![]() ![]() There’s a lot to get through here, but as no single element is especially crucial to my overall position, the pace should be fairly quick. 10 Elements of Design, Optimization, and Polish that Worsen Dead Space 2: What follows, then, is a list of such changes and decisions, for your consideration. But in the sum of all these many small changes and minor alignments with convention is a net negative to the tone and immersive potential of the game, a net deadening of the texture and uniqueness of the series. Rather, I believe the issues of the game are a great many small changes to the formula-changes that I believe were made in the interest of pursuing a cleaner, clearer, smoother, more conventional game design. This is not a traditional review of the game, which would surely be much more favorable than what follows. ![]() It remains a very solid follow-up to the original, and an entertaining, worthwhile experience. Frankly, I don’t think Dead Space 2 has any big, glaring problems that weigh it down. After some careful consideration, I’ve come to a conclusion as to why this is. Yet, for all that, I would still maintain that there has been a slight slide down the scales of quality from the first game to the second. After all, nearly every element that hooked people into Dead Space, nearly every element that I praised in my own article on the game, remains present in the sequel: an engrossing and precisely tuned sound design, a plot that deftly blends sci-fi and body horror, a set of enemies who navigate through ductwork to ensure no space ever feels truly safe, a dismemberment-based fighting system that increases combat complexity while enhancing uncertainty regarding whether any given foe is deceased, a pacing that spaces out spans of tension with spans of relief, a combat system that straddles the line between being restrictive and being empowering, and an eschewing of a traditional HUD in favor of diegetic menus and indicators on and around the player-character’s suit. I personally hold what seems to be an increasingly rare opinion among players of the Dead Space series: that Dead Space 2 is a noticeably worse work of art than the original Dead Space-a lesser work of horror as well as a lesser game in general.īut I must admit that, on first glance, it’s not remotely clear why anyone would hold my opinion. ![]()
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