Dead Space 2

[GamerMan316]

I'll be getting the Dead Space Downfall dvd from Lovefilm in the next few days, seeing as it's a prequel to the original scare-free game i'll do a review once i've watched it, let you know what I think, it will be my first review on the forums 

[GamerMan316]

Dead Space 2 Interview
EA's monster sequel unvieled

One of 2008's very best games, Dead Space, has a sequel - and we can't bloody wait to play it.

Set years after the original, Dead Space 2 sees protagonist Isaac Clarke once again trapped in an alien nightmare as the Necromorph infection reaches a sprawling human city, the 'Sprawl', on the rings of Saturn.

More scares, Zero G and destructable environments - including the ability to smash windows sending enemies and scenary ejecting into space - are promised, as well as the controversial additions of more action, a voice for Isaac and yes - multiplayer.

The development team at Visceral Games were kind enough to answer some of our questions ahead of the sequel's official reveal, and finally we can now share with you thier answers.

For the full reveal of Dead Space 2 and the first ever screenshots pick up Official PlayStation Magazine and Xbox World 360 magazine, both of which are on sale now. And if you can't be arse to walk to the shops buy them both online.


How is Dead Space 2's space station any different from the giant Ishimura? And why Isaac Clarke again? Isn't he dead?

Ian Milham, Art Director: While the Ishimura was all built by one company and had one feeling, the Sprawl is a whole city in space, built over time by different people. It has rich areas, poor areas, apartment blocks and commercial centers, schools and churches. The Sprawl lets us have a lot more diversity in our settings and themes. Isaac Clarke is back because his story has a lot more to be told, and his experiences in the original game will directly affect what happens in Dead Space 2. He's very much not dead, although he may wish he was.

NPC's, a talking protagonist... how are you going to keep Dead Space 2 as scary as the original now that you're not just a quiet man trapped alone on an alien-infested hell ship?

John Calhoun, Senior Designer: When we made Dead Space 1, we learned a lot about horror and atmosphere; specifically, what works, and what doesn't. We're dialing up the ideas that worked best, and developing a bunch of new tricks to keep you at the edge of your seat. (For example, your next trip to the doctor will never be the same...) The idea of having Isaac talk, and giving him a cast of characters to interact with, are features that were proposed by the same group responsible for our horror moments! They're a smart bunch, so Isaac's change from a silent anyman to a more capable hero is actually being done to support the scares and tension that Dead Space is known for.

Visceral heads Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey left the studio this year. Should be worried that the sequel's quality might suffer as a result?

Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer: It takes a lot more than 2 people to make a great game. The entire team did a tremendous job on the original. We are fortunate to have the majority of those folks back on the sequel. I think the work that is happening now is fantastic and surpasses what we did on the original. We are not being held back at all on Dead Space 2 and hopefully people will see that when they get to see more of the game.

Dead Space 2 is being described as having a lot more "action" moments than the original. You're not pulling a Resident Evil 5 on us, are you?

Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer: Dead Space 2 will retain the survival horror elements from the original game and infuse more moments of empowerment. An easy way to describe it is you will have moments where you are capable of blasting the sh*t out of the Necromorphs.

Some of our new set ups and enemies allow for more action oriented combat but to be clear the same building tension will remain. It will be interspersed with some action sequences but by no means is the new game a straight up action game.

Destructable environments and impaling weapons are the big new systems in the follow-up. Do these have as big an impact on gameplay as the original's dismemberment and if so, how?

Wright Bagwell, Creative Director: Destructible environments accomplish a few things:

First, it's odd when the interactive fidelity of game worlds doesn't match their visual fidelity, and we're trying to make sure they match up as much as possible. In a game where you can use telekinesis to manipulate objects, it's frustrating to see something that looks movable but isn't.

Second, some of the destructible items in the world will break into pieces that are useful in combat. These pieces can be used to inflict damage on enemies, and in some cases, can be used to impale enemies. So, resourceful players will be able to impale enemies by using debris in the world even if they don't have the Javelin gun. Some enemies (like the Slashers, for example) have dismemberable limbs that can be TKed and used to impale enemies.

Finally, combat looks and feels WAY more spectacular in a dynamic world, and makes combat feel more dangerous and satisfying. Exploders send debris flying, the force gun pushes debris around in spectacular fashion, and some other new, not yet revealed enemies and weapons also create a spectacle of destruction.

Fans of the original loved the brilliant, but few zero gravity sections. The new "decompression moments" look awesome. In what other ways are you keeping zero g sections impressive in Dead Space 2?

Wright Bagwell, Creative Director: We're not giving a lot of details about Zero-G right now but will be happy to discuss more details when I can.

Talking of Resident Evil 5, did you take any influence from the public's reaction to that? It wasn't as openly loved as its predecessor...

Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer: The team is avid gamers and certainly looked at RE5. As far as taking influence from that game I don't think you will see too many similarities. My personal favorites in that series were RE1 and RE4.

A lot of fans will argue that online multiplayer is an unnecessary addition to the brilliantly isolated and lonely scares of the single-player game. Why did you decide to add it anyway?

Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer: We are not really discussing MP today. What I will say is we have a dedicated team working on the feature, are actively focus testing it, and will not ship a mode that degrades the quality of Dead Space 2 or the Dead Space franchise.

Can you give us any solid details on what multiplayer will be like? Early reports sound like Left 4 Dead in space... with playable necromorphs?

Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer: You will be able to strategically dismember your friends. I'd be happy to talk more about it in the future though.

