The horror is back... only this time, the action has 'bigger balls'. Explosive must-play game.
It was amazing, and also my long standing favorite game of all time...
Until now.
When Dead Space ended, everyone held their breaths in anticipation...
When news broke of plans for a faster, more action oriented sequel we were able to let out that breath, and proceed to bite our nails. We were all afraid that the intensity and sheer horror of the first game would be stripped from the upcoming sequel. Do NOT worry, Dead Space 2 is just as nerve-shredding as the first!
Isaac Clarke, the silent protagonist from EA's blockbuster sci-horror/survival game, is still alive.
But has some serious issues... He's suffering from some sort of severe dementia he contracted in his time in proximity to 'The Marker'. Its now 3 years later and Clarke awakes from a coma that spanned most of those three years as a mental patient in a medical facility on 'The Sprawl', a massive space station which bears no small resemblence to the colony on planet LV-426' on "Aliens".
Isaac is being poked, prodded, and probed by scientists and doctors who want to get at all the wicked stuff locked up in his mind, it quickly becomes painfully apparent that these 'doctors' have no intrest at all in Clarke's well being.
The game quickly kicks into high gear as Isaac wakes to find the whole medical facility (and consequently the whole damn station... obviously.) overrun by Necromorphs... again. Seeing as how you're trapped in a straightjacket and you're extremely weak, you're really 'tossed into the deep end' as you sprint for your very life whilst dozens of Necromorphs emerge violently from the bloody chaos unfolding around you and try to kill you in the worst way possible. This sequence alone shames the past decade of Sci-Horror movies.
From this point on you are thrust into an obvious race for survival, as you must trust strangers, discover their motives, and of course fight your way through legions of Necromorphs.
As so many reviewers have pointed out, if 'Dead Space' is 'Alien'...
than 'Dead Space 2' is the most excellent 'Aliens'.
Dead Space 2 is a non-stop thrill ride of massive proportions and a total head-first plunge into blood-curding, nerve shredding terror and balls-to-the-wall, full-on combat.
Each amazing, explosive, action-packed setup eclipes the last in a way that most games never reach, and cultivates such an intense and interactive experience that hollywood movies can only be jealous of.
This game expertly balences that accute feeling of sheer dread and terror in its most horrifying moments, with that all-powerful, gutsy, ballsy feeling when you're completely destroying everything on the other end of your Pulse Rifle.
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Also definately worthy of mention is the Multiplayer mode. While games like Modern Warfare 2 nauseate me with its overhyped reputation of its online Multiplayer, few online experiences ever keep me coming back for more. Dead Space wasn't really a game that seemed like it would benefit from a Multiplayer mode... in fact most believed that it would suffer from such a mode. But in 'DS2' its handled so well you feel like a paramilitary team going up against horrible space zombies against all odds! Or when you play as a Necromorph instead of a CEC security team, you feel like a vicious force of nature hell-bent on destroying everything in your path. Both experiences are intense, exhilarating and addicting.
Every aspect of Dead Space 2 gets two BIG thumbs up, from the way it weaves explosive cinematic experiences into gameplay, to the fast-paced multiplayer, and the outstanding and original oveall design and graphics. 'Dead Space' marks it's territory as the new leader in survival/horror video games.
I again must hold my breath for dead space 3.
*inhales*