The first Dead Space was a Third-Person Horror Shooter with lots of atmosphere and tons of (idiosyncratic!) character. It surely reinvigorated, if not redefined, the horror-TPS genre and failed to become a classic solely because of its awkward (and non-remappable!) controls and the draconian DRM scheme it came bundled with.Well, apparently history repeats itself as a farce on Titan as well.
The graphics have received a refresher, the sounds will make you jump to the edge of your seat once more and the guns have been revamped (there are only a few new additions). Now, if only there was more ammo to actually use them without counting every bloody bullet!
Isaac, Locked 'n' Loaded
And if you are a Necromorph, better get outta his way! Because not only did he find his voice but he is on his very last nerve and they are recklessly stepping on it.
The graphics have received a refresher, the sounds will make you jump to the edge of your seat once more and the guns have been revamped (there are only a few new additions). Now, if only there was more ammo to actually use them without counting every bloody bullet!
An Engineer On Rails
Dead Space 2 is and feels very linear. If this game were an RPG it would had killed it. However, for a horror-TPS this is not necessarily a bad thing. The environments are nicely done, the story will absorb you (for almost all of the about 10 hours it lasts) and (although I could do with less hacking mini-games!) the gameplay never gets boring. From creepy corridors to zero-gravity chambers, Titan will keep challenging your skills.
However, do not get me started on the color-coded...GPS pointers! If anything ruins immersion, getting directions to the next ...save-point surely does.
Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are...
No Horror-game is complete without its dark-room segment. I still remember the intensity of the original Unreal when the lights suddenly went out and you had to fight your very first Skaarj - with only the muzzle-flashes to guide you. Dead Space 2 will not disappoint on this aspect. Not only is the game as atmospheric as the first one and the camera keeps playing games on you, but shadows and darkness are expertly used to heighten the tension.
DRM Vents The Game Into Space
Dragon Age: Origins was a phenomenal game that was a huge financial success - and (the original release) came with a simple disk-check. So did a number of other good games the same year. So, there is absolutely no argument that could possibly support EA's anti-customer decision to limit the number of installations to...5 (and now the title of this review starts to make more sense, right?).
Forget to revoke an installation token (or have your HDD crash on you or even change your hardware configuration) and you game keeps getting truncated more and more until nothing is left of it.
Overall, a solid sequel that deserved a more customer-friendly publisher.
It could certainly do without the ...Dim Mak it received just before it was let out the door.
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