Dead Space 2 (Edited Version)

When I first saw the trailers for Dead Space 2 I thought I was going to shit in my pants while playing it, because this game was going to be my very first horror-survival game. When I played the game within the dark and forsaken halls with blood stained messages on the walls. I had my doubts that I would be able to play it while everyone was out of the house with the TV screen being my only light for the night. But then I realized this game wasn't really as scary as I though it would be. I mean it's still very gruesome for the weak-hearted, but it's more playable than Fatal Frame or Amnesia from what some\critics claim.

Background:
[I have not finished this game yet]

I'm not too certain with the whole plot line, since I have not played the first game. But from reading the Dead Space wikipedia here is what it sums up to.:

The game continues from Dead Space 1 (duh). You play as Isaac Clark a space engineer that came back from an investigation on the USG Ishimura, to your discovery it was infected from a Necromorph epidemic . The virus turns humans into 4 legged mutations feeding on human flesh and body which was caused by an ancient space artifact called the Red Marker. SO! in Dead Space 2 we see Isaac Clark in a hospital. He has some huge mental scarring after his girlfriend commits suicide in front of him from the first game, and some effects from the red marker. As the game starts off a man with a flash light tries to helps you get out of your solitary prison, but immediately he gets impaled by a necromorph infectee. As it turns out the whole city is in a necromorph outbreak. You also have dementia meaning your dead girlfriend will hallucinate you to kill yourself or make you go mad. Your main goal is to investigate what happened and get the hell out. (with some help from other people along the way)

Gameplay:
The gameplay changes alot, so you don't always find yourself shaking in fear for the next Necromorph to come at you.

-Puzzles
There were alot of puzzles you needed to solve in order to continue the game. Like at one point you needed to slow down some fan blades by using your stasis module, in order to fly through. The game also features a zero gravity situation, where your jet pack makes it solvable by letting you fly. It can be fun and useful if you know where to go, to find some ammo or health.


-Customization
Just like some horror-survival games you can customize your weapons and armor. The way you do it is kind of like Final Fantasy X's sphere grid system. Except the amount of power nodes you have, limits your deadly potential. Now these power nodes are very very useful when you find them, or buy them. It can open doors which lead you into rooms that have valuable stuff which can be sold to the automated shops. Or it can help you build a better, stronger, faster, and deadlier arsenal. You can also find some some blueprints to make more weapons, which is cool.

-Enemies
The enemies in the game are the Necromorphs, and your mental madness. The typical weakness for Necromorphs are the limbs, but there are some that have a different weakness (ex: Explosive infected limbs, heads ect.) which is perfectly fine for any game. Finally yourself is the greatest enemy, for your dementia throws you into a messed-up acid trip with your dead girlfriend. For example: After you get out of a ventilation shaft your hallucination tries to stick a syringe into your eye and you need to mash the A or X button to stop her. Then you realize it's only you with the syringe. To me it seems that mashing a button to save yourself is monotonously common with alot of games, but i'll let that pass.

-Multi-Player
I have not been able to play multi-player so I cannot judge on it, since I had bought a used copy so it won't let me play multi-player until I buy a new code. So unless any of you readers played. Please post your thoughts on it im eager to know.

Graphics:
Graphics has pretty much high quality, despite the game being illuminated with shadows and obscurity

- The Scariness:
At this point I am used to surprise attacks, but what really hits me the most while playing the game is how some of the survivors interact with this apocalyptic outbreak. Like when I was going through a daycare, one mother tries to embraces her necromorph child in a playroom. Then her child explodes while holding it. After seeing that I realize how foolish parents will go to love their child. At that same degree I think I understood how it felt to see a mother's painful experience of having your own child turned into a monster.

-The Gore and Violence
As I had said in the beginning, this game is definitely not your typical child's game. The programmers have not cut back on how badly your been killed despite your already a headless corpse when you die. For example you can get decapitated by a 24' necromorph while it rips apart your torso, arms and and legs. Overall it's pretty belligerent so I could call it a man's game.


