Dead Space 2 Review

Written by Cole Burton Wednesday, 02 February 2011 17:00

Dead Space 2 is finally here, and with it comes a new chapter of the Dead Space story, a cooperative/multiplayer experience, and even a former Wii exclusive for the PS3 customers. With all of this on one blu ray disc, is there any way for Dead Space 2 not to live up to its hype? Let’s find out.

Dead Space 2's Single Player mode is very rewarding for the fans that played through the original Dead Space. Isaac Clarke is thrown into the action even faster than he was in the first game, which is hard to believe. After only a few mere minutes, Isaac is reliving his first heart pounding sequence that took place in the first Dead Space: He is running past necromorphs as they try to close in on him in a dark hallway, and he is worse than unarmed. He is wearing a straightjacket! Then, Dead Space 1 players will be given yet another flashback by killing off the necromorph that nearly kills you at the end of the sequence with a closing door. This really set the mood for me, and I knew that not only was I in for quite a ride, I knew they hadn’t forgotten about us fans of the first game, and will have plenty of ways to make us feel at home in the Dead Space world.

After escaping the first necromorph sequence, Isaac is told by a woman named Diana that he is slowly dying, and only she can save him. Isaac has no choice but to trust her and starts his first big mission: Meet up with Diana. Along the way, you will see a “crazy” man by the name of Nolan Stross. He is going through exactly what Isaac is, but he is handling it much worse. He killed his wife and child because of the marker, or what controls the necromorphs, made him.

Skipping some major spoilers here and there, Isaac then meets up with another woman, Ellie. She is as tough as they come, and provides you with a lot of help throughout the game. It’s nice to know you aren’t alone in this adventure.

There are some new weapons in Dead Space 2, and all of the ones from Dead Space 1 make a return as well. You will have to experiment to decide your favorites, but most people always keep the plasma cutter on them. There are fewer stores and workbenches this time around, so be sure to use them every chance you get.

The Single Player is great, but I didn’t think it was better than the first Dead Space. However, it gets just one notch below it when you meet up with Ellie, and remains that way until the end of Chapter 9. Then, the best chapter of the game comes along, and who knows, maybe it caused me to like the sequel better after all. It’s a tough choice between the two games, that’s for sure.

I could go on about the campaign of any good game forever, as it is always my favorite part of any game. However, I will not allow myself to reveal any major spoilers, so let’s talk about the new multiplayer mode. Although it seems tacked on, it is great that it is there. Single player games should never get to warped in multiplayer because the single player may then lack. However, it is great when they do put one in there and try their hardest, without either department lacking. Like Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed.

The multiplayer mode has a team of 4 on 4, with some computer controlled necromorphs helping out the 4 necromorph players. Both teams will have different objectives for different maps. This is what must be done to win, no matter what:

Humans: STICK TOGETHER OR ELSE!

Necromorphs: Be patient and lay traps, you can coordinate with your team just as well as the humans, use this to your advantage and overwelm them.

How much fun you have online will depend on how good your team is and how many friends are playing with you. Keep this in mind, and have fun unlocking new armor, weapons, and abilities!

Overall, Dead Space 2 is more than a worthy follow-up to the original Dead Space, and is easily worth its price.