Xbox 360 Critic Reviews

Anticipation for Dead Space 2 was especially high. It could have gone to the dark side, forgetting about those moments when the tension rises... and nothing is clearly shown. But for the best, it was able to keep its soul intact. And by raising the bar in all aspects (production values, horror, pace), it appears as the definitive master of the survival/horror genre.

The multiplayer doesn't seem especially deep, though, and consequently I suspect it will lose its luster after a week or two. The good news is the campaign alone is worth playing through two or even three times.

The fact that Visceral boldly ignored the fan fervor and pulled the franchise forward in a logical and thrilling direction is commendable, and even though they'll get their fair share of close-minded bitching that the game fails to live up to the gory heights of the original, it's still a worthy follow-up to the tense opening chapter.

There is a new king of survival horror in town, and its name is Dead Space. It's just what the psychologist ordered.

Take the multiplayer for what it is -- a fun digression from the enthralling action on The Sprawl -- and DS2 comfortably sits waiting for the other Game of the Year nominees for 2011.

Dead Space 2 simply adds more to that already excellent foundation, and in doing so, it has become the survival horror franchise to beat. An absolutely brilliant video game, and certainly the best survival horror game since Resident Evil 4.

Reinvents a genre and unequivocally defines it in one fell swoop. [Issue#106, p.96]

I was expecting Dead Space 2 to be a great game, but it exceeded my expectations with beautiful, creative environments and a large array of both enemies and weapons with which to kill them.

The game is so shocking and fun you'll be compelled to restart a new game almost immediately after the credits fade away. And with so many tactics and weapons, no two games will ever play out the same way.

The nuanced tweaks and countless subtle refinements really ratchet up the atmosphere and make Dead Space 2 a richer, more streamlined experience...There's a sure-footed confidence this time around that gives the ghastly proceedings a level of character investment and polish that Dead Space never quite achieved. [Feb 2011, p.29]