Dead Space 2

Three years on and Isaac Clarke is more bad-ass than ever...

This time last week we did a special look-back at Dead Space in anticipation of its sequel. Its safe to say that we here at MancalaZonk were blown away by our first experiences of the possible horror game of the year! It starts with Clarke waking up on a space station known as the Sprawl to find that it has become overwhelmed by a fresh outbreak of Necromorphs. From the very first moment of the game, Isaac is fighting for his life. Unlike most video games we can see how previous events have seriously taken their toll on the sanity of our protagonist. He is totally ruined by the events of the original Dead Space. He saw things that no man should have during his time on the Ishimura spaceship, but the fact that Isaac's girlfriend died on the vessel after he encouraged her to work there really haunts him. The internal war that Isaac must fight makes for a really engaging story.

Combat has also become far more satisfying than it was in the original. With a faster Isaac that is much lighter on his feet the gameplay has become remarkably more fluid. Yet the violence and gore that played a huge part in the previous game never gets old. With backtracking and disorientation stripped from the game, Visceral have ended up with a fast-paced game that's suspenseful and scary at the same time. While you may be funnelled through levels in a linear Point A to Point B style, there is so much detail in the environment, along with some unexpected shocks and surprises, that you would not even notice the directness of each stage.

I, along with many of the fans, was really looking forward to the multiplayer that was lacking in the previous title. After playing it with the members of b0r3d.co.cc I can safely say that we all came to the same conclusion: it sucked! It is basically a 4v4 objective based game where humans must face Necromorphs in an attempt to complete a goal. All I should say on the matter is 'Visceral stick to the single player!'

Verdict: Buy It!