Dead Space 2

When Dead Space was released in 2008, its approach to combat was a breath of fresh air. Strategic dismemberment, as it was officially dubbed, beseeched you to systematically hack your enemies apart from a distance, separating them from their arms, legs and various protruding thingies, instead of going for the classic but less exciting headshot.

The system not only worked exceedingly well, but was also going to be a particularly tough act to follow. Dead Space 2 is wise enough to not veer too far from the winning formula. Instead, it builds upon it by pairing strategic dismemberment with a more conventional combat element: crowd control.

This new direction, no doubt fueled by a bit of “more is more” thinking over at Visceral Games, can certainly frustrate; the game often throws exhausting numbers of necromorphs your way, and individual combat sequences tend to run on for much longer than in the first game. But the temptation to write it off as tedious fades once you realise that the game has given you a much bigger, fancier toy-box to play with.

Environmental interaction plays a bigger role – for example, there are scores of spikes mystifyingly but handily laying around with which to impale foes – and coupled with the new arsenal (don’t worry, your old favourites all return as well) gives you the freedom to be far more creative during battles. Clever use of the new goodies such as the detonation mines allows you to control the ebb and flow of the hordes of baddies keen on ripping you apart, especially if you’ve taken the time to scope out your environment to try and predict attack patterns.

Experimentation is key, particularly in light of the broadened menagerie of necromorphs you’ll face this time around. Enemy designs are even more grotesque than in the first game, and they can be tougher too; even on Normal difficulty, seasoned gamers can expect a solid workout.

This newfound variety extends to the gameplay locales. Trading in the unnerving isolation of the USG Ishimura, Dead Space 2 sees returning protagonist Isaac Clarke awake within a massive, populated complex on one of Saturn’s moons. The move to a space colony setting has translated into a much wider spectrum of different locations; those who found the first game’s environments a little repetitive will definitely not be disappointed. Your trek through the lengthy campaign will keep taking you through new and different areas, resulting in a game that can feel consistently fresh. The new surroundings are stunningly rendered in some of the very best visuals yet seen on the Xbox 360, helped in no small part by a lighting engine which should be declared a national treasure.

Where the game somewhat falters, though, is in its narrative. Dead Space’s plot was masterfully told through an intriguing mystery which unfolded at the perfect pace, compelling the player to keep playing. Dead Space 2’s story, on the other hand, is comparatively hackneyed, feeling a lot more straightforward and not truly picking up speed until the final sections. Much of this can be forgiven in light of the richer canvas on which Dead Space 2 conveys its tale, with better, more fleshed-out characters and a convincingly vocal Isaac; there really wasn’t any good reason for the silent protagonist approach in the first game.

Regrettably, the series’ trademark, tangible atmosphere takes a backseat as well. With the stronger focus on action and the nature of the setting, Dead Space 2 is just not as hypnotically moody as the first game. It still manages to be tense and suspenseful when it matters most, but you seldom feel the same near-paranoid sense of dread which permeated much of the first game. What you will feel, however, is thrilled. Dead Space 2 is peppered with incredibly intense scripted events, proving that Visceral Games have become masters at putting together action sequences that are cinematic and, well, visceral. They’re also flawlessly integrated with the rest of the game, effortlessly transitioning from playable to non-playable to playable again, without ever feeling the least bit jarring.

Where jarring transitions are found is in the first time you tackle the new multiplayer mode. The objective-based competitive gameplay sees teams of four alternating between playing as human soldiers and necromorphs. With several different playable types of necromorph available, it can be difficult at first to find your groove and learn to leverage your unique abilities to the fullest. Once you get the hang of it, though, it becomes a surprise treat, offering something that’s sufficiently different from what else is available on Xbox LIVE. While the selection of game-types is quite limited, an experience-based system rewards players with unlockable goodies which keep the multiplayer experience evolving. It’s not deep enough to replace Halo or Call of Duty as your go-to online fix, but it’s a robust enough attraction to deserve a good few hours of your time.

Even if you skip the multiplayer entirely, you can expect to sink quite a few hours into Dead Space 2 as a whole, as the five campaign difficulty levels (three of which are harder than Normal) and the option to carry your upgrades and collected items over to new playthroughs lend Dead Space 2 excellent replay value. The game’s overall quality means that you’ll happily surrender every minute it demands, and it’ll be some time before you’ll sever Dead Space 2 from your console.

Pros: