Dead Space 2

Outside uni, and when I'm not doing graphics, I do like to sit down and play games....quite a lot actually! So I thought why not buy the new 'Dead Space' game. I loved the original ('Dead Space') on 360, and have been looking forward to this one for ages, so I traded in a few older games, and bought Dead Space 2 on PS3. The first game's setting was on a spaceship that takes chunks off planets and mines them for minerals and sends them back to Earth. However the spaceship is overrun with alien monsters and you (as the character Isaac Clarke) have to attempt to restart the ship. This time, the game is set on a city on one of Saturn's moons, and again the alien's have managed to attack on the station. Ok, geek-speak over and done with now, he's what i think so far.


I'm currently on chapter 6 of story campaign, and to start with the story is great! Lots of twists and turns, and betrayals and psychopaths...and that's not including the monsters and their appearances in the game. The detail on the monsters is amazing; blood and puss and other foul unpleasantries are still clearly seen (often leaking and pouring out) on and off their bodies, and the attention to noises is pretty ace too with little moans and groans of smaller evils and loud echoing cries of other far larger creatures, lurking in the darkness. The amount of detail on the character's suit is incredible too. The weapons are cool too....who doesn't love mining laser pistols ayyy? The physics are great and quite life-like, but when it comes to cutting, sawing, chewing and shooting the limbs off people and monsters, in most cases, the outcomes can be and are utterly hilarious; you can shoot a man in front of you (not that you would want to shoot a man in front of you but...it's a game I guess) and he could land face first on the floor, or he could be sent straight into the wall on the other side of the room...or you could just rip his hand off his body, and his legs and....well you name you can do it really...Rest In Pieces! Voice acting is ok. The main hero, he was a silent protagonist (good guy) in the first one, he has a stereotypical american heroic voice here...doesn't really suit a man whose face you never see and who is losing his mind to dementia and paranoia to be honest. All the other character's voices are great, and as said the monsters have their say in this as well. And, though it's not as horrifying as I hoped it would be (because the first one was genuinely scary), I'm still loving the little things that make me jump, like when I'm walking down a quiet corridor and the fire extinguishers and pipes just randomly explode out of the walls for no apparent reason....but it's those loving touches that make a horror game what it is. I love being afraid to turn a corner, or look behind me in my games. Got to give the makers at Visceral Games their dues, they know how to make incredible stories and games. I'm looking forward to getting real stuck into this!

In this screen you can see how the real-time lighting actually bounces
and reflects off Isaac's armour, and all the different tones and shades of
colour used on the suit. You can also see the details of the alien's exposed
flesh and ribcage, and it is so detailed you can see skin, blood, organs, the
works on this monstrosity. Also set by colour and tones is the background,
with lots of darks and shades, creating a tense and scary atmosphere!
Graphics 9/10!

Again you can see the colours and tones mixed and clashing
in this screenshot. The eyes are distinct and bold (and make up
the essence of the character in promotional media) and show against
the black background. Also the tv's colour's are striking and powerful.
Love the amount of care and detail taken on this game!