The last time we saw Isaac Clarke he was fleeing the Colony on Aegis VII after returning the Red Marker there. To give a quick summary; He had traveled aboard the USG Kellion on a repair/rescue mission to the USG Isihmura with which contact had been lost, not to mention that his true love Nicole Brennan was aboard the Ishimura. After battling his way through a horde of Necromorphs he survived and escaped, only to be haunted by the specter of his true love.
This time we meet Isaac in a straight jacket, apparently in a psych ward somewhere and the Necromorph outbreak has been in full swing for some time here. This "Somewhere" is The Sprawl and Isaac has a whole new horde of Unitologists who have been converted into Necromorphs!
In similar fashion to the first critically acclaimed Dead Space, this one delivers the good where it counts! First off, fighting for your life in a straight jacket is no easy task, however, players of the Madden Football games should have no problems. If you know how to run a football, the principles for evading Necromorphs is basically the same.
This one merges the scariest parts of the Alien Movie with a Zombie Survival Horror game. Meaning that it's dark, claustrophobic and lonely with plenty of Necromorphs to ambush you when you aren't expecting it. Though there are times when Isaac speaks with other NPC's (Non Playable Characters) through a commlink and Holo-Comm. This time the game works well, at times better than the previous installment, at lulling you into a false sense of security. Not even the most seasoned horror fan (Like myself for instance) can relax nor predict what is coming nor when. You may pass through three areas with no enemies, fully expecting to be ambushed as you enter the next area, only to find nothing until you are almost out of the room. It is unnerving to say the least. Additionally there are areas where Isaac's mind are fucking with him to put it plainly. Where he hallucinates Nicole or simply corpses, or perhaps tortured people in the throes of turning into Necromorphs. None of which are harmful to the player character, or are they?
Unlike the last time you helped Isaac wander around an infestation like this one, this time he makes full use of his engineering abilities, crafting a plasma cutter with flashlight attached to it from parts he scavenges early in the game. Additionally there are a few mini-games such as having to hack locked systems. Another improvement is that in Zero G environments you now have full control, up left down and right of Isaac's movements, as well, as thrusters in his boots to move you where you want or need to go. A huge improvement over the target where you want to land and jump to that location. Another improvement is that there are now interactive cut scenes, where Isaac will be fighting for his life, as you control his aim and only his aim, it can get frustrating, but it adds a frenetic pace and second by second decision making to the game.
Of course I would be remiss not to mention the extreme amounts of gore and the creepy music which made the first game so intense, too intense for some players. There is enough Unitology script for you to try to decipher!
The Dev's also decided to add a Multiplayer mode which allows you to play as either A security team member or as the Necromorphs. What I like most about the PvP mode is that the Necros aren't at an immediate disadvantage and easily killed by the security team with their big guns, but rather you have the chance to really do some damage as the Necros and kill some humans! Unlike in games such as Left 4 Dead 2 where it is actually rather difficult to get kills as the infected.
Which ever side you choose or if you only plan to play the single player mission, Dead Sapce 2 is a sure GOTY candidate and I'll be seriously surprised if it doesn't earn many industry awards. Now stop reading this and go out and kill some Necromorphs, or your friends! (In Multiplayer mode, not for real, you nutjobs!)
-E
