Over the last week I have found myself reliving a nightmare – the nightmare that is Dead Space 2. Although it released just over a year ago I always find myself returning to the atmospheric shooter with good reason. This reason is that it is a fantastic game.
As Isaac Clarke you awake tied in a straitjacket confined in the mental ward on the space city called The Sprawl. Within seconds hell breaks loose upon the space station and you find yourself running away from yet again another Necromorph outbreak. It is certainly an eventful start to the game. However, in Dead Space 2 it is not only the Necromorphs that you will need to fight your way through. Isaac is haunted by horrifying visions on his dead girlfriend. These visions gradually degenerate his mental health to the point where it is literally killing him. This can be arguably scarier that the actual Necromorphs. Isaac’s journey upon the Sprawl is a story of not only survival but also of betrayal – this will become clear throughout the game.
There was no real connection between the characters in Dead Space 1 but when you play the sequel this is quite the opposite. You feel for Isaac and other character encountered along the way and each has an emotional story to tell. By the end of the story it is quite saddening to see what has become of Isaac’s mind, this is the same for another character going through the same pain as Isaac. This new emotional style to Dead Space 2 is a welcoming addition to the story.
Thankfully none of the atmospheric tension that was in the first Dead Space has been lost in the sequel. It is still as scary as ever. Flickering lights and the occasional jumps are bound to get your heart rate pumping. The terror in the game is portrayed perfectly. The low lighting in the game creates freakish shadows in the torch light that give a sense of anxiety to what lies around the next corner. Distant screams and rumbling air vents all add to the tension with the use of its brilliant audio. Sudden bulbs blow leaving you starring into darkness and then suddenly a Necromorph bursts out of the ceiling behind you to give you the fright of your life. This all helps build up to points where the tension is completely lost in the game. This is when you find yourself gazing at dozens of Necromorphs rushing towards you. It becomes a fight for survival. During these desperate fights the fluidity of the combat is highlighted.
The combat is Dead Space 2 is brilliant, in fact it’s close to being perfect. The shooting as mentioned is fluid and at the same time solid. Hit recognition is spot on and aiming feels very responsive. I love everything about the shooting aspect of Dead Space 2 but so much about the melee combat. The melee attacks are very clunky and have a short radius. Trying to hit a Necromorph up close is a dangerous task but its not made any easier by the melee combat as you can find yourself bashing down the button to keep swinging in the hope that you will eventually hit the Necropmorph. This is the same for the stomping ability which again feels clunky and sluggish as it never quite stomps on the place you want it to. I believe that a new melee system should be introduced if there is another Dead Space title. It needs to be faster for a start to keep up with the fluid gameplay.
Luckily with the weapons on offer in Dead Space 2 you won’t have to resort to melee combat. Of course the Plasma Cutter returns, as my most favourable weapon the gun is handy for every situation. It can be used for either long or short range combat and is perfect for severing limbs off Necromorhps. There are 8 weapons to utilize overall. Each had its on pros and cons and also every weapon has a secondary fire mode or ability. Such as the Contact Beam which allows you to fire an energy pulse into the floor which sends a large amount of damage to enemies in a wide radius of yourself. Another ability is the Line Gun’s secondary fire mode which allows you to deploy a timed explosive which will blow up everything around it. Each weapon is unique in the game and can be adapted into different play styles. For those that like long range combat there is the Seeker Rifle, for those who enjoy explosive weapons there is the Demolition Gun, and finally for players who enjoy up close combat the Force Gun and Ripper is ideal. There is also an upgrade system in the game. Collecting power nodes during Dead Space 2 allows you to upgrade a weapon, attributes such as damage and capacity can be increased. Shops that you encounter also sell power nodes and all the supplies you need. Credits, which are collected throughout the game, are needed to purchase new items.
There are so many different aspects to Dead Space 2’s gameplay. Another use for combat is Kinesis. This allows you to pick up objects and propel them and also enables you to freeze enemies for a short period of time. Short on bullets? Then quickly pick up an object around you and propel it at an incoming Necromorph. No time to reload? Freeze a fast approaching enemy and quickly reload then start shooting again. Both abilities of Kinesis fit perfectly into Dead Space 2.
The space element of Dead Space 2 comes into play too during combat. Some windows in the game can be shattered leaving you being sucked out into space. You have to quickly shoot the close hatch above the window to save yourself. It is a great advantage, however, when you find yourself trapped in a room full of Necromorphs. Simply smash the glass and watch them flush out in space, but be careful not to let it happen to you.
There are also a few puzzles to complete in Dead Space 2. They help break up the tension in the game and are quite easy to complete. Frequently you need to hack control systems. Hacking is quite simple, you have to rotate a line in a circular motion until you hover over a blue section. Then you press X, you have to do this three times. However, there are also red areas to and a time limit to make it a bit more challenging. Other than that there are some rather large puzzles such as arranging solar panels or different power sockets into a correct order. Again they are easy to complete but the main aim of them I believe is to help break the tension in the game.
In terms of visuals Dead Space 2 doesn’t disappoint. The presentation of the Sprawl is great with all the structures looking very futuristic. The lighting is also wonderful; the way the flickering lights create shadows in the dark corridors is stunning. I was also impressed by how good the Necromorphs look. Up close they are terrifying and gruesome.
Dead Space 2 is one of 2011’s best games. It is a truly tense adventure which is sure to make you jump a few times along the way. However, there is an underlying deep emotional adventure for Isaac which is not to be missed. If you haven’t already tried Dead Space 2 now is the time to.
