Dead Space 2 review

Dead Space 2 was certainly one of the most anticipated sequels of recent years in the gaming world, not so much because the way in which the plot of the first chapter was developed left some black holes (just to stay on topic) in the plot, but because of the players’ physical desire to be able to impersonate the good I.Clarke again and start crushing necromorphs in dark space ravines again.

There was obviously, as often happens with sequels to chapters that have achieved incredible success, a horde of detractors who thought that the change of setting that would take us from the claustrophobic corridors inside the Ishimura to the open spaces of the human colonies it would have damaged the image that gamers had of this game, making it lose that typical sense of mix between anguish and fear that had made it special, thus preventing it from repeating the exploit of its predecessor…
Well know that those people were wrong, big time!

Once the game has started we will find ourselves in front of the classic Dead Space menu with the various items and by starting a new game we will have the possibility, before throwing ourselves into this new adventure, to look at the “Background”, which narrates the events of the first chapter of Dead Space. (very convenient for those who, like me who am writing, have a short memory or don’t know the story of the first chapter of the saga)
A stunned Isaac who remembers his dear Nicole in the grip of terrible hallucinations, locked in a straight jacket, welcomes us to this new adventure (set three years after the Ishimura disaster).
In Dead Space 2 we are aboard the Sprawl, a space community built on one of Saturn’s moons where the much-hated alien “Mark” has strangely appeared, transforming the colony into an unlivable space nightmare.
The game immediately starts in a frenetic manner as we will have to escape from a horde of friendly monsters who already want to party with us.

From the first scenes the game immediately shows us its peculiar characteristic, it can make you jump in fear in your chair at any moment, in any place or situation… the fact that you are in a dark ravine and you think you have seen something move in the shadows it doesn’t mean that something is actually there, just as the fact that you are in a brightly lit room doesn’t mean that you are “safe”
(here, just to clarify your ideas, in Dead Space 2 YOU WILL NEVER BE SAFE!) … You have been warned!
The story develops immediately at a very high pace, in this new adventure there is no room for “relaxing introductory tutorials”, you will learn everything you need to know (in the unfortunate event that you don’t already know it) “in the field” and you’ll also want to do it quickly if you don’t want to be torn to pieces by the necromorphs.

Well, I conclude this little intro of Dead Space 2 by saying that for those who are not used to the game mechanics, “Chapter 1” of this new adventure will be a godsend, at the end of which you will have learned or reviewed everything you need and , once you have put on your suit, upgraded your plasma blade thanks to the special “bench” and bought some useful medical kit and charger you will be ready to face the rest of the story of the second chapter of this fantastic horror space saga.

Audio&Video:

The graphics of Dead Space 2 immediately prove to be excellent even if here and there in the game I noticed some (minimal) smudging that could have been avoided, but overall nothing that could affect the more than positive impression that it will make on you. you.
The settings are very varied and diversified compared to what was seen in the first chapter, in fact they are no longer limited to the classic astrospace corridors, but range from hospitals to residential areas (with rooms from which you will hear sounds, noises and voices that will make your skin crawl) , moving trains, subways, churches and even a kindergarten (inside which you will find some truly gruesome baby necromorphs that I advise you not to let get too close).

This variety of spaces compared to the first chapter has allowed the developers to put more effort into the creation of the environments, making the most of the already well-tested graphics engine and giving life to visual experiences in environments and open spaces that seemed unimaginable in the first chapter.
I really liked the audio section, both in terms of the very important aspect of the dubbing (more than good in my opinion) and in the form of everything we will hear during our adventure, sinister noises that will make you fear the worst and loud and deafening bangs which instead will put the worst before your eyes, as well as the music, which despite not being exactly relaxing and pleasant as happens with other titles, is perfectly suited to keeping the level of anxiety and tension high, main elements on on which this fantastic game bases its foundations.

