Dead Space 2

I finished this game a week or so ago and I’m still a little traumatized and exhilarated. Dead Space 2 is superb on every level. It’s exciting, well paced, well designed, looks stunning, and has a great story. It is also unbelievably violent and gory to the point where I am now utterly desensitized to pretty much anything a game can throw at me.

Predictably, Dead Space 2 continues the story begun in the first game. You play Isaac Clarke (a scifi nerd nod of respect to Asimov and Arthur C.) as he struggles to survive against various beasties, monsters, and zombie-like necromorphs aided by a large selection of limb-slicing weaponry.

There are some superb set pieces with ridiculously large baddies and zero gravity action. There are also smaller and more creepy enemies like weird screaming little children necromorphs and, even creepier, little crawling babies that make an odd wailing noise and then explode when near.

The story is fairly good too. There are double crossings and weird religions. There’s also a sub-plot with Isaac’s dead girlfriend who appears every now and then to freak you out. The action is set in a massive floating city and is awesome. I spent more than a few minutes just staring out the window.

I didn’t find it particularly scary but that is probably due to having watched a shitload of horror films and generally being desensitized to all things spooky and violent. My wife walked past at one point and was a bit freaked out by the casual way I shot the arms and legs off a necromorph then calmly walked over and stomped on its head, causing it to explode. Then I got jumped by another one who thrust a limb down my throat and ripped me in half. I barely noticed and sipped my tea.

Above all though, Dead Space 2 is just a great game. It’s brilliantly made with gorgeous graphics, realistic physics, superb and easy controls, and just the right amount of ammo and health to make it a challenge while remaining fun. I only played the solo mission though. There is multiplayer but I could never get it to work, although hopefully that is fixed now. Even considering this I still didn’t feel short changed.

Highly, highly recommended.