Dead Space 2 is a bully. It gangs up on the player using sharp sound design, graphic gore and terrifying creatures, all calculated to scare you off your couch seat. And it's dreadfully good fun.
Dead Space 2 is the sequel to Electronic Art's 2008 horror survival game. It takes place after Isaac Clarke, the game's protagonist, was forced to escape a hideously infected mining ship. Now three years later, he wakes up in the psychiatric ward of a hospital on one of Saturn's moons and is forced to fight against an alien outbreak.
The original Dead Space design team spent time analyzing the most effective horror film techniques and integrating them into their games. It shows. Frightening moments range from sudden scares to slow-building psychological terror, and Dead Space 2 does an impressive job of changing its tactics to keep players on their toes.
In one scenario while escaping through a nursery, you hear an infant cry out in another room. As you peer through a door to investigate, you notice that the baby has been infected, and as it crawls into the arms of its noticeably shaken mother, it explodes in a spray of blood, taking both of their lives.
It's horrific in a no excuses kind of way, and not at all suited for the faint of heart. Regardless, it's one of the most visceral third-person shooters on the market.
Acclimating to the game play is initially challenging. The inexperienced may have a difficult time in Dead Space 2, as it aims to overload senses with horrific scenarios to provoke a hasty response.
Slowly though, the macabre violence fades into the game as atmosphere and an involved story and character reveal themselves. But be careful; there isn't a moment in Dead Space 2 that you feel truly safe, and for a horror game, there's no better compliment.
Dead Space 2 is a rare technical masterpiece, one that flawlessly integrates sight and sound, however frightening, for an extremely immersive experience. If you're a fan of horror-survival games, or a good thrill in general, I'd heartily recommend this game.
- Ryan Carpe is a graduate student studying journalism. If you want to play a game with an exploding baby, too, e-mail him at rc336801@ohiou.edu.
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