Dead Space 2 – Hands-on Impressions: PAX Prime 2010

Dead Space 2 was one of the games I was looking forward to seeing at the show. I was a huge fan of the original game, and I wanted to make sure that in creating the sequel, the team at Visceral didn’t stray too far from the core of what made Dead Space great, yet added enough new elements to keep the game fresh. Did they succeed in that goal?

The demo I was able to play was a playable version of the demo that EA showed off at E3. The first thing that strikes you is how amazing the game looks. The first game was a visual marvel when it released, as well, but with two more years of engine development, the game looks even better and feels even bigger than the previous game. The scale also feels much larger than the other game, since it now takes place in a city and not just a large spaceship. Because of that, the game has much more varied environments as well, with church-like interiors mixed with frozen corridors just in the demo alone.

The sound design was the standout element of the original game, and even with the noise of a crowded convention hall around me, the sound in the demo was still impressive. The game feels functionally similar to the original game but when that one was so good, what’s the purpose in changing what works? Dead Space 2 feels like everything good about the first game turned up a few more notches.

The only negative I saw was a somewhat confusing puzzle in the demo. I felt like there was a lack of information as to what I was required to do. I thought I was alone in this until I saw several members of the team approaching other players during this part of the game, assisting them as well as to the solution. Whether it just needs to be playtested more or what, I can’t tell, but it’s hardly a knock on the game. There’s still several months left to fix any problem puzzles like that one and knowing how the first game turned out, I’m sure they’ll be able to.

Dead Space 2 looks to be exactly the sequel it should be. With enhanced visuals and sound design, a bigger scale to the levels, new weapons and a voice for the protagonist, Dead Space 2 is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated games of early 2011. So far everything seems to be coming together and we’ll find out if they keep it up to completion when the game releases this January.

Dead Space 2 releases on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on January 25th, 2011, published by Electronic Arts and developed by Visceral Games.