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Publisher: EA
Developer: Visceral Games
Genre: Survival Horror
Rating: Mature
Release Date: Available now
Two years ago, I charted my review through Dead Space by calling out the various gaming archetypes that the developers pulled from in building a better deathtrap. That game borrowed from the best, drawing inspiration from genre giants like Resident Evil 4 and BioShock. Then, like a great musician steeped in the movements of those who came before him, they churned out a killer symphony that immediately made Visceral Games a developer to watch. As I slowly made my trek through that game’s nightmare, I stopped taking stock of its influences and found myself swept up in the ride. Dead Space was a big, brawny adventure that made its mark on my psyche and left me wanting to know where fate would fling Isaac Clarke next. In Dead Space 2, we catch up with our intrepid engineer and find that his journey through the doomed Ishimura was merely one ring in a rapidly spiraling Hell.
If the first Dead Space drew from scare fare like Event Horizon, Dead Space 2 borrows from the granddaddy of sci-fi spectacle, Aliens; placing Isaac Clarke in the Ripley role. Picking up sometime after the first game (to avoid spoilers, I’ll just leave it at that), Clarke is haunted by the horrors he faced. Picked at by government psychologists, they quiz him on his experiences as he regains his strength while resting aboard the Sprawl space station. Soon, someone unleashes Hell and Clarke is sent scurrying as he’s chased by an army of nasty Necromorphs and phantasms from his past adventure that make him question whether this madness is all in his mind.
 As in the first game, players are tasked with relearning the best way to take down zombie hordes. No longer will simple head shots cut it; as these critters need their appendages severed to slow them down. This lends to a measured, methodical approach as players crawl through the diverse, interconnected regions of the Sprawl looking for passage off the imperiled station. The scope of the sequel expands with the Sprawl featuring such diverse areas as a once-bustling shopping district, an eye-opening Church of Unitology and one killer Kindergarten set. Scouring the environments and stomping cadavers reveal credits that can be used to purchase and upgrade your armaments. While ammunition is plentiful in the lower difficulties, you’ll want to run through the game several times in the New Game+ mode to completely augment your gear if you stand a chance of surviving the “3 Saves and You’re Out” Hardcore Mode. The price is steep but success promises some cool bonus prizes.
In the first game, I remarked that while Visceral leaned heavily on games such as Resident Evil 4 and BioShock, they took those elements and built something exciting of their own. With that foundation set, Visceral is free to craft a large, lengthy action-adventure that builds on their mythology (centered around the creepy Unitology cult and those alien monoliths they covet so highly), while layering in some showstopping action set pieces that are sure to make many Best Of lists at the end of the year. A couple of them are on par with those jaw-droppers in Uncharted 2. A compliment I don’t toss around blindly. The New Game+ mode also rewards players with the ability to maximize your weapons; making a charge through the higher difficulties a little bit easier to stomach. I typically shy away from those hardcore Veteran runs (out of fear I’ll revert to my former NES controller-shattering ways), so I commend Visceral for allowing players to carry heavy firepower into these heavy engagements.
 Dead Space 2 also offers an online multiplayer component which plays like a cross between Left 4 Dead and Gears of War. Players will find themselves as either humans charged with taking down the rampaging Necromorph hordes or in the husk of a Necromorph looking to skin those vile humans. It’s fun for a while and includes the prerequisite series of experience gains and level unlocks that modern shooters have made into Must-Have feature sets but I don’t see this as permanently drawing people away from the dueling behemoths: Call of Duty and Halo. That said, it’s a nice cap to a polished package that offers up one of the more exciting adventures I’ve followed in quite some time.
Dead Space 2 expands the universe of this property and has me excited to see where Visceral will bring us next. The first game established them as expert game developers and with this sequel, they tighten their grasp on the narrative by offering up a solid chase and escape yarn that throws players a couple of curveballs. Story aside, they’ve done what all games should do. They give players unique experiences and challenges that will stay with them for a very long time. Space is an awfully big place and I’m dying to see where Visceral sends us next.
Our Score: 
Our Recommendation: 
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Just noticed my typo – In the first paragraph, it should be the “Ishimura’ not the ‘Nakamura’.
My apologies.
Great review Ed! I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did and gave it a Seal of Excellence. It truly is a fantastic game.
@Turks – The first game really surprised me – especially after their horrid ad campaign that used real actors and looked like outtakes from that old Sega CD Night Trap game. Really cheesy stuff – and then the game hit and it just blew me away. It didn’t matter that I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly bowled over – it was a legitimately polished entertainment that certainly felt inspired by Doom and Bioshock and a host of other games, but made its own mark and really kicked it in.
With the sequel, I was coming at it from a whole different angle. Visceral had already won me over so how would they wow me once again. Well, they found a way. The fact that I died 20 seconds after initially getting my control of Clarke ought to say something. This game ain’t messing around. And sure – at the end of the day – it feels like a guided haunted house tour – but it’s on the level of the expert Imagineering done at Walt Disney World, where every second of the ride (from the line out front to the main event) is carefully crafted to entertain the hell out of you.
What typo? : )
On my “Must Have” list! As soon as the price comes down from $60 for the PC version.
Angus it’s actually worth the full prize. I’m re-playing it. Great game.
Great review!!!
Angel is right. Angus this is a game that I would pay $80 bucks for.
“Angus this is a game that I would pay $80 bucks for.”
Well…I did. Hypocrite that I am, I bought the CE last night.
While the CE toy gun is very disappointing, I think I like the soundtrack, and hopefully the in-game CE stuff is not just cosmetic.
But first, I have to finish Dead Space on the iPad!
LOL I did too!!! The gun sucks. When I picked up the CE at midnight the box was small I was like the gun better not be small…it was.
Small…and batteries not included? Lame.
There’s nothing worse than waking up to a Necromorph attack and having to fumble around for new batteries.
Two remarks to the otherwise excellent review.
At the time the first Dead Space was published – Visceral Games did not exist – they were simply “EA Redwood Shores”
And in my opinion, the real inspiration for Dead Space are the 2 System Shock games, not so much Bioshock, which in its turn was inspired by them as well.
@Anton – EA Redwood Shores became Visceral – who in turn have the original Dead Space listed on their corporate site under their list of accomplishments, so I think it’s valid calling the original game a Visceral Game even if it wasn’t technically their name at the time. But we’re probably splitting hairs. That said, I appreciate you commenting and providing that explanation in case anyone had questions.
Bioshock was directed by Ken Levine – who directed System Shock 2. So the System Shock DNA is definitely in Bioshock. I think System Shock, Doom, Bioshock, Resident Evil and a host of other titles laid the groundwork for Dead Space… but like a master chef, Visceral may be using common ingredients but they’ve cooked up something that is wholly their own creation.
And that’s the last metaphor I’ll use. I promise!!! : )
Thanks for reading and commenting!!!
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