The horror genre is a cruel mistress. Developers have been striving for that genuine sense of fear and discomfort in computer games for a long time, and although there have been some marvelous efforts in the past, the consumer is ever-increasingly desensitised to the idea of dead girls, ghosts, and violent gore.
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| He's not had the best of times lately... |
So to this,
EA and
Visceral Games had an answer. And a 'bloody' good one.
Dead Space 2 appears to pick up basically from where its predecessor left off, give or take a bit of down time. You are Isaac Clark the unfortunate engineer who lost his girlfriend on a ship HE put her on. Having already gone through a nightmarish experience with the Necromorph taking over the ship and sending Isaac absolutely batshit nuts, the developers do not seem to want to let Isaac off just yet. Waking up in a straight jacket at the beginning of the game, having been 'found' by someone, it does not take long for butt clenching and squealing to commence.
The enemies come in hard and fast, you are [at first] unarmed and, like porn at Buckingam Palace, you are royally fucked. But it isn't simply the gorgeously horrendous Necromorph that keep you on your toes. The lighting, the corridors, the big empty rooms, the unnerving silences, the music, and just about everything else this game presents, is a means towards making you shit your pants.
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| This happened to me more than once... need to keep my wits! |
Now saying this, there was an issue that everyone had with the first game, wherein it was indeed scary for the first hour or 2. But after the middle and towards the end, you felt more like Rambo, running everywhere and shooting at stuff feeling like a badass who had just about had enough of it! This did happen in
Dead Space 2 and I was not overly pleased... but it did not last. I had reached a stage wherein I had felt comfortable, and brave and I believe this is was what the developers wanted. I recall a moment heading down a dimly lit hallway, and a crate sat alone at the end. I wasn't hurting for more stuff but as they say, waste not want not. I looked around to make sure there was not anything else I needed to dismember before I continued; it was safe. So I ran towards the box. Now you know those moments where you have a bad feeling about something, but you decide that you're being silly so you swallow all doubts... and then it happens. I screamed... only a little, but enough to warrant a sticker that said "Pussy" slapped across my forehead. I momentarily lost my controller and scrambled around on the couch trying to retrieve it so I could save myself from being literally cut in half.
There are quite a few moments like this, and they are timed and placed brilliantly, so whenever you feel comfortable in the game, ideally you really want to listen to those nagging doubts. The magic of it is that it is not always something blasting through a wall, or falling in front of you from the ceiling, it is also moments that are designed purely to bring an end to Isaac. A scene that stood out for me is when you finally rendezvous with a couple of survivors, and all hell breaks loose, quite literally. You are bombarded with many different types of enemies. Babies with boils, kids that run at you screaming and diving at your jugular, necromorphs looking to rip Isaac in two, 2 armed lizard things, and so on. So many set pieces are crafted so you never really feel like you can get away with being brave. Which, for a horror game, is good!
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| No legs? No prob... oh shit |
I mentioned earlier the process of dismemberment which, if you know the franchise, is the game's USP. "Strategic Dismemberment". Gruesome? Yes. Family friendly? Get the fuck out. Yes, the simple head shot does not bring these guys down, as with the first game, you need to blast your enemies limb after limb, either stopping them from walking, or throwing shit at you, or (and I LOVE this) to use their sharp body parts to impale other enemies. Oooh, it makes me giddy! One of Isaac's new gadgets is a Grav-Gun transfer, so you can pick things up without using 'Stasis' and fire them at other things. Nothing more satisfying than being in a room with 3 Necromorph, and ripping their sword-like arms from their body, and then posting them up on the wall like a stuffed ornament. Again, a gruesome touch, but in this game, it a quintessential game changer. Also, it means ammo can be reserved for more desperate moments when you find yourself painting the walls with panic juice!
I have not got to the end yet, so I have nothing to spoil for you, but if you have not bought this game, or heaven forbid, played the demo then why, oh why, oh why are you still sitting here reading this?
Seriously though...
Oh yeah, and as an afterthought, the online multi-player is not exactly groundbreaking, but playing as the Necromorph is entertaining. Still worth playing!
If you have anything you wish to share with me or indeed the readers, feel free to comment or e-mail me at twentfiveand0@hotmail.com - Gamertag Coming Soon
There are quite a few moments like this, and they are timed and placed brilliantly, so whenever you feel comfortable in the game, ideally you really want to listen to those nagging doubts. The magic of it is that it is not always something blasting through a wall, or falling in front of you from the ceiling, it is also moments that are designed purely to bring an end to Isaac. A scene that stood out for me is when you finally rendezvous with a couple of survivors, and all hell breaks loose, quite literally. You are bombarded with many different types of enemies. Babies with boils, kids that run at you screaming and diving at your jugular, necromorphs looking to rip Isaac in two, 2 armed lizard things, and so on. So many set pieces are crafted so you never really feel like you can get away with being brave. Which, for a horror game, is good!
