I contend that Dead Space 2 is the culmination of decades of game development lessons and learning, benefiting from everything game developers have learned over the past thirty years, and all of the knowledge that these digital wizards have collected and stored in their overarching hive mind.

Dead Space 2 is presented in incredible style and you’re never once given the chance to think that what you’re experiencing is anything but the highest quality. Likewise, the third-person action of Dead Space 2 is tuned to expert degrees, ensuring you’re always comfortable with the challenging in-game scenarios and able to overcome these challenges with your own accumulated skill. The world is wonderfully realised, the story is delivered very well, and you’re kept engaged throughout. And there’s multiplayer!

But there’s something a little off about Dead Space 2. Despite all of the visual splendour, gripping action and extremely memorable events, there’s a blandness that I personally couldn’t shake while playing. The game has one note that it plays exceptionally well, and there are even a couple different, interesting notes included in the melody to mix it up… but considering the intense mood and atmosphere of this horror-themed action game, that melody can become all too familiar and oppressive.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Dead Space 2.