Review: Dead Space 2

[cerebus23]

Wonder how many people that thought dead apace 1 was not scary do not have 5.1+ surround sound?

I dunno if i would say the game was OMFG scary. But i would say the tension that the use of sound created in that game created was a bit nerve racking. Like when you could hear stuff crawling thru the ducts above you, or hear noses coming thru the ducts who knows form how far away, or girders creaking like they going to give away.

Biggest scare moments of ds2 was again the sound. The whole pop out stuff was never scary it was done to death in doom and etc, so us old school fps players just aim and shoot when stuff start bursting out of lockers, vents, ceilings, flooring, etc rather than go OMG mob number 1000 burst out of X i am so scared. But the nice quiet moments when a very LOUD sound came blasting out of your subwoofer and speakers, especially when you attention was drawn elsewhere.

Beyond that my biggest gripe with dead space 2 is just how predictable the plot was, i mean i loved the game it is a ton of fun and the lack of backtracking made it 10x better for me than the first one, but i could see almost every plot point from 10 miles away, the game just just too predictable in that reguard.

 

[beema]

You don't really make a good case as to why you like this game so much. This review makes it sound mediocre at best. A supposed horror game that "never truly gets scary?" Well that's pretty pointless. I felt that way about the first dead space and still enjoyed it, but it's that not-going-the-whole-nine-yards factor that is making me pass on this game, at least for a while until a major price drop.

 

[etherlance]

Am I a terrible person for laughing Really hard when I saw the mother explode in game?

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

I got Dead Space used for like $20, so I am just going to beat that first and hopefully pick up a used copy of Dead Space 2 by then.

The game looks sick.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

The first game is better, the 2nd one is more action packed has smoother combat but lacks something.

The plot and story is good and is on par with the first if not more so since he's not a mute....but I wanted more scavenging more monster types and more scares there's not even fun lil ester eggs in this.... you could call it rushed but tis not that bad. Still not worth 50$ tho... better than average but the first one delivers a better atmospheric experience while the 2nd one is only tarnished by how easy it is... tho its heads above bioshock at least!

 

[Susan Arendt]

You don't really make a good case as to why you like this game so much. This review makes it sound mediocre at best. A supposed horror game that "never truly gets scary?" Well that's pretty pointless. I felt that way about the first dead space and still enjoyed it, but it's that not-going-the-whole-nine-yards factor that is making me pass on this game, at least for a while until a major price drop.

Well, that depends on whether being scared is intrinsic to enjoyment of the game. Take something like Silent Hill - if you're not scared, the game really is pretty pointless. It's all about the atmosphere, the overwhelming tension and feeling of dread...the game mechanics are there mostly just to give you something to do. Dead Space 2, on the other hand, doesn't have to genuinely terrify you in order for you to still have a good time with it. The combat and plot progression are enjoyable all by themselves, whether you're afraid or not.

 

[senataur]

The line that is used to guide you was called the 'breadcrumb' and it was in the original. It played a key part in fact.

 

[LGC Pominator]

that bit in the post credits sequence scared the everloving SHIT out of me susan! What the hell was going on there?!

well guess Im going to have to buy the game and find out...

 

[Perfice]

Seriously, on one point in FEAR and few times in Dead Space I just said LOL NO THANKS IMA GO BACK TO CRYSIS

When?, when the alarm went off with big sirenes and the monsters slowly walked over to you?

That's a gross misinterpretation of the game. Only in the first two levels or so do the enemies EVER slowly walk towards you. I don't know why that's one of the biggest complaints for anyways since the monsters do that WAY more in EVERY Resident Evil ever made.

 

[Perfice]

Wonder how many people that thought dead apace 1 was not scary do not have 5.1+ surround sound?

...

The majority of people I've seen that don't think the game is scary simply have a different opinion. However the majority of people I've found on the escapist that have that opinion have it and LOVE to voice the fact that they do and say anyone who disagrees must be an idiot.

 

[beema]

Well, that depends on whether being scared is intrinsic to enjoyment of the game. Take something like Silent Hill - if you're not scared, the game really is pretty pointless. It's all about the atmosphere, the overwhelming tension and feeling of dread...the game mechanics are there mostly just to give you something to do. Dead Space 2, on the other hand, doesn't have to genuinely terrify you in order for you to still have a good time with it. The combat and plot progression are enjoyable all by themselves, whether you're afraid or not.