Gameplay:

In Dead Space 2 the gameplay has remained mostly unchanged from the first to the second chapter, the menu interface, the various types of weapons and upgrades have not changed, just as there will once again be the possibility of using telekinesis and stasis.
Even if our character may perhaps seem too cumbersome and wooden to novices, they should know that it is just a matter of habit, the same habit that many video gamers developed during the first, very successful, chapter.

I would like to point out two beautiful and very welcome news:
the first is given by the possibility, in the absence of gravity, to fly (in the literal sense) within a defined space and no longer limit ourselves to passing from one wall to another;
the second is the introduction of buttons to quickly restore energy and stasis, which will prove particularly useful during the fights (this new entry is very apt and I can never thank the programmers enough given the absolutely frenetic and pressing pace of the fights in this game).

An undoubtedly important aspect compared to the first chapter of this saga is that our protagonist will no longer be “mute”, but will often indulge in dialogues and moments of reflection with other characters encountered during the game, thus allowing us to better identify with him , in his moods and in his desires (that of destroying the “Brand” and putting an end to everything that came from it in the first place).
The animated interludes are numerous and perfectly inserted into the context, which will give you just those 3 seconds of respite before throwing you back into the chaos and which will make the narrative more fluid and less discontinuous.
Some new categories of enemies have been introduced, one more gruesome than the other, such as the baby necromorphs with sharp claws which are the ones that honestly made the most impression on me, while among the most annoying ones I would like to point out the ones that will literally catch you “on the fly” dragging you towards them to celebrate and those who will set real traps for you to affect you in joy, I think I read somewhere that they are called Stalkers (the name says it all right?); enemies that you can still face by relying on your classic arsenal and some new and nice toys (among these I would like to point out a very useful tool with which you can impale the dear necromorphs on the walls and then fry them later at your leisure!).
A gem of Dead Space 2 that I discovered a bit by chance (XD) is the possibility of interacting with the environment around us, breaking (as happened to me) the iron bars (of the seats of a train in my case ), for example, and which we will then use to impale our opponents, or shatter glass windows that will suck everything they can into open space, furniture, enemies and… us, if we don’t do our calculations well.
(you know those things in a game that seem useless, difficult or that you can do without?
Ok, this might fall into this category, but just knowing that just being able to do it will give you an adrenaline rush and leave you with a satisfied smile for several minutes afterwards)

Multiplayer:

For those, like myself, who come from multiplayer modes such as Call of Duty or Killzone, the online of this new Dead Space 2 may seem too fast and chaotic (incredible to say, eh?), with the possibility of throwing yourself into the fray both as human and as a necromorph, the latter divided into various species,
each of them with particular skills attached.
Honestly, the multiplayer, whose game mode doesn’t exactly scream miracle or revolution, and which will take you a while to get used to, left me a little taken aback by its typology and mechanics, but after a while I started to better understand the everything becomes in tune with what happens around us. And you start to understand how to move properly.
However, with regret, thinking about what could have been done given the enormous potential of this game, I have to define the multiplayer as nothing more than a mere outline for the main campaign of this second chapter of Dead Space, a campaign that I recommend you play and replay the harder levels.

Concluding:

I have played many horror games, more or less beautiful, more or less scary…
After playing Dead Space 2, however, I feel like saying that on the cover they should write in bold and visible letters “not recommended for the faint of heart”!
Dead Space 2 is by far the scariest and most disturbing title I have played in my ten-year career as a gamer. You will almost never be able to relax or let your guard down, it will always keep you in tension with a constant sense of anxiety and restlessness that will never abandon you for the entire duration of the game, which, by the way, settles down to around ten hours (without count the possibility of replaying it to unlock new suits and upgrades and a new difficulty level that will only grant us three saves and ammunition counted on the tips of the fingers).
Dead Space 2 is certainly a title to have and enjoy, a milestone in the survival-horror history of this splendid console, the second incredible chapter of a saga that cannot be missing from your collection for any reason, whether you are a fan of the genre or that you are not (in which case you will become one shortly)!
… So what are you waiting for? Run to the store and buy Dead Space 2!