Finally, you've set yourself a pretty huge bar with the excellent original Dead Space. How determined are you to top it, and does that mean EA will delay and work on the sequel until you deem it good enough?

Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer: As I mentioned we are focused 100% on quality and making a great sequel to the original Dead Space. The company is completely behind our team and Visceral Games. The game will ship when it is ready and meets with the teams and Visceral Games high quality standards.

I'd like to say thank you to all of the gamers who supported the original Dead Space, Dead Space Extraction, Dante's Inferno, and Visceral Games.

[GamerMan316]

Visceral teases us with Dead Space 2 '3D' screenshot



It was hinted at again and again... and again, until it was finally confirmed. Dead Space 2 is officially a thing that exists, and the sequel will land on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC at some point. Until then, EA's Visceral Games is in full-blown tease mode. Today's tidbit of Dead Space 2 info comes in the form of a Game Informer-exclusive "3D" screenshot.

The image features the game's hero, Isaac Clark, fighting off a horrific childlike necromorph. Well, to be honest, we assume the pair are fighting. For all we know the two characters could be moments away from a beautiful holiday embrace. (Mistletoe may or may not be involved.) Check out Game Informer's dedicated Dead Space 2 site to see the shot in all its interactive glory.

[GamerMan316]

EA wants your ideas for Dead Space 2
Now's your chance to determine what will be included with the Collector's Edition...

EA has asked on its Dead Space 2 Facebook group for ideas on what Dead Space 2's Collector's Edition should contain.

"IF we were to put out a Dead Space 2 Collector's Edition, what would you want to see in it?" shouts the announcement. "I will have our Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis comment on some of your suggestions next week, so make them good!"

So far suggestions include plasma cutter, helmet, keychain and, we quote, "a special weapon that should be crazy or do somthing so out their it makes people go omgwtflol".

Get in there and make your own suggestions. As long as it's not 'free making of DVD', anything should be game.

[TaraJayne]

For those of you who loved Dead Space, for it's ability to scare the living day lights out of you, you're in for a surprise.  It looks like the producer of Dead Space 2, Steve Papoutsis, does not feel the same way.

In a recent interview with GameInformer Steve is quoted as saying that ".. What we discovered is people were – believe it or not – too scared 'of' playing Dead Space".  Was this really an issue?  Perhaps the producer doesn't realize that we picked up Dead Space to be scared in the first place.  If anyone is purchasing the first game not expecting to be scared, then perhaps they mis-understood what type of genre this game belonged to and what they were getting into.

Perhaps the team for Dead Space 2 should consider this carefully before they change elements in the series that would otherwise ruin what could be a great franchise.

[GamerMan316]

Dead Space was not scary at all, but then you all knew I was gonna say that 

[Failed]

Dead Space was not scary at all, but then you all knew I was gonna say that 

we all know your an armadillo, theres a squishy centre under that hard exterior! 

[GamerMan316]

Dead Space was not scary at all, but then you all knew I was gonna say that 

we all know your an armadillo, theres a squishy centre under that hard exterior! 

thats me, smooth on the inside, crunchy on the outside 

[Failed]

That advert will forever live on in my memory, even now it takes very little for me to reference it, even your unscarediness to the necromorphic Dead Spacians.

[TaraJayne]

See that little greenish pic up there? Well thats something Visceral wants us all  to spend days trying to solve. Over the next 2 weeks they will continue to further reveal just what that tiny little pic is showing. All we have so far is that that may be Mr. Clark in the middle surrounded by green necromorph snot. Maybe Issac is inside a big baddies nasal cavity. Only time will tell. So keep an eye on Dead Space 2's official Facebook page.

[nCogNeato]

Necromorph BEWBS!   

[GamerMan316]

Dead Space 2 will be more action than horror
It's the videogame equivalent of Alien to Aliens as Visceral cranks up the action.

Dead Space 2 will focus on action over horror compared to its predecessor, says developer Visceral Games.

"We've got two main teams; we've got some supporting content for Dante's Inferno coming out, but we'll mostly shift our attention to Dead Space 2," Visceral senior VP Nick Earl tells Industry Gamers.

"The first one was well received, and we want to take advantage of that start with something that has tremendously wide appeal.

"We're more focused on the action than the horror this time. We're more empowering to the player. We've got a lot of feature innovation and we feel comfortable because we have something with resonance and we have something that's so capable.

He added: "I've heard some people say that Dead Space was the most "un-EA game" they had seen, and they meant it as a compliment! Funny anecdote, when [EA CEO] John [Riccitiello] in his position several years ago and was touring the studio, he said he wanted a horror game. He went away and when it came back, he helped support and finally realize that game in Dead Space."

The original Dead Space was well received mostly because its horror elements were well executed, and it struck a nice balance between that and the action. We'll be interested to hear how an action-focused sequel will be received but we think we can guess...


How can you have less horror if there was no horror in the first place? 

[TaraJayne]

I have this now after Call of huraz Jaurez (whatever) I am going to play it...during the day

[GamerMan316]

I have this now after Call of huraz Jaurez (whatever) I am going to play it...during the day

You've got Dead Space 2??? Nice one 

[TaraJayne]

I have this now after Call of huraz Jaurez (whatever) I am going to play it...during the day

You've got Dead Space 2??? Nice one 

I didnt mean the 2nd one. Your last sentance said "How can you have less horror if there was no horror in the first place?" so I completely forgot this thread was about Dead space 2