Ok, true enough. But I don't find the plot in Dead Space to be all that gripping either. It's pretty cliched and predictable. I don't want to turn this in to a gripe fest about Dead Space -- it's still a good game. My main point was that you seemed to indicate that you really liked the game, but your review didn't adequately explain why. I was hoping there would be some points in there that made me go "ohh, cool, well that's something interesting." But like I said, this review makes the game seem halfway decent at best.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Well, that depends on whether being scared is intrinsic to enjoyment of the game. Take something like Silent Hill - if you're not scared, the game really is pretty pointless. It's all about the atmosphere, the overwhelming tension and feeling of dread...the game mechanics are there mostly just to give you something to do. Dead Space 2, on the other hand, doesn't have to genuinely terrify you in order for you to still have a good time with it. The combat and plot progression are enjoyable all by themselves, whether you're afraid or not.

Ok, true enough. But I don't find the plot in Dead Space to be all that gripping either. It's pretty cliched and predictable. I don't want to turn this in to a gripe fest about Dead Space -- it's still a good game. My main point was that you seemed to indicate that you really liked the game, but your review didn't adequately explain why.

Really? I think that passages like:

The weapons may be repeats, but The Sprawl is a fantastic battleground, offering many different kinds of creepy. Dead Space 2 mixes up the ambience by sending Isaac to expectedly unnerving locations like hospitals and engine rooms with more friendly locales like schools and shopping centers. The game never truly gets scary, but it'll certainly keep you feeling uncomfortable and will unquestionably make you yelp like a tiny dog more than once.

Isaac's newly-found voice adds to the tension by transforming him from a passionless bystander to a character we come to care about. This isn't his fight, this isn't his fault, but he's there, and he's going to do the best he can to help. When wave after wave of necromorphs forces Isaac into a corner, you're concerned about a person, not an avatar. It's a subtle difference, but an important one that elevates Dead Space 2 above its predecessor.

explain my reasoning pretty well.

 

[Jeralt2100]

You don't really make a good case as to why you like this game so much. This review makes it sound mediocre at best. A supposed horror game that "never truly gets scary?" Well that's pretty pointless. I felt that way about the first dead space and still enjoyed it, but it's that not-going-the-whole-nine-yards factor that is making me pass on this game, at least for a while until a major price drop.

Well, that depends on whether being scared is intrinsic to enjoyment of the game. Take something like Silent Hill - if you're not scared, the game really is pretty pointless. It's all about the atmosphere, the overwhelming tension and feeling of dread...the game mechanics are there mostly just to give you something to do. Dead Space 2, on the other hand, doesn't have to genuinely terrify you in order for you to still have a good time with it. The combat and plot progression are enjoyable all by themselves, whether you're afraid or not.

One thing I enjoyed about DS2, and it's something you mentioned a few comments up as sortof a negative, was the pacing. Horror games of any type thrive on pacing, but not always the same kind of pacing. DS2 doesn't often allow you the luxury of creeping through its levels for very long, it's constantly assaulting you with groups of necros forcing you to fight hard and skillfully lest you run out of ammunition completely. While that in and of itself isn't frightening, it does make the game uncomfortable to play. Not in a bad way, at least not for me, it just doesn't allow you to fall into a groove and coast. You conform to the pace it sets, rather than your own. A bit like playing L4D and dealing with the AI director, minus the randomness.

 

[LordLoudmouth]

I dont know about the definition of "cute little baby" but i think if a baby got a giant sac on its back and looks zombified and makes the same sounds as a rubber glove against violin strings aint the definition of a cute little baby....oh the baby explodes too

 

[Ohlookit'sMatty]

That little clip at the end where the rooms get s lovely new coating of blood was the only thing that would make me want to get and or play this game

-M

 

[econael]

I wish for a game that makes me afraid to play it :[ ...

See I don't understand this view at all.

If a game could truly inspire fear and terror in you, the kind that makes you hug your knees in a corner while you rock back and forth mumbling to yourself, you wouldn't play it - so what's the point?

And if such a game was ever created I can only imagine that censors worldwide would jostle to change it. Hell, maybe even the designers might say "Hey fellas, I think we crossed the line here..."

Then we'd have to put up with all the winging about censorship again.

But then, there are those people out there that thirst for the horrendous and the terrifying (film, books etc), so I guess I should not be so surprised.

Different strokes for different folks.

Note: Not picking on you specifically, just this longing for something truly scary.

I would love for a singleplayer game to evoke emotions like books, music or movies do.
I'd take any emotion really, even if it's terror, anything.
I watch people on youtube pissing their pants while playing Amnesia and I want that kind of intense fear too, but instead the game just bores me...

 

[BlackAura]

I found Dead Space 2 to be one of the greatest singleplayer games I've played

Yes! Loved it!

I know the absolute most terrifying part was:

Spoiler

during the elementary school/nursery level. Hearing soft melodic music and children laughing sends chills down my spine when you know the whole station is crawling with necromorphs. I've killed countless terrifying monstrosities across many vast and diverse games, but no matter what, I am not good with spooky children.

Loved this, too.