The original Dead Space was the second game I played on the 360, and remains one of my favourites. A textbook example of survival horror, it eschewed all-out action in favour of building tension and shocking the life out of the player. For its sequel, released earlier this year, Visceral took the small number of criticisms of the original on board and produced a brilliant sequel. Unfortunately some quarters criticised the slowburn approach mentioned above, when really they should have been playing Call of Duty instead if they really thought that. However this doesn't serve to detract from Dead Space 2. I had huge fun once more playing this game and found in the main that the small improvements had a big impact.Poor old Isaac. After his terrifying ordeal on the Ishimura, he's now woken up on another futuristic nightmare, this time a moon-based colony know coloquially as The Sprawl. With no memory of the past three years, he's arisen just in time to witness another necromorph outbreak, only this time the nasty critters have a plentiful supply of human victims to transform. This is all the excuse the developers needed to up the action quotient of the series, with masses of enemies attacking Isaac at every opportunity. Aesthetically The Sprawl looks awfully similar to the Ishimura once you get past the living quarters and Church of Unitology (chapters 2, 3 and 4), save a few breathtaking shots of the station and Saturn outside; however, the few subtle changes and set-pieces make it a wholly different experience.
Firstly, the Zero G has been radically - and sensibly - overhauled. Gone is the directionally confusing jumping from one surface to another; Isaac can now float in any zero-g environment and propel himself thanks to the aid of twin boosters on his RIG. This makes for a more practical and playable game whenever gravity is absent. Secondly, there are none of the first games' annoying cannon levels, especially the asteroid blasting mini-game: I, like many, found this section hugely irritating. Thirdly is the inclusion of the re-wiring mini-game, where Isaac has to quickly re-connect panels in order to progress which is a strangely satisfying experience. And finally, some of the new action set-pieces in DS2 are stunning. My particular favourites: the battle on the fast moving train where Isaac must make his way through the train, battling necromorphs until he discovers there's a carriage missing...and the destructive end to this. And in another breathtaking segment, Isaac is casually strolling along a corridor before the next thing you know he's in outer space...
With the addition of some new enemies (including the nasty range attack of the Spitter) and weapons, Dead Space 2 is as a sequel should be: familiar enough to be easy to approach to anyone that's played the original yet different enough to present a new challenge to the player.
Jdanddiet's Dead Space 2 tips
--Always keep a couple of saves in reserve. DS2 throws a lot of enemies at you and you really don't want to be caught short of ammo or health packs.
--There are too many weapons to own first time around. Stick to 2 or 3 and upgrade them accordingly. Un-upgraded weapons will be useless by the final few chapters.
--Get the spitters early. Their deadly acid not only drains HP but also severely restricts movement. Makes a great sound effect though!
--The ripper is a super weapon to have when things get up close and personal. Which is often.
--Ammo is scarcer than in Dead Space. Always hunt around for more, usually by going in the opposite direction you are supposed to be going!
--Upgrade your suit as soon as you can, ostensibly for the armour improvement, but also to get more inventory slots. Going back and forth to collect items is not fun.
--I didn't use stasis much during combat in the original DS. With the number of enemies DS2 chucks at you, it's invaluable. Don't forget it!
