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Dead Space 2 PC
Metascore
87 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
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  1. RealGamer
    Jan 25, 2011
    95
    Many horror games are able to deliver shocks during play, but none does it as well as Dead Space 2. Isaac's inner struggle in the tense setting of "Sprawl" provides an unforgettable atomsphere, making Dead Space 2 one of the most terrifying and unmissable horror games this generation and the benchmark for others to follow.
  2. Everyeye.it
    Jan 25, 2011
    95
    Dead Space 2 is the best Survival Horror of this generation.
  3. Cheat Code Central
    Jan 25, 2011
    94
    Dead Space, improved. Not just a great sequel, but a great horror game. Isaac's dementia and the underused impaling in combat mechanic are the only disappointments, and they're pretty slight.
  4. Game Over Online
    Feb 24, 2011
    92
    The interaction of great FPS storytelling mixed with light RPG elements has become a very successful formula and created some of my favorite games: System Shock, BioShock, Mass Effect, Half-Life and now Dead Space. The plotline of DS2 is clearly setting up for another sequel, and though I just finished playing this one, I'm already looking forward to the next. Bring it on!
  5. Vandal Online
    Jan 21, 2011
    92
    Years have passed since the first game, and Dead Space 2 doesn't surprise us as much as the original did, but it has reinvented itself very well. The main character and its new situation help create interest and surprises, and offer us much more. And, again, it knows how to create that thrilling tension which makes it a great horror game.
  6. Gamers.at
    Jan 26, 2011
    91
    What a game to start 2011 ... Dead Space 2 may not offer any real innovations compared to its predecessor, but in the end, that doesn't matter at all. Isaac Clarke's second appearance presents itself as a very polished, amazingly frightening Horror- and Action-Masterpiece, that doesn't allow itself any aggravating flaws and is therefore this year's first must-have title.
  7. 1UP
    Jan 25, 2011
    91
    Take away the interface tweaks and improved mechanics behind how Isaac moves and feels, and examine the overall structure, you don't have a "good game and then a better game," you have two different games: a creepy sci-fi horror game with some damn good action versus a damn good sci-fi shooter with some creepy parts.
  8. PC Games (Russia)
    Mar 21, 2011
    90
    An absolute blockbuster that makes the superb original look like a B-movie. [Mar 2011, p.87]
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  9. GameStar
    Feb 21, 2011
    90
    The first Dead Space was a stress test, this is a real game where you can stop, recover and play around with different weapons- and it's still extremly thrilling.
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  10. FiringSquad
    Feb 10, 2011
    90
    Dead Space 2 is intense. The campaign lasts around 8 hours on Normal, and almost every minute of that is spent enduring this psychological stress that alternates between exhilaration and agitation.
  11. Worth Playing
    Feb 7, 2011
    90
    Dead Space 2 hits every base that matters with the precision of a well-aimed plasma cutter. It's also a sharp testament to Visceral Games' hard work in proving again how a single-player experience can still be beautifully relevant in a hobby where online multiplayer can sometimes come off as an entitlement.
  12. 3DJuegos
    Feb 2, 2011
    90
    While Dead Space 2 doesn't reimagine its first iteration, it's amazing, stunning, tough and much more action oriented. It adds an enjoyable multiplayer mode too, which brings some freshness to its formula.
  13. IGN
    Jan 21, 2011
    90
    The shocking moments, the gruesome deaths, and the fun of playing through this experience again and again are what I took away from this one.
  14. Game Informer
    Jan 10, 2011
    90
    A monster of a sequel, offering bigger scares and more excitement than I expected... The tease for Dead Space 3 has my head spinning with questions. [Feb 2011, p.92]
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  15. GamingXP
    Feb 21, 2011
    89
    Forget coffee, Coke or Red Bull. If you never ever want to sleep again, than there's just one thing for you: Dead Space 2! You will be captivated, shocked and frightened right away from the beginning.
  16. Gaming Target
    Mar 24, 2011
    88
    With this sequel, Visceral Games has masterfully expanded on the first Dead Space. They've revved up the series with tougher guns, a bigger setting, and online multiplayer, but kept the spirit and, most importantly, the scares of the original in tact.
  17. PC Gamer UK
    Jan 26, 2011
    87
    An excellent action-horror sequel. Dead Space 2 doesn't try to innovate, but it's a highly polished alien-rending experience.
  18. PC Format
    Mar 18, 2011
    86
    It's just a huge shame that it's not as terrifying as it should be. [Apr 2011, p.98]
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  19. CPUGamer
    Feb 6, 2011
    85
    It's addicting and it might make it well worth the $60 if you're trying to justify a purchase by calculating overall playtime. You think about that, but I'm telling you, Dead Space 2 is pretty damn good.
  20. GameSpot
    Jan 28, 2011
    85
    Dead Space 2's thrilling campaign and intense multiplayer make it an excellent game and a worthy follow-up to its superb predecessor.
  21. Strategy Informer
    Jan 25, 2011
    85
    Dead Space 2 is a more than worthy successor to the original, adding plenty of oomph to the series and a solid multiplayer experience to boot. We would have preferred more puzzles and a little less linearity, but that doesn't stop us wanting a third Isaac outing.
  22. Game Revolution
    Jan 26, 2011
    83
    Like Frankenstein's monster, Dead Space 2 is an assemblage of preexisting parts brought to exciting new life. And like seeing the living dead, it's impressive for a little while… then they start clawing for your brain.
  23. Computer Games Online RO
    Feb 23, 2011
    82
    The main attraction is still the single-player experience, which uses the same approach as James Cameron's Aliens: more action, puns in the dialogues and a touch of military presence in the backdrop. It's too bad though that the flaws dragging it down are there to stay: the multiplayer is underwhelming and problematic, and there are far too few additions when it comes to gameplay and narrative.
  24. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 24, 2011
    80
    Atmospheric and sometimes even exciting action doesn't bring many new features but greatly develops the original universe of Dead Space. [Issue#200]
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  25. D+PAD Magazine
    Feb 6, 2011
    80
    Dead Space 2 is a great action adventure/survival horror game then – it just isn't necessarily the greatest game in the Dead Space series.
  26. Gamekult
    Jan 29, 2011
    80
    Beyond the subtle changes in gameplay and maneuverability, it is not clear whether Dead Space 2 is better or worse than the first: it is simply different.
  27. VideoGamer
    Jan 25, 2011
    80
    Dead Space 2 is sometimes a confused and disappointing production, but more often than not it's tense and fascinating.
  28. PC PowerPlay
    Feb 24, 2011
    70
    If you loved the first Dead Space, you'll like this one. Just not as much. [Mar 2011, p.64]
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 363 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 101
  3. Negative: 12 out of 101
  1. StevenH
    6
    GOOD: They [Visceral] fixed mouse acceleration so the mouse movement is now much more crisp. Isaac is also slightly more agile, and melee is semi-effective now. Weapon selection now shows total ammo for weapons. The new weapons are useful and powerful. There is more variation in armor appearance now. The art assets are professional and polished, as usual, and the faces of the characters look more alive. BAD: Encountered several bugs within the first few hours, including sudden crashes to desktop and inability to access menus (therefore being unable to save also). The game is extremely linear, like one long Mass Effect 2 side mission - even more linear than first person shooters from the 90s. The new music is completely forgettable. They have really overdone it with the babies. There are literally like 5 different types of baby/child enemies in this game, not including ones attached to larger enemies. They probably thought this was scary but instead these enemies just took the form of annoying pests as evil babies always do in video games. In graphics, there were no visible improvements from Dead Space 1 - no performance increase, no more detail, and some of the textures were even more noticeably low-res. This is because the game was targeted for a console release on hardware that is about 6 years old now. The game is, of course, a brief PC port of a console game. The story could have been predicted without even playing the game, and it wasn't that original to begin with in the first one, so that's nothing new. Trying to characterize Isaac was a noble attempt, but they just ended up turning him into another generic hero guy with a generic hero guy voice and attitude. The other characters were extremely typical of survival horror and especially of this series. This would not be so bad if the gameplay were generally original, but it essentially went from Resident Evil 4/System Shock 2 to Doom 3/God of War. The entire game is one long high-tech corridor with intermittent space walks inserted in. Power node conservation is no longer an important game element as all the emergency rooms are within a few feet of a power node. Conserving stasis energy is no longer an important game element as it recharges. Thinking is no longer an important game element as the most difficult puzzles in the game generally involve moving an object from point A to point B, and if stasis is required there is a tank right there. Oxygen conservation is no longer an important game element (they even took out oxygen tanks as items) as each outdoor area is littered with oxygen stations. The game is even less scary than the first, if that's possible, relying mostly on poorly lit (read: badly lit) rooms and monster closets for scares, much like Doom 3. The game also makes Isaac out to be some incredible killing machine, able to take down huge waves of enemies, break people's arms with his bare hands (yes), fly hundreds of miles through space while dodging debris wearing only a layer of protection, and punch people's heads off, which dampens any sort of frightening atmosphere, as you might imagine. To top it off, there's even a malevolent force (the hallucination of Isaac's dead girlfriend, Nicole) which completely falls flat 100% of the time in the scare department, mostly resorting to taunting you and cackling while twirling its proverbial moustache or ripping off that Scarecrow gas effect from Batman Begins. The game is roughly 3/4 as long as the original Dead Space, although they try to hide this by putting about 6 incredibly short chapters in (bringing the total to 15) in the hopes that you might not realize that it's several hours shorter than an already fairly short game. Overall the game was a bit of a disappointment and I wouldn't say it's worth $60. Knowing what I know now, I'd pick it up at about $20.… Full Review »
  2. chrhe74
    4
    Nice game overall that I did enjoy playing more or less. Why the low rating? First, it was fairly short 7-8 hours. Second, I somehow expected that story-wise Dead Space 2 would fill gaps that its predecessor left behind and develop the story further. Unfortunately for me, that did not happen. The game became even more linear and the story appeared to me like a lose collection of things that might or might not happen rather than a coherent storyline. To me it looks like they plan to make many sequels. I find that slightly dull.… Full Review »
  3. Ransu
    10
    This game has an amazing single-player campaign. It's a good length, too(8-10 hours). One of the things I love the most is that Isaac actually talks through most of the game this time unlike his former silent protagonist self in the original Dead Space. ciuchina82 was obviously smoking something because he gave a bad review while also rating it a 10. For action and horror fans alike, I recommend you play this. It's one of the best games I've played in a while.… Full Review »
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