After being heavily encouraged by a fellow gamer to check out Visceral Games' second instalment in the Dead Space 2 series, I decided to give the game a go a few weeks ago. My experience was so awesome, I think that it's suitable to open this review by saying that it is easily one of the most under-rated games of 2011. Having been released in the first month of the previous year, it was sadly forgotten by the huge tide of mainstream titles which suddenly found there way onto our consoles in the last few months of 2011. So here's what I'm saying: if you haven't already, buy Dead Space 2.
If, like myself, you never played the original Dead Space, Visceral immediately cater for newcomers to their series by providing you with the opportunity to watch a
'Previously on Dead Space...' introductory scene which fills in the events of the first game. In short, you assume the role of technician Isaac Clarke, who in the first title is sent to tend to the distress calls of a planet-mining ship called the USG Ishimura. Over the course of the game, Clarke discovers a horrific alien infestation known as the Necromorphs and unravels a mysterious threat whilst on board.
Without spoiling those events, Dead Space 2 picks up when Isaac wakes up on a bizarre space station called The Sprawl. He cannot remember his recent past and has no recollection of how he got there. Tied up in straitjacket, he is suddenly freed by a fellow technician, who before he can explain the situation is brutally attacked by a Necromorph and soon finds himself mutating into one. This is the start of Isaac's horrific second journey on yet another alien-infested space station, one which will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, shivering on the spot and cheering on for more by the time the credits roll.
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| Bad-ass. |
One immediate improvement over the original game is that Isaac now has a voice. In the first title he was a speechless hero confined to his space suit, meaning that the ability for Visceral Games to really bring out his character and show how scared he was in each situation was rather limited. Luckily, the developers roped in Gunner Wright who does a great job at conveying Clarke's emotions. This was a very good move on their part- no longer is his character so one-dimensional- now we know what he's feeling, when he's feeling it. It adds depth to just about every scenario, whether it be his frustrating and yet concerned conversations with mental patient Nolan Stross (who appears to know the information to the conspiracy Isaac finds himself tangled within on board the Sprawl), or his terrified cries whilst experiencing the many visions he suffers throughout the game. The story line is a cracking tale which twists and turns like a missile trapped within a revolving door- just about every character is unique and emotive, from the power-crazy Hans Tiedemann, the enemy in this title, through to Ellie Langford, a fellow survivor on board the Sprawl who is reluctant to go anywhere near Clarke. Also helping to bring the story along are the undoubtedly Bioshock-esque voice communications and audio-dairies, which provide backstory and direction to everything you do.
Gameplay on the other hand is standard third-person survival-horror fare; you as the player control Clarke, using his famous blue-lit armour to protect himself from the Necromorph swarms. You also get a pretty wide array of weapons at your disposal, which include the Plasma Cutter- a standard futuristic pistol- the Pulse Rifle, Rivet Gun, Javelin Gun and many others. Each of these can be upgraded using collected power nodes found around the game environment, to improve speed, impact, capacity and the like. Combat is a satisfying aspect of Dead Space 2, and works well when implemented with the Necromorph activity- Visceral's design of these mutated creatures means that unlike other games, aiming for the head won't do quite as much damage as you'd expect. Instead the game teaches you early in that it is vital to aim for their limbs in order to kill them efficiently and preserve your ammo. As you'd expect with the genre, ammo isn't something that you'll find yourself finding as much as you would in standard shooters. In addition to weaponry, you also have stasis and telekinesis, which allow Clarke to slow down time and control objects respectively. Both, as expected, are awesome.
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| This might happen to you a fair few times... |
Some situations may make you think that you're in perfect control. You have a few med-packs. Plenty of ammo. Things are going well. Check back in five minutes time, and Visceral will have chucked a swarm of Necromorph's at you, making things become incredibly tense as they rush towards you at an incredible speed. Suddenly, those precious med-packs will have been used, and that plenty of ammo you had will have depleted completely. And now you must survive as best you can until you reach a point where you'll be able to stock up again. Luckily, killing enemies and stomping on their corpses causes items to appear from within. Visceral make things very panic-inducing, but never unfair. The balance is just about perfect.
Other gameplay aspects include traversing the Sprawl, which itself is an eerie and exciting location to discover throughout the course of the game. What makes this even more exciting is the fantastic set-pieces which the developers have threaded into the game's plot. Throughout this title you'll experience intense battles with the Necromorphs, jump from one carriage to another on a uber-fast train before it plummets off rail and even fly across space in a ejector seat. These are for me, even having experienced many of 2011's most invigorating titles, some of the highlights of gaming in the last year, perhaps even of any game on this generation of consoles. Despite the fact that the last couple of chapters are riddled with a few repetitive enemy swarm sections, there's always something to keep you enthralled throughout. Lovers of the original game will be happy to hear that not only do the Anti-Gravity sections return (albeit in a different form, but still enjoyable), but also a chance to return to the USG Ishimura.
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| Now this is what I call epic. |
Dead Space 2 is a game which starts off with an impressive opening, and only gets better throughout. I really could go on and on with the things that have been done right because to be honest the list is vast. There really are no major flaws in this title - none that hinder what is an incredibly immersive experience. Visceral have created an exciting adventure which should be experience by anyone who loves a good sci-fi romp. Add in the multiplayer option (which even comes with the chance to play as a Necromorph!) for those who enjoy online play and you've got a rather awesome experience By the time the credits rolled I was desperate for more, so the fact that a sequel is in the works is an exciting premise - I can't wait to see what they do with the next title. I'm sure that with this second title they have gained a considerable amount of new followers - I can safely say that I'm one of them. Top notch.
9.0/10
