Isaac's eyes. The details however do not go as far as I would like them. Dead Space is notorious for keeping secrets and yet another in the series concludes with big questions behind character motivation and a great desire for more information.
The sequel also continues the tradition of absolutely stellar audio work and there is no denying that it is the reason the atmosphere is propelled to the heights it reaches. Visceral have used audio to simultaneously enhance gameplay, story and mood with music that updates to reflect atmosphere and audio cues that direct or deliberately mislead you.
The tension in the air is always kept at a maximum as there is no discernible way to distinguish between benign scratches and warnings of immediate danger. Some healthy voice talent finishes off the package, which accumulates into an overall experience beyond what most other games deliver.
The PC version does not suffer the mouse lag the original did and has full support for the Xbox 360 controller which was used for this review. On PC the title also utilises the latest DirectX 11 technology and sports disk-less play, but will unfortunately be missing out on future downloadable expansions. The prequel title Extraction comes included with the PS3 Limited Edition, which clearly makes it the favourable choice to get for those with the option. All platforms utilise the EA online matchmaking system which is not too destructive on account of mid-match joining and acceptable performance against international opponents.
The five maps and single game mode available in the multiplayer are not much, but the concept and gameplay are reasonably addictive. A hierarchy of four necromorphs can be selected and spawn out of vents anywhere in the map as the human team attempt to escort, demolish or protect sequential objectives. Combat mechanics are unchanged from single player and participation on both teams is fun and well balanced. There is potential for hours of enjoyment competing against others, but the meagre offering of content ends the affair prematurely and the focus is never removed from the more robust single player.
Dead Space 2 is in every way as great as the original. It is built on the solid foundation of survival horror hallmarks and then bombards you with a variety of fresh situations that endure multiple play-throughs reasonably well. The title maintains a steady pace of action, tension and story teasers with an unforgettable beginning and a disorientated yet exciting finale. The game looks great, sounds better and delivers atmosphere that places it in the upper echelon of the survival horror genre.
Platform reviewed: PC
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