Dead Space 2

Not only has Dead Space 2 set the bar impossibly high for all future survival horror games, it is one of the few PS3 games that is virtually identical in gameplay and technical quality to the Xbox 360. T

There is a new king of survival horror in town, and its name is Dead Space. It's just what the psychologist ordered.

The multiplayer doesn't seem especially deep, though, and consequently I suspect it will lose its luster after a week or two. The good news is the campaign alone is worth playing through two or even three times.

Anticipation for Dead Space 2 was especially high. It could have gone to the dark side, forgetting about those moments when the tension rises... and nothing is clearly shown. But for the best, it was able to keep its soul intact. And by raising the bar in all aspects (production values, horror, pace), it appears as the definitive master of the survival/horror genre.

Dead Space 2 only stumbles a bit with its added multiplayer, but when it comes to single player, if this game could scream out in space, its voice would be heard.

The team at Visceral took everything the first game had to offer, vastly improved it and while they were at it, left out all that was bad. It'll scare the pants off of you, even piss you off occasionally, and you'll love it for that.

If not for the inclusion of multiplayer (no, it shouldn't have been included), this would be the perfect package -- especially with Extraction, which may not have had its dues on the Wii.

Many horror games are able to deliver shocks during play, but none does it as well as Dead Space 2. Isaac's inner struggle in the tense setting of "Sprawl" provides an unforgettable atomsphere, making Dead Space 2 one of the most terrifying and unmissable horror games this generation and the benchmark for others to follow.

Dead Space 2 is the best Survival Horror of this generation.

While many people will argue that games don't need to pretend that they aren't games, Dead Space 2 is able to hide its seams so well that the total package feels wholly unique.

Dead Space, improved. Not just a great sequel, but a great horror game. Isaac's dementia and the underused impaling in combat mechanic are the only disappointments, and they're pretty slight.

A game that doesn't skimp on the gore, and makes for one hell of a scary ride.

Even with the disappointing multi-player this is one game you simply must own if you are a fan of the genre. I cannot stress enough how incredible the campaign of Dead Space 2 really is. If you even liked the first one, the sequel is a must own on so many levels. The tension will have you gripping the controller and sitting on the edge of your seat for its entirety.

In the end, it's a little hard for Dead Space 2 to live up to the breath of fresh air that was the original game, but it manages to follow the same path exceptionally well. Sure, it's not as groundbreaking and shocking as the original was upon release, but the sequel is a tighter, more focused, and scarier excursion into the unknown void of space.

This is a brutally gory and entirely oppressive survival horror title. Dead Space 2 is a truly terrifying and claustrophobic experience and it sets a high bar for all the subsequent triple-A releases due out in 2011.

There's so much evolution in this sequel that it seems like it's been growing by itself, understanding its own flaws and naturally adjusting. The single player experience is quintessential, delivering pure terror and some unforgettable action pieces. When the credits start rolling, you'll feel like you've actually achieved something, sighing with relief...at least, until the next nightmare. On the other hand, mutliplayer still feels unnecessary and hurried.

Dead Space 2 is the definition of a "if it's not broken, don't fix it" type of game. A sequel that improves upon its predecessor without changing the winning formula, only improving upon it. It's rewarding, unsettling, addictive, shocking, and gory...in other words, a game that your mom would hate.

Dead Space 2 is brilliant - no two ways about it. It's everything a sequel should be and it's a fine, poo-your-pants inclusion to anybody's library. [Issue#201, p.90]

Years have passed since the first game, and Dead Space 2 doesn't surprise us as much as the original did, but it has reinvented itself very well. The main character and its new situation help create interest and surprises, and offer us much more. And, again, it knows how to create that thrilling tension which makes it a great horror game.

It's beautiful, that goes without saying, and a relentless beast in combat. But more than that, it understands how players play - what they look for, listen to, and most of all what they expect. That's why, and this is a considerable achievement, it can genuinely scare you with a common sprinkler system. [Feb 2011, p.82]

What a game to start 2011 ... Dead Space 2 may not offer any real innovations compared to its predecessor, but in the end, that doesn't matter at all. Isaac Clarke's second appearance presents itself as a very polished, amazingly frightening Horror- and Action-Masterpiece, that doesn't allow itself any aggravating flaws and is therefore this year's first must-have title.

Dead Space 2 is without question a better game than the original despite the fact that the gameplay remains nearly unchanged.

Take away the interface tweaks and improved mechanics behind how Isaac moves and feels, and examine the overall structure, you don't have a "good game and then a better game," you have two different games: a creepy sci-fi horror game with some damn good action versus a damn good sci-fi shooter with some creepy parts.

