Interactivity is the future of gaming. There is no getting around it. The controller based style games will slowly die, making way for a future filled with virtual reality and motion sensors.
With this in mind, it is wonderful to see companies like EA putting out extraordinary games that don’t require rip-off Wii equipment.
“Dead Space 2” is one of these games. Following the success of 2008’s sleeper hit, “Dead Space”, the new installment picks up three years after its predecessor. The main character has been locked away in an insane asylum for about this period of time and wakes up one day to find the world has been run amuck with space zombies. In truth the villains in the game are not zombies, but they’re pretty similar and equally as frightening.
The game doesn’t give the player much time to get acclimated to their surroundings before a sudden barrage of necromorphs – the actual lame name of the space zombies – attack you and set you on a quest to get the hell out of Dodge. Granted, this premise is somewhat cliché, but that doesn’t really matter.
There is a simple rule when creating a scenario that many others have: do it better. “Dead Space 2” exemplifies this rule. Terrifying doesn’t even come close to describing the horror players will witness. Pushing the consoles graphics to the edge of its capabilities is just one area this game succeeds.
Atmosphere plays a huge role in the success of a survival horror game. “Resident Evil” showed us such success with the introduction of a mansion populated by flesh eating ghouls. Tight corners, small rooms and low lighting are three areas the champion of this genre set precedents in. “Dead Space 2” follows in these footsteps. Sure, the game is set in space, but that doesn’t really matter. There is an uncountable amount of separate rooms in the game all with varying atmospheres.
The player will never truly feel at ease and thank heaven for that. Too many games in this genre have become predictable. The player will know when he or she is safe. It makes the whole experience rather boring. This game, however will have people breathing heavily through their mouth for the duration of play.
Another aspect of good atmosphere is sound. Typically this can be lumped in with the previously mentioned topics, but that would not do the exceptional use of music and ambient noises in “Dead Space 2” justice. Every time a player enters a new room he or she will be greeted by a barrage of noises. The wonderful part is there is really no way to tell what is making the noise. It could be five space zombies of varying types getting ready to feast on your innards, or it could be coffee mug that fell. That is what’s so wonderful. There is no way to know until you’re under attack, or onto the next room dealing with a new array of creepy auditory menaces.
Aside from the numerous successes in “Dead Space 2” that the original game also shares, it does something its predecessor failed to do by creating a vastly entertaining multiplayer experience. The original has no multiplayer, and once the game was done, there was no reason to continue playing. “Dead Space 2” will keep gamers coming back for months after completing the campaign. It takes the best parts of games like “Left 4 Dead” and expands upon them, creating an enthralling necromorph vs. human challenge.
There are only a few games I advocate buying and “Dead Space 2” is most certainly worth the money.