Review: Dead Space 2

By Wayne Web

I have not played Dead Space, so I can’t compare it to an original. However since this game seems unoriginal by comparison to other games and movies, I’m guessing it’s more of the same.

The problem is that this game is “Doom 3”. It’s basically the same game, the same action, the same linear progression through corridors and occasionally wider open spaces. The comparison is where the issue is, because this newer game feels like a copy. You know that the lights go out; the monsters are next. You see an empty corridor, so one is about to jump out at you. There’s a little pause, a knowing wink perhaps or just a timing issue, but I never jumped in fright.

It’s supposed to be scary – it’s not. It’s just a gore-filled game that should be more horrifying or truly scary, but does not manage it. The derivative story did not really engage me, “scientists/businessmen want to create monsters, control them, then they lose control and chaos ensues.” Which means that piped in voices guide you remotely as your oracle, and direct you to fix things, go to different areas, complete tasks. The only real challenge is survival as monstrous creatures leap at you “unexpectedly” and you fight your way through them. 

Weapons are good. You have none to start with and you get upgrades and trade your way through conveniently placed shops through the storyline. Isn’t it amazing how when the apocalypse is upon you, money is still worth something and you can’t get the tools to save the world without paying for them. There’s a cool thing called a stasis gun that fires a temporal pocket of energy, slowing down time locally. So if the behind head camera is not acting up and pointing you away from the action all of a sudden (it does that), and your aim is good, then you can freeze the enemy then pick them apart at your leisure. The ammo is limited of course, but in large numbers of enemies, this can often buy you time to work through the crowd.

I’m struggling with the necessity to play it the whole way through, it’s good enough action wise, but not engaging enough for me to see it through, there are other games I’d rather spend the hours with.

Pros: Fun weapons, stasis mode, beautifully detailed environments, lots of action.
Cons: Predictable, derivative and camera problems.

3 Shacks out of 5