Or at least not be as good as the first one...
Hello Dead Spacers!
Okay, fist off I'm sure all of you have played Dead Space (if not shame on you!) and were so enamored by its gameplay you saw it in yourselves to devote your services to a wiki devoted to nothing ,but Dead Space and I thank you all for your contributions. With the official announcement of a sequel to the 2008 blockbuster I can clearly see the anticipation has some of us giddy with joy and the preview offered by Gameinformer only amplified this excitement. Yet I'll be the first to say it that I'm not all that enthusiastic about the new Dead Space, if anything I'm concerned. Like all sequels, we always expect the product to be better and in some cases it's just that, but in others it either "falls short" or is in no way comparison to the first. I may the companies intention to create a better experience than what the first offered ,but for some the formula for the first simply worked too well that they didn't bother with the schematics and simply went for the superficial( better graphics, new abilities, etc.). Take Halo 3, a huge disappointment in my opinion, even with improved graphics and new weapons could not changed the fact that the game was really no different than its predecessor in terms of gameplay and was severely underdeveloped in storyline and characters. Its ending was incredibly disappointing offering almost no challenge and a weak boss battle and borrowed heavily from the first Halo game bringing an end to the main series in no more than six hours. Granted it had an impressive, if not addictive, online multiplayer, to make you ignore these flaws. Now, obviously Halo and Dead Space are not the same thing, but I'm voicing my concerns that Dead Space 2 will follow a similar route. Here are some of the reasons that have me jumpy:
Reason #1[]
3 years later?
This one really made me scratch my head. I get the reason for the whole new setting, The Sprawl being mentioned shortly near the end of Dead Space Extraction, but for it to be three years later and the Necromorphs still around just doesn't sit well with me. Originally the description in GameInformer made me believe that the whole galaxy, or world, became aware of the Necromorphs and was launching an assault on them with Isaac now some kind of heralded warrior( I hate this scenario too) . From what I've read the Dead Space 2 beginning bears a striking resemblance to the opening of 28 days later with the protagonist suddenly awakening in a hospital while seemingly having slept thru a massacre. I have absolutely no certainty how the infection will start, just theories, such as the Ishimura suddenly crashing into the sprawl ,but the fact that three years, three necromorph free years I assume, pass and the the necromorphs suddenly appear makes no sense. Isaac doesn't seem like the character to find himself in the same shit hole three years later, more like shortly afterwards. The scenario seems more suited to a new character who, like Isaac, doesn't know what to expect. Because the games does occur three years later it essentially guarantees Lexine, Nathan, and Gabe's survival (though their status in DS 2 is unclear), so much for surprises..
Reason # 2[]
Isaac Talks!...no really!
Silent and deadly, two words to sum up Isaac's badass in Dead Space. However, it appears do over in the upcoming sequel as Isaac will have regular dialogue. I personally prefer the silent protagonist over any wise cracking gun ho fool any day. The beauty of the silent protagonist is that because the character has almost no dialogue the player can essentially view the character in his or her own way. As a result the player can connect better with the character and not be distracted by the character's own opinion. "I don't want to fight necromorphs!" like it really matters. Also with no dialogue, the developers run no risk of tainting the character with lame one liners or wise cracking, which would virtually create the character's identity, and allow the identity to be assumed by the player.
Reason # 3[]
The Necro Kid
When I first saw the Necro Kid, I was horrified. It's a terrifying sight really, but sadly for the wrong reasons. The creature is absolutely horrendous in terms of an enemy. I mean seriously look at this thing! I think I could beat it up! This game is supposed to be an action horror, it's bad enough I have to fight dead reanimated babies, now I gotta beat up a preschooler. If I saw a slasher coming my way I'd shit myself. Hell, the lurker is more terrifying, at least it would be harder to fight. When you compare it to the slasher , they're physically different in many ways, but virtually the same in combat. Unless the Necro kid has the ability to bounce off walls or fire some kind of projectile they really are a smaller, probably weaker, version of the slasher. Granted, I'm getting these ideas from the pictures freshly posted, but they offer very little opposition. Hopefully, by the time of the game's release this character will be tweaked if not dropped entirely.
Reason # 4[]
The Javelin Gun
and any others weapons new to Dead Space..
Ahh this weapon brings me back to the nail gun of FEAR, which as I recall was an incredibly weak, almost worthless weapon. The Javelin gun seems no different, if anything, it's the rivet gun on steroids. I like the fact you can pin a necromorph against a wall, but that's just it.
Reason # 5[]
Visceral Games tenacity
Besides being known for creating the critically acclaimed Dead Space, Visceral Games is well known for their ill advised, if not appalling attempts to publicize their games. If you might not recall the company was responsible for mailing a gift box to a group of critics which contained cigars and most notably a set of brass knuckles, illegal in the state. However, this pales in comparison to their recent attempts in promoting a game they act as if will already be the next big thing: Dante's inferno. From encouraging sexual harassment at videogame convention , giving pre orders a 6.66 discount, and even mailing several critics 200 dollar checks, it was an incredibly bold move for visceral games to create a game based on one of the most sensitive subjects in the world: religion. Their arrogant promotions don't seem justified from what I've seen. The graphics don't seem that impressive and from what I've read the game runs on a one weapon combat which in my opinion runs flat. Granted, Vsiceral has yet to mail severed limbs to critics to promote Dead Space 2, much to my relief. Besides their tenacity, Visceral Games has a poor track record. Before striking gold with Dead Space , the company created The Godfather and The Simpsons Game, games I'm sure we're all raving about. After Dead Space the company created The Godfather 2 a sequel considered weaker than its predecessor and Dead Space Extraction, a good, but not great game. Taking into account how they've intensely promoted Dante's Inferno, a game that has yet to hit shelves, they act as if they're videogame geniuses since creating Dead Space, which worries me they will simply stick with the formula of Dead Space and go the superficial route.
Reason # 6[]
Multiplayer
Ok, I now this one sounds crazy ,but here me out. Everyone always act like a game has to have multiplayer, and not surprisingly some critics blasted the fact Dead Space had no multiplayer. I don't necessarily believe multiplayer is a good thing and a requirement. The way Dead Space operates is thru the revolutionary 3rd person point of view first utilized in RE4. This view offers the ability to see enemies more clearly and allow better exploration of the environment at the cost of not being immediately engaged in aiming mode. As a result, the intensity of being right into the battle wont be there for Dead Space 2. Dead Space operates very slowly in terms of moving the player and as such it will be difficult to imagine how Visceral will make a multiplayer setting adequate enough to be action packed and adrenaline pumped.
Reason # 7[]
New Faces
Damn you, Schofield!
Dead Space 2 will not benefit from the absence of Glen Schofield, former general manager, and Michael Condrey, former Chief Operation Officer, who left Visceral Games in order to found Sledgehammer Games, a new studio controlled by rival publisher Activision. It certainly doesn't help Visceral games to lose who many consider was the brains behind Dead Space in Schofield. Now I know it's unfair to say that Dead Space 2 will automatically suck without these guys since a game is an entity created by an organization but it certainly helps to have a majority of the creators back.