Well worth the price of admission to earn yourself a seat. But you'll only really need the edge of it. [Mar 2011, p77]

Although Dead Space 2 stumbles in a few minor spots, it makes up for it with its blend of sh.t-your-pants scary atmosphere and non-stop action. It's a game that shoves its Necromorph claws into your eyeballs in the first five minutes and won't pull them out until the end credits roll.

Dead Space 2 starts off with a lot of similarities with the original, but soon finds its own identity and raises the bar for sequels everywhere. A very well-polished space adventure.

Even if this is your first taste of the franchise, if you like horror, violence, severed limbs and bodies crushed into seeping bloody pulp, then the dark depths of dead space is just the place for you.

Dead Space 2 is unlikely to win any prizes for originality and, as a result, despite all the chaos and terror on screen it feels like a very safe sequel. It's still one though that will frequently leave you gasping for breath and, on more than one occasion, take it away; a game that, like the body of a dismembered Necromorph, is the result of some precision execution.

Dead Space 2 is one of the most disturbing, grotesque and unsightly games I've ever played...but it's so damn good.

Dead Space 2 is a superior sequel in pretty much every way. Just like Dead Space before it, the game isn't subtle and grabs your attention from the start.

There is no doubt about it; Dead Space 2 is one of the most intense video games ever created and one that should not be missed. Whether you played the original or not, this is the first game of 2011 that I would say is a "must own".

The hero's newfound voice adds an emotional impact and resonance that the original game sorely lacked, and I genuinely wanted to see Isaac conquer his inner demons nearly as much as the outer variety. In such an intense game (one of the most intense I've ever played), it's funny that the quiet moments were the one that really stood out.

The main draw in Dead Space 2 is that every aspect has been punched up a notch. And given that the original as pretty bloody brilliant anyway, what you've got here is one of the best put-together actioners of this generation. [Feb 2011, p.98]

This horror game makes everything right. From the constant frights to the excellent sound, intuitive controls, fun weapons and a great way to make you panic.

Strong gunplay and near-perfect control form a great shooter, but indulging in the fiction and emerging frail and traumatized provides an experience of much greater value.

If Dead Space 2 were a sci-fi character, it would be the cigarette smoking man from The X-Files: dark, mysterious, sinister, and intense. If you're a survival horror fan then look no further - Dead Space 2 provides the genre master-class on current-gen systems. The one major detraction is a disappointingly shallow multiplayer experience.

Survival Horror has never been so thrilling.

While Visceral Games didn't push the envelope in regards to opening up the sequel to new twists on the gameplay, they did an excellent job of capturing the terrifying intensity of the original in addition to providing a more captivating narrative.

Dead Space 2 is near perfect with its horror trickery and great action.

If Dead Space was a prototype, then this sequel is the finished product. Dead Space 2 loses some of the frightening charm of the original, but the end result is a much more varied and solid experience.

Dead Space 2 is a great game that raises the bar for all survival horror games to come. Buying this game will be one of your first great investments of 2011.

Even the co-op multiplayer seems to be a blast; there's very little in the way of technical issues and in comparison to a lot of shooters, this is a whole new thing.

At first glance, Dead Space 2 looks like its predecessor. But if you're looking at the fine details, this is an even better game than the original.

Dead Space 2's thrilling campaign, intense multiplayer, and great bonus material make it an outstanding game and a worthy follow-up to its superb predecessor.

A scary and immersive horror adventure that will appeal to fans of the genre. It does nothing new compared to the previous game, but the result is so good that it's difficult to complain about it.

Considered in isolation, Dead Space 2's ambience, brute frights and player toolset are good rather great. But in combination, these three elements prove as irresistible as the pull on Isaac exerted by a malfunctioning airlock. For once, you'll want to let go.

Naturally, those that didn't really get on with the first Dead Space will find that little (literally) has changed save for the location and a richer sense of characterisation, but for those of us that adored Clarke's first adventure this sequel represents everything we could have wished for: it's bigger, better and more beautiful but without straying from the core principles that mapped out the former.

Dead Space 2 is bigger, better but less scary than the first episode of Visceral Games' horror franchise. This is not a crime, though, because the game is really awesome. The multiplayer is interesting but looks just like a simple extra to the main game.

Keeping almost everything that made the original great while taking suitable steps to amp up the fun, Dead Space 2 will please both the series' fans and those just starting with this haunting adventure.