I thought this whole advertisement campaign was hilarious. When I showed my mother the game. She actually lol'ed at it

- 3rd Person View
I find it very useful since you tend to be in alot dark places and there are some enemies able to attack you from behind so having that peripheral vision will keep you on your toes.

Controls:
I don't really have a problem with it except pressing the left bumper to run is a bit confusing, other than that I have no problems what so ever.

Characters:
You don't have a whole lot of people to interact with since everyone is dead. But here's a small profile of some them

- Daina: She becomes your eyes and ears for the the beginning of the game. As it turns out she is a Unitologist fanatic out to get Issac to build more red markers for the Church of Unitology.

- Nolan Stoss:He becomes your last resort at one point in the game. He too also experiences dementia from being exposed to shards of the Red Marker.

- Hans Tiedeman: He is the main human antagonist as he tries to cover up the outbreak with inhumane bloodshed.

In conclusion I have enjoyed this game although I have not yet finished it. (feel free to troll on me) I recommend it to gamers that enjoy a little adrenaline rush in their blood streams.

Story: 8/10

Gameplay: 9/10

Controls: 9/10

Overall Score: 9/10

Im not too well with these reviews either but please try to bear with me

I read the review in depth, and I don't want to be rude but I'm going to give you some advice for writing game reviews. Before I get started, I want to let you know gaming is something I take very seriously, and I've written a few reviews myself. I'm trying to help so that you can improve your reviews in the future.


First off, I was a little confused when the first statement I read was "my very first horror-survival game", when in fact this is a review for Dead Space 2. I was wondering if you were going to clarify that you had played the first game or not, since you stated that it was your first survival horror game. Next, there were a number of spelling mistakes that threw me off throughout the review; such as "from game critics claim.", "lethal-er", "you could do with you weapon and armor", and "was an space engineer", etc. Also, towards the end of the review, you also mentioned you hadn't played the game all the way through "in conclusion I have enjoyed this game although I have not yet finished it." Always, and I mean always play through the entire game and all it's features before submitting a review. If not, just leave out the sections that you didn't play or explain at the beginning of the review so that readers expect for it not to be there.


I'd also like to debate some of the content that is in some of the article. When you wrote "Like you need to mash a button to stop your hallucination from sticking a syringe into your throat. To me it seems to be an over used idea, but i'll let the game speak for itself." I thought it was a little generic, and lacked specification. Were you referring to the button mashing or the use of the syringe to the throat? I'd also have to argue how I don't see it as an over used idea, and if this is your first survival horror game than wouldn't that also be contradictory? "The gameplay overall is diverse, so you don't always find yourself shaking the controller with fear trembling in your hands." This statement also made little sense to me, first because you said that the gameplay is diverse. I thought by this you meant that it is a lot different from other games you might have played, although you further state the latter. I think what you were trying to say is that it handled well, and the controls gave the player a good feel and ability to control the game. I don't know what you meant by always finding myself shaking the controller with fear trembling in your hands. Also, the fact that you called Visceral Games greedy pricks is a giant insult considering the fact you bought a USED version of the game. You can't expect a new code with a used version of the game. I don't think you've given the full respect that Visceral deserves, if you were referring to them in the first place.


To fill in the Multiplayer portion:
It can be lightly compared to Left 4 Dead, and by that I mean it's not as in depth because of the main focus on the storyline and singleplayer gameplay. The reason I compare it to L4D is because it has the same two-sided system of playing as the human or zombie, in this case necromorph. Also, there is a respawn timer for the necromorph force, that allows the player to wait a certain number of seconds for their choice of necromorph. The multiplayer is fun for a day or two but lacks a sense of reward to keep the player progressing through the levels. The levels are a bit similar, and get very boring after their second or third playthrough. The human engineers also seem a little imbalanced with stasis if spammed. Overall the gameplay reminds me of L4D, and it has as much playability as Bioshock 2's multiplayer, if not a little less. It's something that seems to be thrown into the game as a bonus feature, and that's what I see it as.

To conclude this reply, I'm writing this to help you and to also argue some of what you posted in the review. That's what forums are for, and I have given you my feedback.

Well atleast your being honest with me. When I wrote this I was really really tired so I know I made alot of mistakes.