While Dead Space 2 doesn't reimagine its first iteration, it's amazing, stunning, tough and much more action oriented. It adds an enjoyable multiplayer mode too, which brings some freshness to its formula.

The shocking moments, the gruesome deaths, and the fun of playing through this experience again and again are what I took away from this one.

With meticulous polish, top-quality gameplay, and more than enough scream-like-a-little-girl moments, Space 2 surpasses the original in every capacity. Factor in its gruesome dismemberments and spectacular zero-G and there's truly nothing else like it. [Feb 2011, p.72]

The game's excellent controls and stream of grisly scares make it the current standard for survival horror, and it now boasts eruptions of blockbusting action that rival this generation's biggest games. [Feb 2011, p.94]

A monster of a sequel, offering bigger scares and more excitement than I expected... The tease for Dead Space 3 has my head spinning with questions. [Feb 2011, p.92]

In conclusion, Dead Space 2 is a much better game than the original and although it's different, it's a good different.

The transition between CGI and gameplay delivers a great horror atmosphere. Isaac Clarke's got personality and we are only missing some bigger bossfights.

With this sequel, Visceral Games has masterfully expanded on the first Dead Space. They've revved up the series with tougher guns, a bigger setting, and online multiplayer, but kept the spirit and, most importantly, the scares of the original in tact.

Dead Space 2 is a game every (horror) fan of the first hour has to pick up. The gameplay is a bit more action orientated, but still creepy as it was in the first part of the franchise. Besides a fantastic singleplayer there is also a good and fun-to-play multiplayer mode.

Dead Space 2 provides a tense hell ride into another Necromorph infestation. While Visceral plays it safe with basically more of the same, Dead Space 2 is still a top notch experience unlike no other game on the market.

It succeeds in scaring the heck out of you and binding your hands to the controller. Much action, much horror and an amazing atmosphere contribute to a great game chilling down your spine.

Dead Space 2 is a loud, spectacular action horror that shuns fresh ideas while enjoying a bigger budget and refined gameplay. So far, the old formula of Dead Space has been working perfectly, but something will have to change in the inevitable third installment.

Dead Space 2 is solid and straightforward, and it gives you what you'd expect from a Dead Space sequel.

Dead Space 2 is a more than worthy successor to the original, adding plenty of oomph to the series and a solid multiplayer experience to boot. We would have preferred more puzzles and a little less linearity, but that doesn't stop us wanting a third Isaac outing.

The addition of multiplayer is, as one might expect, utterly forgettable. It's a less strategic and more claustrophobic version of Left 4 Dead's survivors vs. infected gameplay with too much emphasis on close-quarters melee and shooting.

If you are a fan of spooky sci-fi horrors and previously enjoyed Dead Space, then Dead Space 2 for the PS3 should be right up your alley. This being said, it still has a "been there and done that" feeling to it.

Dead Space 2 is clearly streamlined to cater to a more trigger happy demographic than its prequel. I wish this game was scarier, but there's no denying that it is a great game nonetheless.

Dead Space 2 is a great action adventure/survival horror game then – it just isn't necessarily the greatest game in the Dead Space series.

Dead Space 2 is more of the same that you've been wanting over the last two and a half years. Despite its few flaws, it's still an experience that no one should miss. The core gameplay is as solid as ever and, despite a few hiccups and plot holes, the story is still incredibly engaging.

Dead Space 2 is a solid game and in many ways an improvement over the first Dead Space. The problem is, having traded up from small scale survival horror to full-blown action blockbuster, the game and the franchise, lose something.

Beyond the subtle changes in gameplay and maneuverability, it is not clear whether Dead Space 2 is better or worse than the first: it is simply different.

But much of Dead Space 2's impressive scariness derives from more mundane devices, such as vents that unexpectedly blast you with steam, and gloriously chilling music, lighting and sound effects.

An improvement on the original but only in the details, not as a result of any big new ideas. Genre-starved survival horror fans should be well satisfied though.

Dead Space 2 is sometimes a confused and disappointing production, but more often than not it's tense and fascinating.

Patently unterrifying, Dead Space 2 is nonetheless a feat of paradigm-splicing worthy of Frankenstein himself. The scars of creation are visible on its flanks, repurposed muscles and organs bulging through the skin, but somehow everything works in harmony. All told, Isaac Clarke can do without his day job.

Perhaps the lack of anything new limits the impact of this sequel. The storyline isn't riveting, far from it in fact, but for players who reached the end in the original; you'll want to see what else is going on in the Dead Space universe.

There are a couple of interesting levels or sequences throughout the game, and the production values are obviously high, but Dead Space 2 is blatantly uninspired.